7 proven ideas for creating engaging content that keeps readers hooked
In recent years, creating content for the web has become more than just writing. Most bloggers are now trying to bring different elements into the equation to produce engaging content that will make people want to spend time on their websites.
Writing skills should remain your main focus, but sometimes you just need that little something extra to get people’s attention. But there is nothing wrong with that. The internet is full of content, so you need to make yourself stand out somehow.
By reading this post, you will learn how to spice things up on your blog and post more engaging content. Check out the following seven writing tricks to make your content more engaging.
What is engaging content and why do you need it?
But first, let’s see why you should care about engaging content.
Engaging content is the idea of combining text with various other elements that engage the reader and increase their willingness to read through the entire article. It can also include a way to structure your content in a way that makes it look more engaging to potential readers.
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you preferred one article over another even though both were on the same topic? You might not even have noticed or wondered why, but something about the content of the first one looked more inviting to you. Maybe it was the design or the writing style… or a GIF.
Such small details can often make the difference. But let’s hear why the experts think engaging content matters:
Attractive content generates twice as many conversions as simple content[1].
It also generates 5x more page views[2].
88% of marketers admit that engaging content sets them apart from the competition[3].
The truth is that the amount of web content available is overwhelming. No one has the patience and time to read what you have to say unless you say something helpful, provide an interactive presentation, or engage readers with your content (make them feel involved in your content creation process are).
How to create engaging content
What exactly can you do to write engaging content for your followers? We suggest seven tactics:
Use visual elements
When you publish short-form content, you don’t really have to rely on visual elements. However, if you decide to use a long content format (i.e. more than 1,000 words), you should hold your readers’ attention by including something visual every 200-300 words.
Visuals can be images, GIFs, charts and graphs, infographics, videos, stylized quotes, tables, emojis, etc. Basically everything presents information visually.
Present the content in an attractive layout
After your text is ready, don’t just publish it as is. Think of an intuitive layout that could capitalize your post and make your message easier to understand.
As a layout strategy, you can play with many variations of presentations until you find one that suits your type of content.
You can use colored backgrounds, columns, frames, buttons, separators between sections, a unique font, underlined words, blocks of text and images, and anything else your creativity can offer.
Just don’t publish a plain text blog post. Unless it’s a short form that would be explainable.
Break up the text into short paragraphs and headings
When they see a long article with huge chunks of text, most people feel discouraged to continue reading. Some of them would look for another article that presents the information they need in a more friendly and intuitive way.
When you come across an article that uses headings and short paragraphs, you usually find it more readable and therefore more likely to give it a chance.
Although the total word count is the same in both articles, the short paragraphs invite you to read another, and another because they make you feel “doable.” Funny, but that’s how the human brain works.
The same thing happens when you read a book. When you see a page full of descriptions versus a page that contains dialogue (or a combination of both), your brain prefers the latter because the structure looks more accessible and easier to manage.
Speak in a friendly, informal tone
If you write for the web, The reader wants to identify with you So unless you are writing for a scholarly magazine or the official government website, give it a try Address your readers as if you were addressing a friend.
Impersonal text tends to be boring and doesn’t stick around for long when there’s so much content that speaks directly to the reader. If you are documenting a story (e.g. a travel experience), A personal touch will also win the sympathy of the user.
It goes without saying that technical terms that nobody understands are not enough. Be simple, friendly and informative. This does not preclude you from backing up your claims with links to the original studies, sources, or statistical papers each time you state a fact.
Add a call to action
With calls-to-action (CTA), you invite people to do what you want them to do.
It’s basically promotional copy that you can put in your article to get people to share your post, subscribe to your email list, download your eBook, buy a product through your affiliate link, comment on your post or participate in a campaign/challenge, etc.
So feel free to add social sharing buttons, widgets, embeds and other elements you want people to notice. Anything that people can react to or interact with counts as engaging content.
Include attractive forms
This trick takes more time on your part because you have to create the nice forms beforehand. So you need to put some extra work together.
By enabling forms, you can think of polls, surveys, quizzes, chatbots, built-in courses, checklists, flip cards, registration forms, payment forms, or just little things that your readers can actively interact with.
These interactive forms will improve your readers’ experience with your content and keep them on your blog longer. Not to mention the fact that if they like it, they might come back and become permanent followers of your content.
Diversify your content
While you may have a specific content pattern or content type preferences, consider diversifying your strategy. No matter how great your content is, people get bored easily. You always want something fresh.
So you can try publishing all types of content on your blog and see which ones work best for your audience.
The most popular types of blog posts are: lists, how-tos, cheat sheets/checklists, infographics, interviews, personal stories, and news posts.
Try mixing it up and diversifying your editorial schedule with new post types, because you can both engage existing readers and bring new ones on board. You can also get valuable stats on any type of content.
Create more engaging content today
We have to accept that the times we live in are all about visual and interactive content. Podcasts, vlogs and immersive experiences are at their peak, so written content needs to reflect the changes and keep up with the times.
Creating engaging content is the answer. It can also be entertaining for the authors, not just the readers. Here’s how it works in a nutshell:
- Use visualizations
- Present the content with a attractive presentation
- Break down the text into headings and short paragraphs
- write kindly, informal tone
- Add call-to-action elements
- Contain appealing shapes
- diversify your content
What else do you do to create engaging content for your website? Let us know via the comments section below.
