7.5 million. That is the number of new blog articles that are published daily online. Of course you want the reader to pick out your gem. With these tips you increase that chance.
1. Surprise
“Since today is your last day, I will spare you.” With this intriguing sentence, W.F. Hermans are 'I am always right'. The sentence immediately evokes surprise, or curiosity. As a reader, you may even be a bit taken aback. Putting the book aside is no longer an option. You need to know what's going on.
For novelists, the opening line is sacred. But that actually also applies to writers of blog articles, for example. On WordPress alone – according to the same WordPress – there are every month 70 million new posts live. And this is only a fraction of all the content that is produced. Then it is not easy to stand out.
Make sure your headline and opening sentence grab your attention. You don't do that by mentioning at the beginning that your company 'recently introduced product x'. For example, is your solution the answer to a social challenge? Then you have material for a convincing opening sentence.
2. Keep it short
Long sentences do not help entice the reader. And certainly not long passive sentences. A well-known example: 'the baker bakes the bread' reads a lot more pleasantly than 'the bread is baked by the baker'. And 'Microsoft introduces an emergency patch' is a lot more pleasant than 'Microsoft has introduced an emergency patch'.
In particular, make sure that the opening sentence and the first introductory paragraph are short. Our starting point is that 50 words is more than enough for the intro. This way you make the barrier for the reader as low as possible.
The advice 'keep it short' does not necessarily apply to the total length of the article. In fact, longer articles that suggest depth usually score better than short articles. The reader is likely to consider that he is not going to learn much from an article that consists of only a few paragraphs.
4. Make a promise
The reader is stimulated by the headline and the opening sentence? The sentences were all manageable and the intro not too long? Then at the end of the intro it is time to finally convince the reader.
After the first few sentences, the reader wants to know where he or she stands. Is it worth reading on? What does reading this article mean to me? This is when you, as a writer, make a promise to the reader. Do you want to know how to become a millionaire fast? We give you 5 tips.” In other words, you tell the reader what to expect. And of course: promise is debt.
5. Make it visual
Research shows that people remember 80 percent of what they see. Only 20 percent of what they read sticks. Reason enough to package your message in a visual, whether that is a photo, screenshot, graph, diagram, table or other visual.
But the use of images has even more advantages. A visual provides 'air' in an article and increases the chance that the reader will continue reading. And also not unimportant: images can ensure that your article 'ranks' higher in the Google search results. For example, using the right keywords in the 'alt text' of the image helps.
5. Show, don’t tell
You can tell that your software already supports 371 customers in their business transformation, that a solution is the result of years of co-innovation and that a collaboration creates new opportunities for customers. But honestly, that's pretty boring.
A concrete example appeals much more to the imagination, just like a picture says more than 1000 words. For example, show what a customer does with your software, and is now reaping the benefits. A potential customer then knows what to expect. Show, don’t tell.
6. Go for the lead
You want as many readers as possible to read your article. Then it helps if your content ranks high in relevant search queries in Google. You achieve that with Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
SEO is more than putting as many popular keywords into your content as possible. The technique has to be right. There should be enough links pointing to your content. And that content itself has to comply with all kinds of rules. With the right mix you ensure a constant flow of visitors to your content.
Want to know more about search engine optimization and content that scores? We are happy to tell you more about it over a cup of coffee.
Raymond Luijbregts is een ervaren SEO- en contentspecialist met een achtergrond in journalistiek en digitale media. Hij is oud-hoofdredacteur van diverse technologie- en businessmagazines.
