We all know about Content™ — a tricky little monster that often enjoys playing hide and seek with us. But the problem with content isn’t so much about creating it…it’s more about getting people to actually read it. As a blogger, I’m familiar with the struggle of writing a good post and watching it receive little to no interaction. It’s a disheartening thing, to say the least. BUT WE CAN FIX IT.
This isn’t a post about how to write better content, nor is it about marketing your blog to reach a wider audience – this is a post about making your ALREADY GOOD content easier to read = getting YOU more pageviews, comments, and friends.* Because you probably already have good content. (Or if you don’t GET ADVICE SOMEWHERE ELSE.) Today we’re talking about 7 LITTLE TINY THINGS you can change about the way you blog to get more eyeballs on your stuff. LET’S GET STARTED.
*because LET’S FACE IT that’s how bloggers get friends. We write stuff, we post it on the internet, someone reads it and is like hfsklsajdljaskjl BOOM – bffs with a secret handshake because WHO SAYS YOU CAN ONLY HAVE SECRET HANDSHAKES IN REAL LIFE™
01. SNAG THEM WITH A GOOD TITLE
Ah, yes. “A good title,” I say, pretentiously, as I finger-swipe nonexistent dust from the edge of my desk. A GOOD TITLE ISN’T AS EASY AS IT LOOKS. But there’s a fine line between “boring” and “clickbait.” Here’s something to keep in mind when you’re creating your post title: What will people walk away with after reading my post? If you can answer that question, you can think of a good title.
EVEN BETTER: if your post is going to help the reader with something (such as this post, helping you make your content more readable) it’s important to tell the reader what you’re going to help them with – THEN give them the risk of NOT reading your post, just to scare them. IT’S LIKE A FUN LITTLE INDIRECT THREAT.
Here’s what I mean: using the title of this post as an example,* I tell you how I’m going to help you (7 WAYS To Make Your Content MORE READABLE) and THEN I give you a little extra reason to click on it – the risk of making mistakes (Little MISTAKES That Are Costing You HUGE Results) < IT’S NOT NECESSARILY CLICKBAIT, BUT HECK IT’S PRETTY CLOSE. But that’s how you snag people. You immediately connect with them because you just made this WHOLE THING = about them.
*because why would I use someone else as an example when my favorite blog posts are found right here??? JK JK I LOVE YOU GUYS I LOVE YOUR BLOGS I’m just the tiniest bit self-obsessed !!
02. MAKE IT SKIMABLE
Of course, nobody wants their content to be skimmed. WE WANT OUR READERS TO SAVOR EVERY WORD LIKE FINE CHOCOLATE.* But here’s the reality: PEOPLE SKIM YOUR CONTENT WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. I’m guilty of doing it, too! But skimming isn’t necessarily bad. Your reader wants to enjoy your content, but MAYBE THEY DON’T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO. So they’re going halfway – which is better than not looking at your posts at all.
With that in mind, it’s important to write your content in such a way that it’s easy to skim. There are a few ways to do this, and I use them all the time and YOU PROBABLY DON’T EVEN NOTICE BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION BECAUSE YOU’RE SKIMMING, AREN’T YOU???
#1. Use paragraphs. Lots of paragraphs! All the paragraphs your little heart desires!** White space in between paragraphs is known to make people read faster and therefore more efficiently! (I don’t remember where I read that but you can Google it if you don’t trust my wisdom!)
#2. Bold important sentences. BUT HOW DO YOU FIND THE IMPORTANT ONES? Isn’t your whole blog post important? Common sense, my friend. I sometimes have a hard time deciding which lines to bold, but I always remind myself to choose sentences that are the most focused on my point. That way, when my readers are skimming, they can easily get the gist of what I’m saying by only reading the bold lines.
#3. Add lists and bullet points when you can. HAHA SEE? I’M DOING IT RIGHT NOW. (So sneaky.) Lists break up the regular styling of your text and therefore make the reader’s brain say “Ooh! Something new and shiny!” It sparks intrigue and it keeps them reading. Sounds simple, right? MAKE A LIST EVEN IF YOU HAVE NOTHING TO MAKE A LIST ABOUT.
