When creating content, keep that impatient brain in mind. I don’t know about you, but when I’m reading online, I’m scanning for the good stuff. Fast. It’s not like reading a book, where I’m savoring each word. Nope. Online content is a whole different beast, competing with memes, emails, and endless distractions. So, here are five copywriting strategies that will help you capture the attention of your readers and keep them hooked.
1. First impressions matter: make a promise in your headlines
When we’re Googling stuff, we’re quickly scanning the search results. If a title is vague or very general, it won’t get our attention. But a headline that offers a specific benefit instantly signals value. It tells readers exactly what they’re getting before they click.
So creating headlines that make clear, specific promises is one of the most effective strategies for grabbing attention online.
Example: when I type in the search “how do I optimize my website for SEO”, I see the following couple first search results:
What’s the first thing you notice about all of them? They’re all super specific, right?
The first search result uses a number in the title. We can expect five different ways to improve our site’s ranking.
The second search result uses two specific promises: it’s SEO for beginners and we can expect 10 steps to get started.
And the third search result promises instant results: “in an afternoon.”
Three strong headlines: they’re clear, concise, and specific.
P.S. Check out this blog, if you want to learn more about how to write headlines that get clicks.
What about hooks for social media posts, though?
I am focusing on web content with this blog. If you’re creating a hook for a social media post or a subject line for your email marketing, there are also other ways to get people’s attention:
Starting with a question that your target audience might wonder about. Example: “Should you like your own LinkedIn posts and even comment or is that totally useless?”
Starting with a statement that’s either surprising or confirming a thought your target audience has. Example: “You were right, it’s not your content. It’s the algorithm and here’s why.”
Starting with something incredibly relatable. Here’s an example that will get the attention of introverts: “I hate going to the office every day, having lunch every day with people, and doing small talk.” (Just me? Oh well.)
Okay, let’s get back to web copy. Once you’ve grabbed their attention with a strong headline and they click, the next critical step is to deliver on that promise immediately to keep them hooked. So…
2. Put the most important info right at the top
Prioritizing key information at the beginning is a strategy for retention. We’ve got a lot of distractions going on lately. If people decide to click, they’re expecting immediate value. By delivering actionable tips right from the start, you reassure your readers that your content is worth their time.
This strategy is about trust: readers are far more likely to stick around if they feel they’re getting what they came for right away.
Let’s do an example again. Imagine you clicked on that first search result we discussed earlier: “Five Ways to Improve Your Site’s Ranking (SEO)” – you’d want to see relevant information right away, without scrolling through paragraphs of introduction. That means, you want to see that first tip or strategy quickly.
This structure also helps with SEO because a high bounce rate – which is when people exit your website after viewing just one page – negatively impacts your site’s ranking.
Once you’ve made a great first impression with your headline and hooked your readers with those first couple lines, it’s time to keep them engaged. Cause now you’re supposed to get into a more detailed explanation of the topic.
And formatting it the right way is crucial to make website visitors stay longer on your website. So, to keep them sticking around longer and perhaps even checking out your other content…
3. Make details scannable for impatient readers
Obviously, you can't explain everything in two sentences. Otherwise, it would have been a LinkedIn post, not an article. But you can make longer content easier to digest by breaking it up:
use short paragraphs,
bullet points, and
clear sections.
Creating scannable content is another retention strategy. It helps busy readers skim through your content and pick up key points, which encourages them to stay longer on your website. And as we’ve learned before, that helps with SEO and will positively impact your website’s ranking.
Need an example? Check out how I’ve structured this blog. wink wink
What else can you do to keep your readers hooked?
4. Benefits first, features later: a copywriting strategy that works
You’ve heard it before: focus on benefits, not features. Well, I’m telling you that you need both. As long as you start with the benefits.
Let’s take the example of creating a blog post where you’re explaining how your software works. Explain the benefits of each feature first, so why it matters for your users. Maybe it will save them time or reduce their stress.
Once they understand the benefits, you can now add the more technical information for those who are interested to know more (for instance, how to use the feature).
My final tip is…
5. Avoid jargon unless your readers use that language daily
It’s 2024, so you already know from all the marketing folks that you should avoid complicated language and go for simple instead.
The only time that jargon is actually okay is when your target audience uses those terms on a daily basis. Think of lawyers, doctors, engineers.
Maybe even SEO specialists. Look at this screenshot from Semrush:
Unless you work in marketing or you had to deal with it for some reason, you won’t know what “your site health”, “crawlability”, and “on-page and technical SEO checks” even mean. But Semrush is meant to be used by marketers – specifically SEO specialists – and they will (or should at least) know these terms.
So in this case, jargon is fine. Cause the alternative would be to overexplain each term that’s already clear to SEO specialists. And you don’t want fluff.
But in all other cases, avoid jargon or you’ll lose them to your competitors.
Retain reader attention without compromising quality
As you can see, writing for busy, impatient readers doesn’t mean sacrificing quality. You can still create long-form blogs that will rank and be useful for people as long as you structure your content strategically.
That means you need to make sure you deliver the information clearly and in a way that resonates. If you need help with that, get in touch.
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