If your content doesn’t persuade your reader to do something, it’s a complete waste of space.
Harsh but true.
The internet is full of articles that take up space.
They don’t offer the reader anything. They are boring and add nothing whatsoever to the world.
What have you got to do to make your writing stand out?
I was hoping you were going to ask.
Become an expert
OK, you can’t just become an expert overnight. It takes time to gather the kind of knowledge people want you to share.
However, it’s important to remember what being an expert means.
A better way to look at it is that you are a specialist in a particular area. You have a niche.
That means your writing should be authoritative rather than filled with fluff. It gets to the point immediately and expands your ideas to enrich the lives of your readers.
Talk about the main point
Getting to the point is important, which is why it should be the first thing you do.
Think of your writing as an inverted pyramid.
You kick off with the most important information and then go on to talk about the benefits, followed by the features and finally, the call to action.
In authoritative, persuasive writing there’s no room for waffle.
Tell them why
If you want your reader to do something, you have to give them a reason why.
Using words such as because, imagine and picture all encourage your reader to think about how you are going to help them achieve their desired outcome.
They have to understand what’s in it for them. Otherwise, they won’t act.
Write for scanners, not readers
You already know that people tend to be scanners more than readers, but do you know how to organise your writing to reflect this?
People want to be able to access information quickly, so to help them make sure your content is organised with the following elements:
- Headings and subheadings
- Bullets to highlight benefits and features
- Bold and italics
- Short sentences and paragraphs
- Images and infographics
All of these will help the scannability of your writing.
Persuasion is more than just words
You see, creating persuasive content isn’t just about the words you use, it’s about how you use them.
These techniques will help you transform your writing into something people will want to read.