What if I were to tell you there’s a fantastic way to get your readers to pay attention
One that you could use to great effect. One. Just one.
One simple word.
Curios to know what it is?
Read on.
Drama.
This is it.
Drama jolts a reader into paying attention.
Novels use it. Movies use it. TV shows use it.
There’s no reason why your content shouldn’t use it.
And one of the best ways to create drama is to disagree with your headline. (Yes, I said disagree).
So let’s look at an example:
Headline: The Logical Case For Increasing Your Prices
First Paragraph: Let’s do something really stupid: Let’s avoid increasing your prices. Let’s decrease them instead. By a whole 50%
That’s drama. And it’s dramatic because it takes the opposite stance from the headline.
The reason your reader is hooked is because you wrote a powerful headline. Now once you’ve got attention, you can take the reader down the thread of ‘decreasing prices.’
Show him how stupid it is to decrease prices. Make the case. Then yank him back to ‘raising prices’ once again.
And instantly, you’re pulling the reader back and forth, just like they do in the movies. The drama is deliberate. Planned. And the jolts are designed to wake the reader up.
Because when you think about it, most people believe content creation is about mere words. But it’s not.
It’s about flow. And jolts. And drama.
- Sometimes the article meanders.
- Sometimes it speeds up.
- Sometimes it comes to a grinding halt.
These are all elements of drama.
If you see your content as just an article, all you’ll end up with is wimpy, icky, boring stuff. But if you see yourself as a director of a movie, you’ll insert drama.
And what better way to start off the drama than to disagree with your own headline?
You are correct sir! 😛
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Thank you! And do’t call me sir. Makes me feel old.
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Reblogged this on James' Ramblings.
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Thank you, James!
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Yes, yes, I love drama! 🙂
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Yeah, makes sense.
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Who doesn’t love drama? Hahahhaa. Love your post sir! 🙂
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Thank you!
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This post does not use what you pose here. You first line does not disagree with your headline. What are we going to make out of that?
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Yeah… Don’t use what I explain here then.
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Well, I am considering this approach…It is an interesting idea.
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An interesting point to try out. Thanks.
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You’re welcome, Athena!
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Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
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Great idea but it can take courage to be so bold. I will certainly keep it in mind when I write my next post.
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But if one wishes to be successful as a blogger, one must be brave.
Write your truth, even if your fingers shake against the keyboard.
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Of course you do run the risk of the reader not seeing your clever writing tool and coming to the conclusion that you are an idiot. I suppose there would be some drama in that.
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Well, that is a risk no matter what you write or how you write it.
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Yes, my previous blog lacked drama but this one won’t. Thanks for the reminder. Xx
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Reblogged this on Plaisted Publishing House and commented:
How to get your readers to pay attention
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