Before they share it, readers have to love your content. So how do you write the next viral blog post?
1. Offer a simple, practical way of accomplishing a task. According to the New York Times, 94 percent of people share content because they believe it will be helpful to others. That’s why articles such as “10 Ways to Save Money” are popular.
2. Write “how to” posts. These kinds of posts are always popular and tend to stay evergreen for a long time. For example, few can resist, “How to Make the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever.”
3. Give them what they want. Figure out what your readers want to learn and write about that.
4. Use the active voice as much as possible. Instead of writing, “Donna is loved by Richie,” write “Richie loves Donna.” It’s easier, faster and more interesting to read.
5. Use present tense as much as possible. Instead of writing, “Last week when we were going down the mountain…” Write, “Imagine this: We’re going down the mountain when a cougar leaps in front of our motorcycle…” It puts the reader right there in the scene with you and makes it more exciting to read.
6. Entertain the reader. If you can delight the reader, make your content irresistible and even bring humor to it, so much the better.
7. Be credible. If you can back up what you write, your readers will trust your content enough to share it.
8. Cut the fat. It’s not the length of your content that matters, it’s the conciseness. Tighten up your sentences, rewrite anything that confuses, eliminate words like “very” and “just” and basically tighten up your writing. Every word should count.
9. It’s not War and Peace. Use shorter lines instead of longer sentences whenever possible.
10. Engage the reader emotionally. It’s not just about the facts, it’s also about grabbing the reader by the emotions and not letting them go until the end.
11. Tell stories. If you can illustrate your point through a story, do it.
12. Never, ever be boring. Have someone read your content before you post it. Ask them to watch for any place where their mind starts to wander. These are the places you’ll need to work on, so you don’t lose your reader’s attention.
If you find yourself writing in a style your English professor would adore, try again. The best tip of all to getting your content shared is to write as though you’re talking to your best friend, sharing useful stuff they want to know.
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