When writing blog posts the objective is for people to read them so they can be shared building your brand, traffic and credibility. However, many people fail to accomplish this goal because they don`t understand the fundamentals of engaging content. First, engaging content is when people take the time to read your content, ask questions, provide comments and `share` it on social profiles.
Over the years experience has been able to teach us some cool things about content creation. We`ve learned what attracts people and keeps their attention while providing us with a gratifying feeling knowing we provided substance to these readers. Either way, it`s no `ROCKET` science to create content which people love to read. I went online gathering what the experts are saying about writing engaging content.
Here are 5 ways to get more people to read your content…
Short Paragraphs
It’s been proven people searching information online have short attention spans. Many of the search queries are solution based meaning people need an answer immediately. It’s your responsibility to offer them with the solution they’re looking for and it has to be right to the point. If you have to offer a lengthy solution, it’s still possible to capture a user’s attention but you have to tweak the way your content is displayed.
One of the best ways to capture attention is by creating short paragraphs which provide the illusion of a “right to the point” solution. This strategy involves creating lengthy content but chopping it down so it looks much shorter. Your visitors will see short paragraphs thinking that the solution is right there in front of them. If you are going to use this strategy make sure you provide high quality content no matter what the case. In the end, you don’t want visitors reading 2,000+ words of content chopped into shorter paragraphs with NO solution. So, what the ideal paragraph size when using this strategy?
It’s stated that paragraphs should be no more than 5-6 lines.
Ask Questions
In order for people to stay engaged with your content it’s important you ask for their opinions by asking questions. It’s well known the best types of conversions are those which asks a person’s opinion. This shows you value their opinion and respect their knowledge. Don’t you hate it when you’re in a conversion and all they do is talk about themselves? Use the same approach when writing content for your blog. The more you write from your point of view the less reader’s will feel like you respect their opinion.
You’ve noticed in the above paragraph I asked you for your opinion…right? Here is the question I asked…
Don’t you hate it when you’re in a conversion and all they do is talk about themselves?
By simply asking this question I created engagement and if you have thoughts you’ll probably list them below in the comment box.
Here’s a great strategy,
Whenever you write content and there’s more than “1” point of view, it’s a good idea to ask others for their opinion. It’ll help keep the conversion interesting and engaging.
Add Images or Video
Sometimes the best way to get your point across would be through images, infographics and videos. People have different ways they understand information so why not provide them with every possible way. You’ve probably noticed that a growing trend in blogging is creating a video and adding the script version underneath. Why? Long content, which is tutorial based is better understood if there is a walk-through video. Not everyone has the same experience or reading levels as you so they’re looking for an easier way to understand information.
If you’re going to add a video or image to your content, it’s a good idea to add it to both the top&bottom so that the visitor knows you have the content available in video. The last thing you want a visitor to do is land on your page and leave because all they see is text without knowing you have a video available if they had scrolled to the bottom.
Content Summary
Around 3 months ago I started to apply a strategy which
decrease my bounce rate and increased my user engagement. This strategy doesn’t take longer than a few minutes when writing content however the benefits are endless. Before getting into the strategy, here’s why it works so well…
People are looking for a solution immediately to their search query. They’ve mostly landing on your page through organic search, but other methods as well promising to provide a solution. Visitors are looking for specific information or sections which outline the solution they are searching for. Many bloggers make the mistake of writing lengthy content WITHOUT providing a clear indication to the visitors where they can find the information they need. The visitor panics and goes searching somewhere else.
If you add a summary of your content below the introduction, you can tell the visitor what they can expect from your content. It’s essentially adding a breakdown of your sub-headings so the visitor can skim to the section they want to read. By doing this, you’ve done two important things…
First, reiterated to the reader they’ll in fact find the information they need. Secondly, the section they’ll find it without having to skim through the entire content searching for it. This strategy builds engagement, trust and credibility. The best thing about this strategy is it’s very simple to implement to your content and makes a huge difference.
Next time you write content, do the following…
Obviously if you’ve been blogging for years, you know how to create an outline of your content before writing. Creating an outline will help keep things organized. Your outline should include: an introduction, breakdown of sub-headings, body and conclusion. Next, simply take the sub-headings and add them under the introduction in bullet form with the label “What You’ll Learn…”. This strategy is very simple but effective!
Use The Words “you” and “I”
These words have been proven to build a 1-on-1 relationship with the reader. Including these words within your content creates an illusion of a conversation which many people feel is important when trying to understand content. You have to remember when publishing online you can get visitors from all over the world, so building a relationship with your readers is more difficult However, there are a few tricks you can use to create a sense of trust. When I utter the words “you” and “I”, I’ve essentially taken the space out of the conversion and made it seem as though you are sitting in the room with me.
The next time you write content, it’s important to include “you” and “I” which can be done very easily. For example, just by changing your mentality when writing content can streamline the entire process. Here are some tips to get you started…
First, pretend you are writing for a single person so you’ll reflect that illusion when writing content. This will automatically force you to start changing the words “they” to “you” and “we” to “I”. Next, you can write in “case study” mode which is writing as though you are presenting the results of an experiment. A case study is always a “single” point of view so when presenting results you’ll automatically display them from your point of view. This strategy will train you to use “I” more often within your content. When writing content you can reiterate in your mind that your trying to build a connection with the reader so will focus on them instead of an entire group.
The above factors will help you stay on point with your content writing and creating a connection with your reader.
