In a digital world that keeps growing, where content fights for attention spans shorter than a goldfish's memory, writing pieces that really connect with readers is both an art and a science. You need a goal, a plan, and a deep understanding of what makes material fascinating and easy to share to stand out from the crowd.
These ten rules, along with examples, will help you turn your boring writing into amazing writing. This will ensure that people not only read your articles but also speak about, share, and remember them.
1. Get the Hook Right Away
Your first lines serve as your initial attack in the battle for attention on the internet. Get to the subject right away; don't waste time with small talk. Don't make it easy for the reader. Instead, aim to shock, interest, or provoke thought in the reader.
Example: A year after they graduate, about 90% of Nigerians are still hunting for a job. "Could a change in job training be the answer?" This paragraph makes the reader want to know more right away and makes a strong point.
Instead of saying, "The internet is a powerful tool in today's world,"
Say: "Did you know that 60% of Gen Z get their news from TikTok?" Here's how news organisations are changing or going out of business.
These are your weapons: a shocking statistic, a bold question, a story that everyone can relate to, or a surprising fact. The beginning should make the reader want to know more and make them think, "I need to know more."
2. Write headlines that people can't help but read and that make them feel something.
The title or headline tells the reader what the article is about. It should be easy to understand, interesting, and make people feel something. Use numbers, strong words, and a little bit of mystery to get their attention.
One that stands out is "The Shocking Truth About Lagos Traffic: 5 Ways to Unlock Your Commute". It uses strong language and makes a promise to cure a widespread problem, which makes it highly likely people will click it.
Use Power Words: Words like "Unlock", "Shocking", "Ultimate", and "Secret" pique curiosity and prompt people to act quickly.
"7 Ways to Boost Your Productivity" is a lot more interesting than "How to Boost Your Productivity".
Make People Feel Good: Try to elicit awe, surprise, joy, or inspiration. Research indicates that people are more likely to share content that evokes these emotions than content that is solely negative.
Keep it short: Try to keep it under 60 characters so that it looks good on mobile devices.
3. Make it easy to read and skim on a phone.
Most readers are scanners, to be honest. They are either waiting in line, gazing at their phones, or doing a number of things at once. Make it easy for visitors to read your material in short parts.
Short Paragraphs: There should be no more than 2 to 4 lines in each paragraph. People don't want to read long texts because it's scary.
Bold Subheadings (H2/H3): Use subheadings to break up the text and make it easier for the reader to follow the flow of the article.
Using bullet points and numbered lists is a great way to make things clear and short.
Bolded Key Phrases: Use bold text to draw attention to important words and ideas.
Avoid overcrowding the page with text; instead, embrace the benefits of white space. There is a lot of white space, which makes the article look better and easier to read.
4. Use AIDA or Storytelling Frameworks
Your article needs to have a story. The AIDA approach (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) has been around for a long time and has proven effective. You may also use a story framework and add personal tales and examples that people can connect with.
Attention: Use a hook that makes the reader want to read more.
Interest: To pique people's interest, give them useful information, data, and stories.
Desire: Show how useful and valuable the information in your article is.
Action: Finish with a clear call to action.
Storytelling Frameworks: To get the reader to feel something, use personal stories, case studies, or "hero's journey" stories.
5. Make people feel deeply and connect with you.
People are much more likely to share content that makes them feel something. Make people feel things like happiness, hope, pride, surprise, or inspiration.
Make it Personal: Talk about your experiences or those of other people.
Talk About Common Problems: Talk about the problems and annoyances that your audience has to deal with.
Give people the power: Give readers useful tips and advice that they can use to make their lives better.
6. Give value immediately away.
People who read a lot regularly get a lot of information. Give them real value up front to show that you respect their time.
Solve a Problem: Offer practical ways for people to address a common problem.
Share New Ideas: Give readers new points of view or information that they can't find anywhere else.
Offer Actionable Tips: Give readers practical advice by outlining several steps they can take to get the outcomes they desire.
Offer Actionable Tips: Use statistics, data, and reliable research to support your claims.
If you're writing about "5 Ways to Save Money on Data in South Africa", you should put the recommendations at the top and then explain each one in more detail in the next few paragraphs.
7. Include movies and pictures.
To break up the material, use photographs, infographics, brief movies, or social media posts that are connected to it.
Example:
This is a separate situation: here are some things that may be in an article about how climate change affects farming in Ethiopia:
Photos: Photos of farmland that has been damaged by drought before and after.
Infographics: Charts showing that the number of crops that can be grown is decreasing.
Videos: Short clips of farmers talking about their daily lives.
8. End with powerful calls to action and elements that motivate people to act.
Tell your readers what you want them to do next. Tell them to do something specific, like leave a comment, share the post, or join up for your email list.
Example:
Was this article useful to you? " is a case that stands out. Give it to a friend who could use it! What do you believe will happen to schools in Africa in the future? Please leave a comment below to let us know!
9. Make it simple to share
To make content shareable, you need to know how people act online and write the article in a way that makes people want to share it.
Add brief, memorable quotes that people can share on social media.
Tweetable Lines: Pick out important points that people can easily share on X (formerly Twitter).
Controversy-Lite Angles: Give people slightly different but true points of view to get them talking and arguing.
10. Be Authentic & Trustworthy
There is a lot of bogus news and wrong information out there; trust is very crucial. When you write to people, write to them like you're having a discussion. Tell them where you received your information, and be very careful about what you say.
For example, an article discussing how mobile money affects financial inclusion should use trustworthy sources such as the World Bank, the IMF, and university research papers. You need to be honest and upfront if you want people to trust you.
These ten rules will help you produce articles that not only attract people's attention but also get them talking, get them involved, and stick in their minds. Now go ahead and write the article that will win!
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