On any given day, we are presented with thousands of different packages of words demanding our attention. Most of them we ignore, they don’t interest us.
For example, when’s the last time you stopped to read the print on the bus stop panel, or mail drop box? Do you read all the billboards, or the “about” section of the websites you visit to make purchases?
No of course not, it doesn’t interest you.
No one gets excited about things that don’t interest them. Content that is overflowing with words is not efficient at moving the reader to the next step or to taking action.
Clear and concise points with a little finesse, are all it takes. There’s no need to overcrowd the page with useless words when half or less would be more than sufficient to get the point across.
Think of a time when you read something you enjoyed. Maybe it was even something you wouldn’t normally have read all the way through. Instead of stopping to go on and do something else, it had you hooked.
After reading it maybe you felt a bit different about the topic. Your perspective changed a little due to the new knowledge and experience it gave you.
That’s the way good writing should be.
You may understand where this is going if you’ve ever seen the movie “Inception”, which was about dreams and being able to implant an idea, a simple thought into someone’s dream so that they would take action in their waking life.
That’s right, it’s the same thing top writers use. Your writing needs to quickly create the initial thought and nurture the interest. The reader's mind will build off of that.
Every word and subtle hint sets the stage. It’s an experience, and it should be an enjoyable one, not a marathon of reading.
If you can sit down and seriously imagine the steps your reader needs to go through, and what they would be thinking along the way, you’ll be able to write enjoyable content.
What made the movie good, is the same as what makes good content: empathy.
The entire story was built with it.
Just like the movie concept, first, plant the seed of the idea and set the stage. As you nurture the idea one step at a time with your writing, the reader's mind will fill the voids and make it so vivid they can almost see, touch, taste, or smell, whatever it is you’re writing about.
By the time they reach the end of your content, they’ll be primed to take the next step, whether that’s to make a purchase, click a link, book a call, or visit your business in person.
If you wonder if your ad or content is effectively nurturing your reader’s interest, send it our way. We’ll review it and provide valuable feedback that you need in today’s hyper-competitive attention battlefield.
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