Eight Content Writing Hacks.
SOME TIPS TO KEEP YOUR READERS HOOKED IN.
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Just imagine if you were able to write articles that make your readers hang on to every word to say? Imagine in your very intelligent head if all of your website visitors consume every word on your page and effortlessly converted themselves into loyal fans or customers and all the while your search traffic continues to grow. That might seem impossible right now but the following eight copy writing hacks will help you do exactly that.
- Start Your Content With A Question.
What is amazing about human psychology is that we always want answers to questions even if we have to wait a moment first. This is because our subconscious is programmed to find closure. If you start your content with a question, people will be naturally be hooked in. You can use specific questions like, ‘’Are you struggling to lose weight?’’ or something more simple like ‘’It sounds stupid, right?’’.
Opening with a question will keep people hooked in from the very first sentence because we are psychologically structured to be like that.
2. The Bridge Model
2. The Bridge Model
It's a brilliant way to keep people reading and you can execute it in three simple steps. First, you talk about the desired situation or where the reader wants to be. Next, you talk about the current situation or where they are right now to bring them down back to earth.
3. Open Loops
3. Open Loops
This is one of the most powerful ways to keep people engaged. Remember the psychological principle mentioned in No.1 above that people are always looking for answers to questions. Open loops take advantage of the same psychological principle. With an open loop you start telling a story and when you are about to reach the conclusion or climax, you leave your readers hanging and move on to something else or to another topic. However, you commit to your readers that you will provide the climax or conclusion later on. This keeps them hooked in and engaged.
4. End At The Start
4. End At The Start
In school you were most probably taught that good writing builds up to an amazing ending. You create a beginning, a middle and a stunning ending. However, the problem with writing for the web is that less than 30% of people are going to scroll down to your amazing ending. Therefore you need to start with your most amazing content rather than ending with it. Use the ending to hook people in at the start rather saving the best to the last.
5. Tantalizing Headings And Sub-Headings
5. Tantalizing Headings And Sub-Headings
Write tantalizing headings and subheadings that keep people moving down your content. You can get more creative with your subheadings and use them to tell a story. Make them as catchy and as descriptive as possible such that by reading the subheadings, people can get a solid grasp of the story and each heading serves as an opportunity to catch skin reader's attention and pull them in.
Subheadings give your content a good structure. A big blob of text without any structure is not very appealing and it's hard to read. The guiding principle here is that visitors want to access the information they need as quickly and effortlessly as possible. This also takes us back to the psychological principle mentioned in No.1 above, i.e. humans always want answers to questions.
The reader will quickly want to know whether the content provides them with answers to the question or questions they are trying to resolve. Quickly checking the subheadings of a text, is the easiest way to form a first impression.
6. Table Of Contents
6. Table Of Contents
Table of contents are very powerful. They present an additional opportunity to tease and hook people into your content from the start and also provide the roadmap as to how they will navigate.
7. Power Words
7. Power Words
Use power words to create emotions and invoke action. The slight change of words can change the perspective of your reader.
You have to learn the art of deciding which words are to be replaced with ‘’better’’ words and those ‘’better’’ words are called power words. Power words generate an emotional response. The get people excited enough to make the take the next step.
They will more or less have at least of the following characteristics.
(i) Action driven
(ii) Surprising
(iii) Inflammatory
(iv) Descriptive
(v) Unique
Examples include the following
>now
>proven
>exclusive
>bonus
>powerful
>results
>guaranteed
>lucrative
>extra
>you
The last word on the list can actually be a surprise to some people. Writing the word ‘’You’’ enables to you to personalize the experience of the reader and can help to boost conversion rates. This word is very powerful in both online as well as offline content writing.
However, when it comes to power words, it is very important not to overdo it otherwise you will get the very opposite effect of what you will be trying to achieve.
8. Optimize For Attention Efficiency
8. Optimize For Attention Efficiency
Attention efficiency basically means you say more with less. We live in a fast-paced world that's full of distractions so people's attention comes at a premium.
Once you have someone's attention, you must make sure that they get as much of value for their attention as possible. It's all about packing in as much quality with as few words as possible and your readers will love you for it.
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