Writing Content that Enthralls

Your content is well-written and it is solid but is it so capturing that it enthralls your readers every time they read what you post? If the answer is “no,” you need to rethink your approach to how you write.

Capturing the attention of the right people

If you are doing what you should be doing with your content, the words will capture the attention of your readers and they will hold their attention to the end of each piece of content that you post. It is that simple.

Of course, you probably understand that your content must not only tell a compelling story but that story must truly resonate with him or her as well. If you write your content effectively enough, the reader will not only keep reading but he or she will also start to look at what else you have to offer (on your website) and find other compelling things with which to connect. If your content really sings to the point where the reader can almost touch your offerings, you will be able to convince him or her to buy what you are selling.  

Writing in such an enthralling way may seem like a fantasy but it isn’t

Whether or not the result of your content writing becomes a reality is entirely up to you. The fact is that there is a lot of content online and a lot of that content is excruciatingly boring. Of course, writing boring content is not an option for you (nor should it be for any other person, personal or professional).

The secret to writing top-quality content that resonates with your readers is based on the marketing concept of “WIIFM?” (What’s In It For Me?) In other words, you must put the wants and needs of your readers (aka target audience) above your own. If you can find a way to solve the problem(s) of your readers, your business will make a great deal of progress.

One of the main places that you should express your ability to solve your target audience members problems in on your website. Remember that if they like the content that you are posting, the next logical step for them to take is to visit your website. There are several things that you can do, which will most likely produce positive results for your business.

• Use an effective tagline: An effective tagline is important for all businesses. If you are not sure exactly what a tagline is, it is a short statement (or phrase) that embodies who you are and what you are trying to do all at once. It is also an expression of the heart of your particular business’ branding. 
  
  If you have an effective tagline, it will be memorable to the person/people who are reading it. However, you should not assume that your tagline will be a snap to write. It may take you several revisions before you actually come up with the final version. That is perfectly acceptable if it turns out that way. If you are struggling with writing an effective tagline, here is an approach that may work for you.

  How is your business different from other businesses in your niche or industry?

  • Once you have come up with the answer to that question, you have the foundation for an extremely effective tagline. 

  • Next, you will probably need to hone it until it is clear and as concise as you want it to be. It should be no longer than one or two short sentences.

  •  You will want to commit your tagline to memory because it will be the conversation starter for a lot of your professional discussions.

  • Use your tagline whenever you come upon an opportunity that you feel is appropriate. The more often you use it, the more powerful of a tool it becomes for your business.

• Fragments work well in this context: There are situations in which full-blown grammatical content just won’t work for you. This is one of those times. If you do try to be formal and grammatically correct, your content may be perceived as stiff and pretentious, even though you don’t possess those qualities yourself. That does not mean that you should produce content (of any type) that is completely grammatically incorrect. It just means that you can establish a middle ground with your tagline.   

• Expose your human side: You may believe that showing your human/emotional side will harm you more than helping you. Well, the truth is that you couldn’t be more wrong. In fact, it is that human side that will make the people who are reading your content stand up and pay attention.

  The reason for that is that you are proving to your readers that you are human, just like them. That is a pretty important thing to have in common. If you can prove to your readers that you have experienced what they are experiencing right now, they will want to deepen the relationship with you. The way that you express that clearly is through your content. You need to incorporate your stories into the content that you are posting.

• Don’t reinvent the wheel: There is no rule that states that all of the words that you use in your content need to be original. Of course, you will put your unique voice into them and then you will own those words. However, nobody has ever said that you cannot derive inspiration from other people’s writing.

  The truth is that you are not in a silo. You are in a world with a whole lot of other people. Why shouldn’t you help each other whenever you can (both directly and indirectly). One of the building blocks of your foundation, in this case, is your ability to listen to what your audience members want and need. Listen doesn’t mean hear. It means truly listen and try to give the other person what he or she is telling you he or she desires. You should pay attention to several things, such as the language that the other person uses to express him- or herself, the specific choice of words that the person uses, the feelings that the person expresses, etc. That is extremely valuable data to collect.

• Incorporate a visual element: Because many of your target audience members are visual, adding a graphic element to your content will produce extremely positive results among many of your target audience members. The graphic element will help to make your content enthralling. If you follow the advice given here, your content will successfully establish a connection with your readers and you will have the opportunity to build your relationship with the other person effectively.

Conclusion

It is probably not as difficult as you think to create content that enthralls your reader. Remember to keep it clear and concise. You only have three seconds in which to capture your reader’s attention initially so you better make it good. Also, one thing that is absolutely critical to your success is establishing an emotional connection with the other person. If you do that, you will achieve what you set out to do.

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