How to give, and get the most from the readership of your content
Readers reading your content expect to get to exactly what they are looking for, in as short as possible time necessary. Readers are more likely to skip to content relevant to them, and studies show that the chances of every word being actually read is probably only 20%. The readers experience you create with your writing is eventually what matters. This experience is what will engage them and welcome more content from you in the future. Here as some check points to master a better reader experience.
- Target your audience: Know your readers for effective writing. Write content that actually matters to your audience. Use the language, tone and style that resonates with them. Show them the benefits of reading your content.
- Focus on your objective: Have a strong “Why” of “What” you want to say. Be an expert on “What” you want to say. Organize your thoughts in a framework of key points. Ensure your content adds value to the reader.
- Research is a must: Always conduct keyword and secondary research to be SEO rich with your content. Adding statistics and research builds credibility and establishes authority. Give ample references of within the last two years to appear genuinely credible.
- Knowing the reader’s scanning patterns: There are four patterns readers use to scan text on the web. These are the:
- F pattern – People read text on the left and the top of the page so it’s best to give the most important information here. Text on the right or toward the bottom of the page usually gets lesser viewership.
- Spotted pattern – Specific words or phrases can be altered in font style, bolded, bullet listed or color to stand out.
- Layer-cake pattern – People go directly to the headings and subheadings they are interested in, and read only the relevant body text contained under them. Using catchy headings and subheadings helps here.
- Commitment pattern – Here, the committed reader doesn’t just scan through your content, but reads everything due to their high interest.
- Leave ample white space: Areas of a page between each letter, word, line and paragraph that are left empty are very important. This white space attracts your reader and allows them to better digest your content. Use shorter paragraphs or have more leading between your lines of text.
- Begin with the most important information: Start with the most important information first and then provide other details. This is the “inverted pyramid” approach. First state your conclusion, followed by what led to this conclusion to create the intrigue to read further.
- Be wise with your headings and subheadings: Use clear, strong, concise and descriptive headings to guide readers through the content. Questions are very effective as headings.
- One idea per paragraph is key: Communicate only one idea in one paragraph and then support that idea with many pieces of supporting evidence from your research.
- Shorter sentences and paragraphs: Faster and easier absorption of information occurs when sentences (<20 words) and paragraphs (<250 words, 5 sentences) are kept short.
- Simple words and jargon: Use your audience’s language. Industry jargon or acronyms are expected.
- Active versus passive voice: Use active voice in which the subject acts on the verb. Sentences in active voices have a strong, direct and clear tone.
- Be specific in your cause and effect: Give your readers specific instructions and examples where possible that results in a practical understanding of the topic.
- Use images where applicable: Readers are visual and images and diagrams help them learn and give context to what they are consuming. Avoid stock photos.
- Clarity in your call-to-action (CTA): After having consumed your content, don’t leave your audience guessing what they are expected to do next. You need to clearly tell them their call-to-action (CTA).
- Edit your content many times over a reasonable time frame: o one writes perfectly. Every word should be intentional. Remove unnecessary words, that don’t contribute to your objective. Go through another revision yourself the next day with a fresh mind. Get someone else to revise your content. This pattern should take at least 3 cycles before you actually put in out there for readers to read your masterpiece.
