WRITING TIPS | AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT
You’re Losing Your Readers With Your Post Design. That’s How to Get Them Back
Five ways post structure can help your writing stand out.
When was the last time you read a whole post?
Be honest. It’s just you and me here.
If you usually skim through posts, don’t feel bad. You’re not the only one. In fact, most people scan through posts when they read online. The Nielsen Norman Group conducted eye tracking experiments of more than 500 participants over 13 years to determine how people read online.
The result: 79% skimmed through the texts. Why skimming? Because it gets us specific information fast.
Since people skim through your content, you have to know how to use it to your advantage. You have to give them an easy way to consume as much information as possible with minimum time. You have to know how to write to keep this specific audience.
Here are five ways structure can help you achieve that.
Start with a Hook
Most readers leave a website after 10–20 seconds.
That is it.
You have no more than 20 minutes to capture their attention. That’s why opening with a hook is crucial if you want to keep your audience.
And I’m not talking about the headline. Not only. Obviously, an intriguing headline is a must if you want readers to click on your page.
But it doesn’t end here. If you have less than 20 seconds to grab the audience’s attention, you have to keep them hooked from the very first line. You have to show them the value you offer in an attention-grabbing way.
A hook can be:
- Starting with the strongest point of your article to make the audience keep reading.
- Using an open question to make the readers think.
- Writing a witty or humorous sentence for audience engagement.
- Breaking a well known myth to evoke shock.
- Describing a short scenario to convey emotion and set the mood.
- Sharing your experience to establish connection.
Remember: you have only 20 seconds to capture someone’s attention. Don’t use long sentences and paragraphs. Hook the reader in one line, then move forward.
Use Contradictions to Capture Attention
I read resumes for a living.
I skim, read, and sometimes reread dozens of resumes every day. Hundreds every week.
Trust me when I say — stumbling upon a resume with long chunks of text evokes nothing but frustration. It’s overwhelming and sloppy. Instead of using design to your advantage, you overwhelm your reader.
Make your post more elegant and convenient to the reader by using contradictions:
- Use short paragraphs with no more than five sentences.
- Write an important sentence on a new line to make it pop out.
- Combine long and short sentences to have a balanced article.
All these contradictions — long and short sentences, paragraphs versus stand alone sentences — create a more cohesive post. It’s easier to skim through.
And it’s easier to get the information you’re looking for.
Use Short Bullet Points
Bullet points transform post design. They stand out. They’re easily skimmed through. They are a great tool for conveying the essence of any information easily and efficiently.
If you know how to use them.
I often find myself looking at long, complex lists on the resumes I read. They may stand out from the rest of the page, but that is it.
They convey almost nothing because of their length.
If you choose to add a list in your article, pay attention to the following points:
- Choose bullet points for either examples or steps. It’ll benefit the reading flow.
- Write short points. From my experience, two-three sentences are enough.
- Use short lists. I found every list with more than ten points is tiring to the eye.
If you use bullet points correctly, it will elevate your game. It will make your readers come back for more because of how effective it is to get the information they need from your posts.
Write Clear Subheadings
Subheadings are the spine of every project. And like our spine, it can damage the whole body if it’s not used properly.
Short subheadings centerline your information. They give the reader a sense of what they are going to face next. Or skim through next, in most cases.
From my experience, five words in a subheading is enough. It has to be short or it will be overwhelming. But it also has to be informative.
Use simple yet strong verbs. Paint a clear picture in the reader’s mind with subheadings that either call to action or underline the essence of the next part.
Highlight Keywords
When I open a resume with keywords in bold, my eyes fly to them like a moth to a flame. It’s impossible not to spot them.
And usually, gaining valuable information just as fast.
That’s why highlighting key words are crucial for audience engagement. When you have only 20 seconds to capture their attention, you have to show them the value they’re getting by reading your content.
Sometimes I come across sentences upon sentences in bold. Instead of helping me skim through, it confuses me. Don’t highlight long sentences. It interrupts the flow.
Scatter key words in bold throughout your post. Choose keywords that are relevant and intriguing. Keywords that sum up that specific part of your article perfectly.
Final Thoughts
We live in a fast changing world. We are used to consuming high quality products with only a few clicks. We get bored easily. We leave tasks half finished.
If you want to build a trusting audience, you have to speak its language. You have to shape your content to benefit them. That’s why using your post design is a simple yet effective tool for audience engagement.
Open with a strong hook, then use contradictions to balance out your content. Add short bullet points to attract attention, along with clear headlines. Scatter keywords in bold to convey information best.
Once you master using post design to your advantage, casting valuable information into this mold becomes easier. It’s the perfect combination.
That’s when your audience will come back for more.
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Until next time.
