9 TIPS FOR ATTRACTING ONLINE READERS
This post originally appeared on the CMD blog.
If a tree falls in the forest with no one around to hear it, did it really happen? The same can be asked about a writer with no readers–a reality all too familiar to publishers in the digital age. Newspaper woes ring a bell? Before you go running to the hills (or forest), there’s still hope – by putting yourself in the mind-set of the modern reader.
Each day, the average person receives 5,000+ messages. That’s more than 4.8 ads, social media posts, emails, texts, etc. every waking minute. This means that people are in a constant state of information overload. In fact, sources indicate that our attention span is now shorter than that of a goldfish.
This was one of the biggest takeaways from a recent workshop, Not Your Father’s Press Release, led by PR expert Ann Wylie. Over the course of two days, Wylie shared head-turning readership statistics, industry insights and techniques for reaching audiences. Whether you’re new to the world of communications or just finished polishing the Pulitzers lining your wall, these quick insights can help you cut through the clutter with laser-focused writing.
Here are nine tips that will help you fine-tune your content and “WOW” readers:
1. Think Like a Reader – To position your information as being in the reader’s best interest, try starting your message with the word “you.” Don’t lead with your brand.
2. Inverted Pyramid Is Out-Feature Style Is In – Grab the reader’s attention by showing in the lead and telling in the nut graph. Most writers do the reverse.
3. Cut through the Clutter – Increase reader comprehension by limiting sentences to 14 words. Less is more. For quotes, follow the 1-2-3 rule: one sentence is great, two are okay and three are too many.
4. Rev Up Readership – Lift your ideas off the page by passing the “skim test.” Assure readers can get the gist of your message through the display copy–without reading any paragraphs.
5. Master the Art of Storytelling – To help subject matter experts remember a story, ask “When …?” questions.
6. Play with Your Words – Stop waiting for the muse: online tools like PhraseFinder practically twist phrases for you.
7. Make It Meaningful with Metaphor – Develop an analogy. Ask, “If you were explaining this to a class of third graders, what would you say it’s like?” Metaphors are especially useful when writing leads or headlines. Here are some other successful lead types:
8. Tweak Your Tweets – Use the 70-20-10 rule. Seventy percent of tweets share information/resources, 20% build connections and 10% chirp about yourself or your brand.
9. Be the Odd One Out – Studies indicate that using odd-numbered lists in headlines can improve clicks to content by up to 20%!
So there you have it, folks! A quick dose of writing wisdom from a PR ninja. Follow these tips and you’ll be well on your way to engaging more readers.
Download our infographic for more writing tips and tricks:
Interested in attending one of Wylie’s workshops? We highly recommend you do! See her upcoming workshops here.
What writing techniques have you found most successful for reaching readers? Tweet @CMDCreates and @adamjacobspdx to continue the conversation.