When it comes to writing anything, whether it be a blog, writing a website or even writing an essay, there is a common goal that runs through them all – you want your reader to want to read it.
However, being the busy human beings we are, we tend to skim and scan unless something really grabs our attention and makes us sit up and want to read it. I have put together 5 powerful (and pretty simple) tools to make sure that your reader 1) pays attention to what you’ve written and 2) shared it for others to read!
1. Plan how they’ll scan!
According to Tony Haile, CEO of Chartbeat (a publisher data analytics company), the average reader spends a grand total of 15 seconds viewing a new webpage.
That means whatever your content – you better make it relevant.
Think about selling your blog or website a little like pitching an idea in an elevator – you have 4 floors to shout about the most important things you want your reader to know.
Obviously, you will have a lot to say, but plan your content on a ‘need to know basis’; anything else can be found in a click. I find the best way to plan your content is by making a mind map. In true Blue Peter style, here is one I created earlier:
The main thing when planning your content is answering 3 main questions: What, Why & How?
You’ll notice every stem in my mind map is a question and everything stem that branches from it, is an answer. Think about what you reader needs to know then may want to know and have your answers embedded in your content.
I personally find it easier to physically create a mind map because it’s quicker and you can cross things out and move things around accordingly. Nevertheless, whatever way you choose to do it, planning out exactly what you want your reader to know will mean that it all gets included somehow in the body of your content.
If you’re not quite sure where to start, there are a few great websites that offer content writing for an affordable price: BestEssay.Education offers a range of services from essay writing to writing website content for low prices and a turnaround of up to 6 hours. They have a 24-hour live chat function which allows you discuss and express your bespoke needs to the BestEssay.Education team. I would highly recommend using them, to begin with especially when finding your feet in the writing world or when time isn’t quite on your side.
2. Tell a Story
The second way to create brilliant content is to use a narrative device. Have you ever noticed that when scrolling through Facebook, the things that seem to go viral most often is when there is a personal story attached. ‘This woman was finally united with her long lost son after 23 years’, ‘The day my brother was taken’, ‘Olympic Gymnast suffers horrific leg break. Paramedics then drop stretcher’. These were all taken from my newsfeed seconds ago.
When creating content you need to tell a story, which the reader can relate to. One of the most powerful emotion you can evoke in a human being is empathy and if you can tell a story that allows your reader to come to your level then you’re onto a winner.
Going back to my mind map – this comes under the ‘why’ section. Why should they listen to you? Why should they buy your product? Why should they use their 15 seconds on your website? A personal touch – even if it’s just a sentence or two will make your post instantly more relatable and accessible to your average reader.
People like a face behind the picture so open up and let them know a little about you or why you are writing and your content will become far more engaging to your reader.
3. Back it Up with Facts & Stats
A really interesting theory by Nassim Taleb indicates that humans have a tendency to create narratives where there isn’t one. We look at successful people, look at their habits and their lifestyles and believe that if we replicate Mark Zuckerberg’s 2pm nap every day then this will equal a successful person. When writing quality content it is not good enough to just use what Taleb describes as ‘Narrative Fallacy’ – we’re far more likely to be convinced by a combination of honesty and hard data.
Use reliable sources (not Wikipedia) and make sure you always either link to the article you’re getting your statistics from or credit your source. This will allow people to investigate the statistics themselves if they’re sceptical – however, more often than not, they’ll take your word as gold, purely due to the presence of well-referenced statistics.
4. Visuals
A wall of text together will appeal to a certain type of person, however, as human beings, we have a range of reading abilities, interests, and styles that could mean your content is not enough on its own. Give it some colour, some images, videos, gifs and infographics to really bring your content to life.
5. Formatting
You’ve got 15 seconds. If they happen to have stumbled on your page or even Googled a question and your page has happened to be the top result – you have all of 15 seconds for them to scan and skim the page to find what they’re looking for.
Make sure your page is laid out clearly with lots of signposting to what you want your reader to know.
Essentials:
- Title
- Subtitle (if your titles somewhat ambiguous or a little quirky, you need a little explanation of what the site/ page/ post is about).
- Subheadings
- Listing or Bullet Points (Nice and visual – easy to skim through)
- Links – where they can find more information (preferably in one click)
A few final formatting tips:
- Make sure your font is clear and at a good size (size 20 font is the minimum I would recommend).
- Try not to use too much colour. Colour is great but use it wisely and try to think about what the colour implies about the rest of the text.
- Work out what you want as your snapshot (e.g. if the reader was not to scroll down your page, what is the first thing you want them to see).
- Most people will read left to right, so any important links you want on the top left of the page.
So there you have it; your 5 powerful tools to writing brilliant content. Try to practise and ask for feedback from someone you trust, to be honest with you. Always get someone to proofread your work.
Finally, when writing your content, it’s worth reading ‘3 Common Marketing Mistakes’ which discusses the ways where businesses can fall down by making these three simple mistakes when creating content on their websites. Good luck and get writing!