A
s a web content writer, what do you think is the point of putting a bunch of words in virtual space? The content is usually aimed at creating a perception of positivity around an object or notion. In other words, the point of creating web content is to sell it, to make it seem attractive to the target audience.
While innumerable principles and maps can be drawn out to create content, selling it is one of the most important notion. So how then do you create this positivity or attraction without seeming dictatorial or desperate? Read on to find out how to hone your content into the sharpest persuasive arrow that will hit the target audience every single time.
Affability
Think about it. Who are you more likely to take advice from, a grumpy old aunt or your trusted friend? Most people look for advice and take it from people they relate to and have an affection for. While you cannot sell your content solely to friends and family, how do you translate this affability into words?
Creating a bond with your reader is important. For example, if you were to write for a travel site’s web page, talking about the excitement and apprehension that is a part of the notion of visiting foreign shores will endear you to your audience. It will let your audience know that you are aware of what they must be feeling at the time.
Similarly, a touch of humor is going to carry your content straight through to the reader. For simpler ways, you can always introduce catchy headlines, subtitles and introductions that capture your reader’s attention while creating the all-important bond with them.
Compliments
Everybody loves compliments. Would you not be over the moon if somebody were to say, ‘oh you have a special way with words?’ Similarly putting in subtle compliments about your reader is going to make them want to read more while silently feeling better about themselves. These connections make your web content seem infinitely more relatable.
For example, if you are talking about parenting, then saying, “Parenting is more often than not an arduous task, bathing your new born need not be” will win you some hearts. The comment implies that the reader is hard at work being a parent. A pat on the back is always appreciated as much as advice from somebody who is aware of how much work goes into caring for a newborn.
Negativity
In the process of trying to reach out to your audience, try not to go overboard with either positivity or negativity. Avoiding negativity wholly is not the ideal scenario. In many cases you will have to convey a knowledge about the reader’s scenario. This knowledge will convey the negative that is inherently present. What needs to be avoided is creating further negativity.
To explain the abstract idea above, here is an example. If you were to talk about life insurance, talking about death is the unnecessary negativity. You can convey the usefulness of an insurance policy by merely saying that it will help you tide over unforeseen circumstances.
The tone
One of the easiest ways to appear friendly to a stranger is to not talk like a disciplinarian or like a snobbish know-it-all. The same holds true with content writing. Do not talk down to your audience. For example implying stupidity if the reader has not undergone liposuction is not the best way to impress your audience.
Would you like it if somebody were to talk about your inferiority? Probably not. Unfairly criticizing or overtly judging your reader is not going to create any good will for you. Keep your target audience in mind and write using a tone that you would like to read.
Alignment
The reader-writer connection can also be forged through aligning yourself with the audience. The fastest route to creating and maintaining this alignment is to ask your audience questions. It creates an involvement and the answer is bound to lead to an alignment with your ideas.
For example, if you were talking about the latest laser technology, asking “Do you want to get rid of your unwanted body hair?” despite being utterly clichéd, is going to get you a positive answer. That positivity implies a connection between you and your audience, a confluence of like-minds. Promoting the technology through the article will then maintain this idea that you started with, also leading to consistency.
Bringing in the experts
If I were to begin the article with a reference to a well-known researcher, would it have caused you to sit up and take more notice of what I was trying to convey? Weaving references to experts, impartial witnesses like news and research lends a certain level of credibility and authority to your content. In other words, your content is more likely to be persuasive when you back up your suggestions with ample proof and research.
For example, quoting a news article about botox, or a celebrity who has benefited from botox when talking about botox, will render your content more likely to receive attention from the target audience.
The clever use of questions, quotes and humor therefore, in the right combination will ensure that your content always hits the bull’s eye every single time.
