New Writers can go viral. I fixed this one mistake and gained 3k reads in my 2nd month as a new writer
Fix this one mistake with 3 lessons to skyrocket your reads
I just got back from seeing Dune Part Two in the theaters (no spoilers, I promise), and they have mastered the art of fixing this crucial mistake…
Picture this…
You spend hours writing and editing and rewriting your article.
It is the most in-depth article on the topic.
This absolutely should be getting 1,000s of reads.
And yet, once you hit publish…
You get crickets.
Why is that?
Just as frustrating, why is it that there are so many people out there who write tongue in cheek, entertaining, or silly content that they seem to come up with ad-hoc, instantly skyrocket?
You’re putting all of this effort and attention in and nothing is happening, and no one seems to be paying attention…
No, this isn’t an algorithm issue.
You’re just making a simple mistake.
I’ll describe it, and see if you can guess it:
Every moment that you felt like the character was safe, there was a new plot twist.
The moment you thought things were working out, all of a sudden something else changed.
When you thought you understood what was going to happen next, everything would fall apart.
Answer:
You solve the problem that you promise to solve.
(did you guess it?)
When people read something, they don’t want to KNOW what’s coming next. They want to anticipate it.
So don’t give them the answer.
If they think they know what you’re gonna say, they’ll skip over it. They won’t pay attention and they’ll click away because they think they know where you’re going with your topic.
Instead, lead them to it.
This is a practice storytellers have masted over the centuries — by creating open loops they keep you engaged and on the edge of your seat.
3 Steps to Fix This
3. stop using cliches
If you use a cliche, people will skip over it.
They assume they know what you mean and will start to tune out.
Cliches aren’t just about a phrase — This is also in the larger structure of the article.
If you’re writing about a topic in a way that has already been written about, the audience will start to tune out because they assume they know where the topic is going.
2. don’t give away the ending
We’re all busy with our own life.
We’re all thinking about 1,000 things when we’re reading your article.
If you want someone to pay attention long enough to get a read, then you have to remind them of the problem, and of the pain they experience in that problem.
And you have to do this early.
If you have an article that’s 3 tips to double your productivity, don’t start with the 3 tips.
Remind them why being productive is crucial — and what their current lack of productivity is costing them.
Bring this to the forefront of their mind.
Do this through experience and sensory based language, and by describing the pain and the problem.
And do this before give them the answer the problem.
1. create an open loop
Better yet, create multiple open loops.
The second you close out one open loop, create more.
Answered one problem? Fantastic. But did you know that this isn’t the only problem that causes symptom?
Conflict resolved? That’s great. But what about the unforeseen circumstances?
There’s always room for an another open loop.
This is the simplest trick to get people more engaged and get reads.
But there’s a catch
This is the simplest trick to get your audience more engaged and to get reads.
But in order to get reads, you have to have views.
So if you’re not getting views yet, that is a different problem — and one you need to solve first.
That’s why I write this article about the 3 types of content that attracts audiences.
If you’re not getting views, you’re creating the wrong type of content.
Click below to read that next.
