Writing is truly fulfilling for most individuals and it can be more so if what you have written was appreciated and read by many people. Have you ever wondered why some articles have become popular and have gained the attention of so many readers?
What qualities must any piece of writing possess in order to spread to as many readers as possible?
Here are some tips on how to create content that spreads naturally.
#1 Choosing A Good Title
The title of your article is very important as it is the very first thing that people glance at. If it catches the interest of readers, then they might open it and read it but if it has a generic title, it can be passed over or ignored by readers.
In addition to being catchy, your title must be appropriate for your content. Do not mislead your readers into thinking that the article is about one thing but its contents are really about something else. So be careful when choosing words for your title. It should be the best one to represent the content of your write-up.
#2 Use Negative Titles
Interestingly, most readers have responded to titles that are in the negative form as compared to titles that are worded positively. For instance, people are more interested to read an article that is titled “Things That You Should Never Tell Your Boyfriend” than the one titled “Top Ten Things That Your Man Will Love To Hear”.
Both articles may contain the same points but most people will click on the first title. So in general, many readers are attracted to articles that have the negative words in the title such as don’t, avoid, never, not, etc.
#3 Make Articles Easy To Skim
If your article in posted online, make sure that it’s easy to read.
As you know most people that read from the internet will only read a little of the write-ups that they encounter. So don’t use very long sentences and paragraphs when writing your article’s contents. If you notice, the best articles that go viral are the “how to” articles and the top 20’s or top 15’s.
The reason is that these types of articles are the easiest to read. These are numbered and are usually written with short sentences that are direct to the point. You can also use bullets instead of numbers to dissect your article and make it more readable.
#4 Offer Information
An article will spread naturally if people can learn something from it. If the content contains information that readers can use in their lives, then the article will be read by a lot of people. When you write your articles, make sure that you’re providing useful, well-researched, and credible information.
People will simply not waste time on articles about nothing. These are considered useless and a waste of time to read.
In addition, you should choose the topics of your article carefully. Write about things that are of importance or things that matter to people. Don’t write about topics that people don’t care about or are of no concern to most people.
For instance, choose a topic that is relevant at the moment. If Mother’s Day is near, then write something about this topic. Get hints from events or activities around you to create an article that can be appreciated by many people.
#5 Make Each Word Count
Articles that go viral are those that are carefully worded.
This gives the article depth because the author has given time and attention in choosing the best words to express what he wants to say. Nowadays, with so many articles on the net and even offline, you can easily spot those that are filled with unnecessary words.
These lengthen the article needlessly and takes away a great deal of depth from the article’s content. It is quite common that as the article becomes longer, it can be harder to maintain the quality of the article. So in order to avoid this from happening, keep the article short and use only the necessary amount of words.
#6 Correct Grammar and Punctuation
There is no need to reiterate this, but sadly, most online “writers” today have forgotten the importance of correct grammar and punctuation.
These are the most basic things to remember in writing. And if an article manifests numerous errors in grammar and punctuation, well, it can hardly be expected to go viral, can it? So take extra care with your grammar and make certain that all sentences have been punctuated properly.
Avoid the shortened “internet language” that many people today are opting for in social networks. This is informal and should never be used for formal writing.
#7 Avoid Using Jargons
Choose terms that most people can understand.
Use universally accepted words and phrases to ensure more readers for your article. If you use jargons or technical terms, you are eliminating a large number of possible readers.
Creating content that goes viral may not be very difficult especially if you know what it takes to write it. Remember these tips and you’re on your way to creating content that will surely spread like wildfire.
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