Writer Wednesday — Tips to Keep Your Blog Readers Engaged

In an age where video makes it hard for writers to keep their audiences engaged, there are a few things you can do to keep up with the ever-shrinking human attention span.

I’ll give the biggest tip first. George Orwell said it best:

“If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.”

Keep your posts as short as they need to be. Simple enough. Whether you’re sharing a short story, giving advice, or writing copy for a product or an event, say what you need to say in a compelling matter and then stop typing. Go back, cut the fat off of the bacon, and post the article.

One way I like to this is by putting myself on a time limit to write, edit, and post my blog. I know I can knock out a quality post in 20–30 minutes, so that’s all I allow myself to have in my schedule. If you struggle with setting a time limit, I’d suggest scheduling time to plan your topic and main points the day before.

It’s always fun to be engaged in a conversation that truly can relate to, right? Of course! When someone goes to read your blog it’s because either you have really strong, hulk-like, copy that’ll engage anyone who happens to scan the pixels of which your text is composed, OR it’s because they are interested in the topic of which you are writing. The next step is to simply talk to them. Write your blog posts as if you were having a conversation. The natural tone, the natural meter, of your post creates a simplistic, engaging, and fun time for the reader. It’s as if you were talking directly to the reader! There are many benefits to writing this way, but this is the most important reason in relation to today’s topic.

Try it! I guarantee, it’ll be way more fun to write and it’ll be way more fun to read!

Feel free to share or recommend this article to someone that could also find this information valuable. If you have any questions, shoot them over to me on Twitter @ErickHoxter, I’d be more than happy to answer them!