How you construct your next article will determine how well it connects with your audience. Will it get clicked and shared? Will it have a low bounce rate and high time-on-page?
Build it carefully and your odds of success are so much higher.
Notice I said “construct” and “build” rather than “write.” This post won’t help you be a better writer. But it will help you be a better assembler of content elements. Remember the axiom from the golden age of marketing:
“Great copy is never written. It’s assembled.” — copywriting legend Eugene Schwartz
With Eugene’s words in mind, here is our Top4 checklist for building a better article.
1. A Long, Specific Headline
It’s tempting to write something clever. Everyone loves clever. But your audience is looking for clarity. The reader of your headline is trying to decide whether or not it’s worth the click.
To win the click, write something clear, not clever.
When they see the headline – in their inbox or in a social stream – the reader does a split-second cost/benefit calculation, deciding whether the likely value of reading the article exceeds the few seconds it takes to click (or tap) and scan. Clarity is more important than clever in this context.
Another trick, if you write a long headline, you’ll get more bites at the apple. A five-word headline is less likely to trigger the reader. A much longer, 15-word double headline, has more opportunities to indicate the value of the article behind the click.
Not surprisingly, research by Buzzsumo found that longer headlines are far more likely to drive social media engagement.
2. Short Paragraphs
Your article is not homework, assigned by a teacher. Your reader knows where to find similar articles on the same topic. The back button is right there in the corner.
So don’t make it hard on them. Make your piece easy to read. Open up the text and add whitespace with just a few strokes of the return key. Write short paragraphs.
The longer the paragraph, the more likely it is that the reader will skip it.
Compare these two examples of the same text. Which is more likely to be read?
Consider making it a rule: no paragraphs longer than three lines. At least not in blog posts. Add this to your editorial guidelines and share with all of your contributors.
3. Bulleted or Numbered Lists
Another bit of formatting that makes all the difference: lists.
If you write a paragraph that mentions three things, don’t miss the chance to break them out into a bullet or numbered list. Doing so will make the content more scannable to keep the reader flowing through the content.
If the entire post is structured as a numbered list (like this one) then you have the opportunity to include a number in your headline. This lets potential readers know that the content will be scannable, which may make them more likely to click.
4. Multiple Images
Ten years ago, we recommended adding an image to each article. Today, we recommend adding an image to each article at every scroll depth.
The goal is to reduce the bounce rate by avoiding any point in the article at which there is nothing of visual interest. No matter how far down the page you scroll, there’s a supportive image, chart, diagram or video.
Bonus: Social Sharing
It’s no overstatement that the content you post will influence your potential local customers’ decision to do business with you. It’s a waste to just post the article on your website and cross your fingers, hoping it gets traffic.
Instead, you can post your article on Top4 as a press release. After that, simply use our Social Sharing buttons to share it on social media. It doesn’t get any easier than this 🙂
Looking to build customer loyalty through social media? Don’t forget to add your business to Top4.com.au
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Source: ama