Attention! It’s a word plastered on many a warning sign, meant to tell people, “Hey, this is important.” Oh, if only you could just slap one of those bad boys onto the header of a blog and call it a day. Keeping an audience’s attention is unfortunately far more complicated than that, especially with modern attention spans something like water in the Sahara–in desperate demand and more valuable than diamonds.
So, how does a modern blogger keep the reader from drifting off to his or her Facebook feed or the next Netflix original series? Spoiler alert: it’s difficult. However, I have a few quick tips that will help keep your readers engaged.
Quick Blog Writing Tips to Keep Your Readers Engaged
- Lists: Meta, I know. Though often unfairly derided as a cheap “Buzzfeed” style that’s lacking in substance, lists make your article far easier to read. Not only breaking up what would otherwise be a wall of words, lists allow readers to scan your article for its main points and (hopefully) come back for more when they have the time.
- Visuals: Just like lists, images and videos can help break up your content into easily digestible sections. Imagery can also work as an attention grabber, keeping eyeballs on the page longer. Just ensure that you have the right to use the imagery within your blog post.
- K.I.S.S.: If you, like me, love creative writing, you may be tempted to craft deeply illustrative long-form content. That’s great, and can be an effective way of humanizing your brand or providing an informative deep dive on a concept, but always make sure you trim the fat on your content. If you can say it with fewer words, that’s often the way to go. Keep it simple.
By implementing lists, adding vivid visuals and keeping it simple, you just may notice even the most scatterbrained of readers stick around and potentially even click through to more content. Though keeping a modern reader’s attention is an uphill battle, the written word is far from obsolete. These blog writing tips can be the finger snap your content needs to command your audience’s attention.