So you want to write engaging web content that will go viral? Don’t we all!
DISCLAIMER: Writing highly engaging web content is challenging.
Before we get into the meat of this post, I wanted to start by saying that writing highly engaging web content is not easy, not even for writers. While the goal is to write funny and entertaining blog posts that your users will love, it won’t happen with every post you write.
Sometimes you hit the nail on the head and craft a great post that achieves a high level of user engagement, and other times you think you have written something engaging and it falls flat.
Going viral is not the norm—it’s the exception. So, don’t beat yourself up if you don’t hit every post out of the park.
The truth is that you will fall short most of the time. Writing better content takes work, but over time, if you put in the effort you will improve user experience and write better web content.
Now that I have lowered the bar a bit, hopefully I can meet your expectations and write something engaging. I may have bitten off more than I can chew by trying to tell you how to write engaging content in an engaging manner.
Here we go!
People Don’t Read Your Web Content
They skim it. People simply don’t have the time to read everything. There is so much web content online, it would be impossible to find the time to read it all. Rather, they skim headlines, article copy, and social media feeds looking for information.
Most people won’t read your blog or anything else online—that is, unless you catch their attention and give them what they are looking for. Only then will they dive into your web content and start reading.
What Should You Do About It?
#1 – Know your audience
If you don’t know the audience you are writing for, how do you expect to engage them? I’m not saying you need to know every last detail about them, but you need to have, at the very minimum, an idea of what your audience is interested in reading about if you want to get their attention and create a good user experience.
#2 – Know your topic
It’s tough to write engaging web content if you don’t know much about your topic. I like to think I know quite a bit about writing engaging web content. But, for example, let’s say that I was assigned to write an article about Star Wars or Darth Vader, something I admittedly don’t know that much about. I could just write a piece based on what I already know, but I don’t think that would fly, and I’m sure Star Wars fans would get out their social media lightsaber and carve me up.
The answer: Research your topic and become an expert before writing in order to produce better content.
#3 – Use emotional trigger words
Connecting with your readers on an emotional level is the key to improve user engagement. You can accomplish this by using emotional trigger words.
What words should you use? According to advertising guru David Ogilvy, here are the 20 most influential words to use:
Buffer provides a great resource about word selection: The Big List of 189 Words That Convert: Write Copy That Gets Your Customer’s Attention Every Time.
#4 – Solve a problem
At its core, people seek out content only to solve a problem, answer a question or learn. When I write web content, I always ask myself, “What problem will this help readers solve?”
For example, the problem I am solving for you (the reader) with this post is how to write more engaging content, improve user engagement and provide a better user experience when people visit your website.
What are some of the issues your users have? How can you help them?
#5 – Hook readers with a killer headline
Did I hook you with my title? If you have read this far, I have at least connected with you on some level. Without a strong and enticing title, readers won’t click. It’s that plain and simple,” says Julia McCoy on SEO.com.
Here are some tips for writing killer headlines:
- Keep it short (up to 70 characters)
- Be relevant
- Don’t be afraid to be a little controversial
- Use emotional trigger words
#6 – Keep it short and to the point
Even though long-form blog posts are becoming the norm and Google loves them, avoid writing long posts just for the sake of writing long posts. Keep it as short as possible and to the point.
It’s way easier for me to ramble on then cut things down. I could easily double the length of this post and adding filler content—but that would likely hurt the effectiveness of the post and lose readers along the way.
Notice this post is shorter than what you typically see on Login Radius blog? This is to drive this point home!
#7 – Make a list
Everyone loves lists, right? I love using bullet points. It makes it much easier to break down content. They are easy to read, and they are easier to write – why do you think I included a list here? Lists make a clear promise to the reader, according to Brian Clark of copyblogger.com. They clearly tell your readers what to expect from your post.
When you read the title of this post you knew that you would be getting 8 killer tips to write engaging web content. Just make sure you deliver.
#8 – Or, if you prefer to write in paragraph format
- Keep your paragraphs short (2-3 sentences)
- Use sub-headings
- Use pull quotes
- Bold important points and keyword phrases to draw the reader’s attention
BONUS: 10 Additional Quick Ways to Make Your Web Content Engaging
- Use engaging and eye catching images
- Hire an editor – eliminate spelling and grammar errors
- Be descriptive
- Tell a story – everyone loves a story
- Use examples
- Cut out irrelevant ideas and content
- Eliminate redundancy
- Use the active voice
- Tighten up your copy – cut text and cut some more
- Don’t sacrifice quality for SEO
Writing engaging web content starts with knowing your audience and the subjects they want to read about. Then, you hook readers with a killer headline, emotional trigger words and keep them engaged by helping them solve a problem and formatting your content in a way that makes it easy for users to find the information they are looking for.