How To Use Your Writing For Maximum Audience Engagement

Content marketing costs up to 41% less than paid search. In fact, a piece of content can generate over 300% more leads than paid search after three years. If you want to attract more people to your site, you need a strong content marketing strategy to do it.

It’s not enough to produce random content, though. You also need content that gets your audience engaged and excited over your business. Then, you can use that excitement to turn your readers into paying customers!

Here are the 10 tips and tricks you need to boost audience engagement with your content.

With these tips, you can get readers clicking around and contributing to your business! Start growing your content marketing strategy (and ROI) with these 10 tips. 

1. Break It Down

A giant paragraph can scare your readers off before they even start the first line. If you want to boost audience engagement, you need to make it easy for them to read your content.

First, make sure to break down large paragraphs into smaller chunks. Try restraining each paragraph to three or fewer sentences.

Mix up your paragraph lengths as well for variety.

Next, keep your sentences short! Shorter sentences are easier to read, which will encourage people further into your content. 

You can also break your content down using bullet points or lists.

To keep your ideas organized, try using headers and subheaders. Headers draw the reader’s attention to a focal point within your content. They’ll also keep your ideas on track.

Headers, bullet points, and lists are ideal for skim-readers, too. They can find the information they’re looking for before focusing on that piece of your content.

2. Add Graphics

A picture is worth a thousand words, right? In order to improve engagement with your writing, add imagery to your blog piece. These graphics can include:

• Pictures
• Illustrations
• Videos
• Charts
• Graphs
• Animations

These images will draw the reader’s eyes to a segment of your content. At the same time, they’ll increase engagement and hook the reader. 

Make sure to choose powerful, entertaining images. Low-quality images, on the other hand, will only make your brand look cheap as well. Make sure these images match your branding.

For example, if your brand is lighthearted and fun, try using caricatures and cute illustrations. If your brand is more on the serious side, use crisp photography instead. Images can enhance your content while reflecting your brand. 

3. Know Your Audience

Over 409 million people read over 23.7 billion blog pages every month. In order to appeal to your target audience, you need to know who they are, first. 

Start by separating your broader audience distinct buyer personas. Separate them based on their interests, buying behaviors, age, gender, and other demographics. Separating your audience into smaller groups will make it easier to develop content that appeals to their interests.

Next, determine what type of content your audience is already searching for. Develop a list of target keywords you can base your content on.

You can use tools such as SEMRush, Keyword Planner, Google Trends, and Ahrefs to get started. You can also check out this article for dental blog ideas.

The better you know your audience, the more likely you’ll create content that keeps them engaged. 

4. Tell a Story

Engaging content focuses on telling a story while keeping the reader guessing. Don’t put all your cards on the table at the beginning. Instead, spark their intrigue by teasing your content a little.

Then, tell stories about the company’s history, interactions for customers, or your products.

These stories will keep readers enamored as they continue reading. 

5. Remain Clear, Concise, and Consistent

Make sure your content is short, sweet, and to the point. Cut back on run-on sentences that might overwhelm your readers. 

Delete excess words that don’t add value to your content.

Otherwise, you risk boring the reader.

6. Ask Questions

Want to boost audience engagement? Start by asking your readers a question.

Questions can capture the reader’s attention and encourage them to continue reading for an answer. You can ask questions about the customer’s pain points or paint a picture. Some questions, like “Ready to get started?” work as a transition to speed up the flow.

Try adding a question within the content, where the reader’s attention will start to fade.

7. Let Your Passion Shine

When you’re passionate about a topic, it will show in your writing. When learning how to write to engage your audience, let your passion shine through. 

Tell readers why you love your business. Focus on your unique selling point instead of trying to sell them on an idea. Your readers will see that passion and want to learn more. 

If your customers are experiencing a specific pain point, relay empathy. Show them that you understand and want to help solve their problems.

Showing emotion within your writing will help you connect and engage with your audience.

8. Use SEO Tactics

Search engine optimization (SEO) ensures your blog posts appear on search engines like Google. The higher you rank on a search page, the more people will find your content.

Using SEO tactics can help you increase reader engagement. 

First, determine what your readers are searching for. Use your audience research to create a list of topics. Then, focus on one keyword per post. 

Make sure not to stuff your content with this keyword. Instead, the keyword should appear in the:

• URL
• Title
• Opening paragraph
• Header
• Closing paragraph

Using a focus keyword within your content will keep readers focused and engaged. 

Make sure to link to relevant resources and internal pages, which will encourage readers to click around. When in doubt, check out what your competitors are doing.

Don’t forget to add social media share buttons to your content, too. The more readers you attract, the higher you’ll rank. 

9. Include a Call-to-Action

Encourage your readers to take action to boost audience engagement. Use strong, action-oriented verbs such as:

• Explore
• Grow
• Drive
• Launch

Close your post with a specific call-to-action. Do you want readers to subscribe to your email list or contact you? Let them know at the end of your post!

10. Always Edit

Finally, make sure to edit your content thoroughly before posting it online. Blaringly obvious mistakes will only distract your readers. It could also make you appear less credible.

Instead, check for mistakes and show readers you’re an authoritative resource in your industry. 

Get Them Hooked: 10 Writing Tricks to Boost Audience Engagement

Get your readers hooked on every line! With these 10 writing tricks, you can boost audience engagement and turn those readers into customers.

Searching for more copywriting tips? Explore the Writing section of the blog for more helpful guides!