Grabbing Your Readers Through Incredible Storytelling

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The power of the written word is the first (and one of the most important) bridges between you and your  readers. Your content must not only be well written but must also entice the reader and compel them to continue.

You have heard the term “Content Is King” on many different occasions and in many different contexts. You can do so much with words in a positive direction or a negative direction. It all depends on how you spin it. Before you take any action whatsoever to reach out to your readers, you need to make sure that your content will touch them and that they will want to establish a connection with you and will want to continue to interact. You may have the most brilliant ideas of all time but if  you are not able to express them in a way that is extraordinary, they won’t do you much good. The connection must be an emotional one. The emotions will drive your readers to ultimately make decisions about buying what you are selling at some point in the future. There are some critical steps that you need to follow in order to entice your readers through your incredible storytelling.

  • Use authentic, sincere, informal language: If you have any hope of reaching your readers through your content, you must always maintain authenticity and sincerity. Your readers will always be able to tell if you are being insincere and they will act accordingly. Part of that authenticity means that you have a deep understanding of your readers as people and focus your content on their wants and needs. You need to make your readers understand that you have the full intention of solving their problems or at least making them feel good by reading what you are sharing with them. You should try not to inject too much technical, dry information into your content. It should be a pleasure for them to read.
     
  • Use language that allows your readers to visualize: It is important for you to remember that you have 3 seconds in which to capture your reader’s attention. If you are not able to do it in that amount of time, you will lose them. Not only do you need to capture their attention but you also need to entice them to continue reading until the end. You should make your content as visual as you possibly can so that your story is one that they not only read but one that they can see with their mind’s eye as well.
     
  • Always write in the active voice: Writing in the active voice strengthens the power of your words. When the verbs that you use are active and strong, it has a much greater impact on the reader. Active language leaves no possibility of ambiguity. The meaning of what you are writing will be crystal clear. Active language is also easier to read and is more engaging for your readers. It is important to remember that when most people read, they are not reading every word. They are skimming the content to see if there is something that grabs their interest. People don’t have a lot of time in their busy lives and the more compelling your content is, the better your chances will be of enticing them to read on.
     
  • Give them a call-to-action: With each and every word that you write, you must give your readers a way to get in touch with you. The way to do that is through a call-to-action. You can give them an Email address or phone number with which to contact you. Also, it is important as part of the call-to-action that you ask them to do something, such as signing up for your business newsletter, asking for  your free white paper, etc. You will be establishing your relationship with them and you will be building it from there.

Conclusion

The way that you seduce your readers is through your content. Everything that happens after that is a result of what you offer them and how you influence them. Your storytelling must be exceptional. Good storytelling will go a very long way. Your content will unite your audience through common interests. If you content is incredibly well written and tells a compelling story, your readers will keep reading your content, will return to you over and over again, and will eventually turn into loyal customers.

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Author

  • Carolyn Cohn

    Carolyn Cohn is the Co-Founder & Chief Creative Services of CompuKol Communications. Carolyn manages CompuKol’s creative and editorial department, which consists of writers and editors. Her weekly blogs are syndicated globally. She has decades of editorial experience in online editing, and editing books, journal articles, abstracts, and promotional and educational materials. Carolyn earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo.

7 Responses

  1. Daron Henson says:

    @ Carolyn – This is a very concisely, informative article. The information that you shared is very valuable.

    Thank you.

  2. Camilla Sullivan says:

    Great points, and actually they don’t only pertain to writing, but video too – In video we get this feeling across for the main audio or voiceover track, using highly experienced interviewers and producers, and knowing the topic before beginning an interview with a subject matter expert. It’s one of the reasons we often have to explain to our clients, that 5 compelling minutes of video ‘to camera’ content, usually required a 1 hour interview, to generate it.

  3. Rick John says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups

    Group: Business Consulting Buzz Group
    Discussion: Grabbing Your Readers Through Incredible Storytelling

    This thinking also applies to the spoken word. The bonus is it is LIVE and you can add personality and passion to make it even more enticing and compelling.
    Posted by RICK JOHN

  4. Tom Fuszard says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups

    Group: eMarketing Association Off-Topic Group
    Discussion: Grabbing Your Readers Through Incredible Storytelling

    Great advice, especially about the storytelling. That’s how you connect with your audience. It also helps you take what might be a commodity product and turn it into something very appealing and personal to the audience.
    Posted by Tom Fuszard

  5. Pamela L. McQuade says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups

    Group: Freelance Editing Network
    Discussion: Grabbing Your Readers Through Incredible Storytelling

    I think one of the best ways for editors and writers to learn this is to see examples of it. When you read an article in a magazine or newspaper, ask yourself what grabs your attention? When you’ve seen this kind of writing in action, you can more easily begin to develop it your own work.
    Posted by Pamela L. McQuade

  6. James Badham says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups

    Group: Freelance Editing Network
    Discussion: Grabbing Your Readers Through Incredible Storytelling

    Respectfully, Carolyn, the written word (and any power accruing to it) is the ONLY bridge between you and your readers. We write, the work is published, people read it. There is nothing beyond your words linking you to the unseen reader.
    Posted by James Badham

  7. Bimal Samarasinghe says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups

    Group: Professional Writers
    Discussion: Grabbing Your Readers Through Incredible Storytelling

    There is no doubt about that. That is what I feel when I read Sydney Sheldon’s Books.
    Posted by Bimal Samarasinghe