Skimable content is PARAMOUNT. If readers have a hard time skimming your blog posts, you’re going to get less pageviews, comments, and friends.***
*please read that in a thick Belgian accent
**now I am not, in any way, suggesting that your heart is little or has less capacity than what is expected of the average heart. I MYSELF HAVE A VERY LITTLE, UNAPPRECIATIVE, COLD HEART AND IT’S THE ONLY HEART I HAVE EXPERIENCED so
***JUST KIDDINGGGGG maybe you’re one of those amazing people I don’t understand and you actually have friends IN REAL LIFE !!
03. DON’T RAMBLE FOR TOO LONG
Maybe this is a no-brainer, but BLOG POSTS ARE NOT BOOKS. However! You can get away with quite a bit of rambling, and I know from experience. BECAUSE I RAMBLE A LOT. Most of my blog posts are 1,000-2,000 words long. Which isn’t necessarily a quick read. And maybe this isn’t your problem – maybe you have a hard time writing ANYTHING AT ALL, in which case you can move onto #4. But if you’re like me and CAN’T SHUT UP, it might be a good idea to make it easier for your audience to read your posts.
STYLING CHANGES EVERYTHING! You’d be amazed how much you can trick a person into reading if you style your posts in an interesting and engaging way. THERE ARE NO RULES, but let’s talk about a few things you can do to implement this into your blog posts.
04. BREAK IT UP
What is the best way to style your posts so that people want to keep reading? WELL, IDK. Honestly, I don’t think there is a right or wrong way – but here’s a few things I use to break up my blog posts:
GET CREATIVE! There are loads of different ways to break up your posts and keep the theme alive but also keep things visually pleasing for your reader.
05. PLAY WITH FONT SIZES
Changing up the font sizes can also help keep your reader engaged. Because you seem like you have something important to say. Just like bolding text, making fonts large or small can emphasize your point. And if you use larger fonts for your most important sentences, that’s another great way to help skimmers skim. They can easily get the gist of what you’re saying by simply reading the large text. And speaking of visual engagement…
06. MAKE IT PRETTY
WHO CARES IF YOUR CONTENT IS GOOD? People are attracted to how it looks. This theory proves itself more often than you might think. Mediocre content? Sure. Bad grammar? Whatever. Ugly blog? NOPE NOPE NOPE I AM LEAVING I AM GONE GOODBYE.
Humans are very quick to engage with something aesthetically pleasing, even if it makes no logical sense.* WHICH IS ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD NEWS. Because that means you don’t have to worry about having Amazing Content™ – just write the best you can. The aesthetics will redeem any of your shortcomings. But how do you make something “aesthetically pleasing?” HERE’S THE TOP SECRET SOLUTION: find what pleases you! There is no right or wrong when it comes to aesthetics. EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN LOOK. Just keep an eye out for the things that you respond to like “oooh that’s so pretty!” Chances are you can copy that same look and maintain an aesthetic that pleases both you AND your audience.
*case study: Urban Outfitters
07. CLOSE WITH QUESTIONS
I WAS AMAZED BY HOW MUCH THIS HELPED MY RESPONSE RATE. Before I closed posts with questions (see an example below!) I wouldn’t get many comments at all. Now I get way more comments on my blog posts – why? BECAUSE I’M STARTING A CONVERSATION. And it’s not just about “more engagement” for me. I GENUINELY WANT TO TALK TO YOU. I see my blog posts as discussions more than anything else. That’s why it totally brightens my day when you leave a comment on my posts! I WANT TO TALK TO YOU. PLEASE LET’S TALK. I HAVE NO REAL-LIFE FRIENDS. (Although I have no idea why???)
This is another great way to help skimmers understand what your blog post is about! Ask questions related to what you talked about. As a person who reads and comments on a lot of blogs, I can relate to that fear of saying the wrong thing in your comment because YOU SKIMMED PAST SOMETHING IMPORTANT. Like maybe the blogger is talking about how their dog died and you comment with “sounds like you had a great summer!” HAhahahaHAHA NOPE. I need a little bit of help with writing comments. Ask me a question! And then I’ll reply. And then we’ll have something to talk about! AND THEN WE’LL BE FRIENDS. *fist bump* Brilliant.
TALK, BRO
What are some things that YOU do to make your content more readable? Add to this list!! Are you a Devoted Reader™ or a Skimmer™? I’M A BIT OF BOTH AND IT DEPENDS ON WHO I’M SUPER LOYAL TO MUAHAHA. Are you a blogger? Drop your link in the comments and I’ll come tackle you with waffles!
rock on,
abbiee
