NO, NOT THAT WAY!
Uh, well, maybe in a sense ... Gee, now I sound like Obama,
A projected 128 million people in America will read blogs in 2014.
Don't you wish you could get 1% of them to read your blog?
BAD NEWS
On the average only 33% read your ENTIRE post.
That means basically your mother and your cat looking over your shoulder.
And both will probably understand just as much of it.
Most read only the headline,
skim quickly the body of your post,
and then only slightly less quickly dart through your summary or conclusion.
Sadly, this culture cannot focus for long. In fact, most will zone out in the middle of this very sentence!
Statistically
speaking,
this is the golden spot in my post at which I’ve lost all
the disengaged readers,
and am speaking only to a small cluster of engaged
learners.
(Hi, friends. Thanks for sticking with me.)
THE "HOW TO" PART
It is in the middle 1/3 of your post that the focus of your engaged reader will be the most "hot."
MAKE IT WORTH THEIR WHILE
How?
IMAGES!
Got your attention, didn't I?
Now, you understand why I don't give out Halloween candy at Meilori's anymore, don't you?
If you get people to read your first 3-4 sentences, they’re more likely to read your entire post.
Draw their eyes downward after those sentences with a riveting image,
and they will read the next few sentences.
THEN, WHAT?
TELL A STORY at the start or in the fabric of the body of your post.
A post with a narrative introduction -- a story -- has nearly 300%
higher time full-page reads, and 520% higher time spent on page.
People love stories, regardless of their age, background, intellect, and beverage preference.
We love stories. It is why we tell them in prose or on Facebook.
There was a reason Aesop just didn't give his audience the moral up front.
A reader will grasp your points herself with the story, making the points a part of her.
When we hear mere information, we are merely taking in the words and deciding what they mean.
When we hear a story, our brains react as if we are feeling the events ourselves.
DESIGN YOUR POST FOR SUCCESS
Blunt instruments of solid prose in your post will drive off readers. No solid walls of text.
USE DESIGN TO GIVE ORDER TO YOUR POST:
The larger the text, the more the eye is drawn to it.
Your eye will go to prose in bold font.
Color will draw the eye as well.
DIRECT THE FLOW OF THEIR MINDS:
Word design is all very well and good. But you must direct the flow of their minds as well.
ENTICE their minds to follow your thinking with logic, with questions, with humor.
HOW DO HUNTERS HUNT DUCKS?
They go where they are. They know what they like.
They lurk in the marsh, scatter out decoys to indicate good eating is there, and they make duck calls.
"Come on down! There are good groceries down here!"
GIVE THE READER
WHAT THEY WANT
No matter your target audience, you know what is on their minds, the questions they want answered.
Answer them: honestly and with humor.
And as with the text, font, and images of your post:
MIX IT UP WITH
THE TOPICS OF YOUR POSTS
Never become predictable. No one likes to eat the same meal every day.
Muse one day. Make them laugh the next. Spin a tale from your past or one of your WIP's.
Write a post on a topic you wished someone had written for you to keep you from researching for hours.
REMEMBER THE OTHER END OF YOUR BLOG
The person reading it at home, at work,
or while riding the subway.
Think they could use a friend? Of course they could. A laugh on a grey day?
Try to be the healing moment in their day.
WHAT WAYS DO YOU THINK
YOU CAN MAKE YOUR BLOG
ONE PEOPLE WILL LOVE?
Posts
Honesty and integrity get me in, and keep me coming back for me.
ReplyDeleteHumour is the icing on the cake...
Elephant's Child:
ReplyDeleteI've missed you. My life as a rare blood courier is so hectic that I don't get to visit or email my friends much.
I love humor and authentic prose keeps me coming back, too.
Some good points Roland. I, for one, don't go for colours interspersed with the prose unless it's for a reason other than believing readers like it. Images are good. Just make sure they aren't at the top of your post or google won't end many people your way. I think those who say you have to put enticing words in your title are probably right. That always convinces me to click on a blog.
ReplyDeleteWhat works for my blogs IS my images (Google sends traffic my way for the images I use, in addition to commenting). Timeliness of a subject, and a good title works too.
ReplyDeleteInterest in the subject matter and reciprocation is high on my list of what draws me in. I look for images that are not cats, dogs and half-dressed men or women. I want content.
That last image made me chuckle.
ReplyDeleteI do use images and am set up for the skimmers. I don't start with a story though. Maybe one about Mini-Alex? How about just a photo of Mini-Alex? How about Mini-Alex with a kitten...?
All good points, Roland. The images and humor are a good combination topped off with the honesty and integrity of a post.
ReplyDeleteGood points, Roland. Most of us have the attention spans of gnats. And it's not getting any better -- working with the next generation is hard work. Getting them to read in-depth and think critically is like pulling teeth. Without pliers.
ReplyDeleteHi Roland - I know my posts are too long probably - but there are no blocks of text. The photos are pertinent to the post content and possibly expand on it ... and I use quite a few as the reader reads, they can use the photos too ..
ReplyDeleteRe photos - I put my first one after or during the first paragraph - so it's not the first thing in the post ...
Titles - I'm pretty laid back about those .. sometimes I get a good one, others are way simpler ... still they seem to draw people in.
But I know I could improve the posts and the look of the blog - future sometime projects ... cheers Hilary
Denise:
ReplyDeleteThe color, for me, is to break the monotony of white letters against a black background (I like this format and accept the consequences!)
I hope my Title is what will trigger Google. The image I hope snares viewers to read on. :-)
D.G.:
I try for variety with my images. I hope it works for my readers.
I love your photographs on your blog -- especially the museum ones.
As an experiment years ago, I entitled a post SEX and merely put up a half-naked photo of Eric from TRUE BLOOD followed by Angelina Jolie, clothing challenged. It got many, many hits.
But my most visited post is entitled: FRIENDSHIP and discusses why that bond is so important in literature and in life.
Content trumped Sex -- who would have figured? :-)
Alex:
How about Mini-Alex with BOTH a kitten and puppy! :-)
I thought the last picture would give my Sunday visitors a smile.
Mason:
I try never to offend with my images but only to amuse and involve my visitors. We get so little honesty and integrity from our political leaders, no wonder those are cherished!
Milo:
I was a teacher for a time, and I do not envy you wrangling original thoughts from your students!
Hilary:
People are drawn to you in your blog. They sense a warm, loving, intelligent spirit and feel welcome at your cyber home. :-)
Interesting insight and suggestions.
ReplyDeleteMaybe nude photos of myself, but in a different spot each day.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
It worked. I read your post from start to finish :-)
ReplyDelete