Do you want your texts to be read? That what you have to say has impact on those around you. Then read this blog on attractive writing. So that your sound is heard. Experience that small adjustments are enough to create well-read texts.
We write texts
We regularly produce texts for our clients. These are lyrics that appeal to people. In conjunction with image. As part of that picture. People don’t read texts. They scan pages. Words are part of the image.
But there is more:
Millennials have learned to be critical. To trust their own judgment. No sales pitches. Not even from influencers. Not directly. Only after you put them at the center. What do they want? What do they care about? Because they consider themselves important. That’s how they were raised. They are digital natives. They appreciate content written specifically for them.
“They won’t listen!”
Most millennials don’t want to read about your products. They don’t trust traditional ads and won’t click on anything that looks like a sales pitch. They’re not going to read that long description of the things you’re offering. Those who communicate with millennials must focus on their interlocutor. It’s an old sales wisdom; The best sales pitch is with someone who feels you are putting them first.
How do you do that?
The key to marketing to this generation is to focus on them first, not you. What do they want? What do they care about? Call them self-centered, but digital natives value content that is relevant to them – and only to them. Once you have that in mind, you need to keep it mobile-friendly, short and authentic. Here are proven strategies for creating texts that get read and are relevant and valuable to millennial moms and dads.
How short should my text be?
With all this talk of shorter attention spans, you may be wondering if there is a magic number of words, or time, that would cause millennials to read your content. Unfortunately, there is no magic number. But there is a rule of thumb: less is more. Because millennials are busy, using multiple devices, researching, reading and watching – absorbing content in any way possible – it is essential that you get to the point (and quickly).
Make content ‘scannable’
Length is not always an issue. There is a time and place for long, informative content, especially in the world of “edutainment. Long articles help millennials dig deeper and find the answers they are looking for . They build brand loyalty. And for you, they perform much better for search engine rankings. It is a problem when articles are not “scannable. Use the following tips to structure content in a way that pleases millennials, whether they browse the Internet on their smartphone, tablet or desktop:
Use headers and subheaders
Headers (H1) confirm that a millennial is in the right place, while subheaders (H2) confirm that the content is worth reading.
Divide large paragraphs into smaller pieces
Use bullet points, graphics, separators and images. While headlines and subheads are used to attract attention, the paragraph text of an article or Web page is the most important. Even if they feel it is worth their time, they will not read large paragraphs of text. Bold text also helps!
Use accordions to shorten pages
As we do here. If you don’t think you can break up those large paragraphs, try nesting the information by category using an accordion feature so readers can decide which content to skip and which content to read. Don’t worry: accordions are still crawled by Google!
Add smartlinks
If you have written other articles that fully explain some of your topics, add smart links instead of rewriting them. Smart links are hyperlink texts that point to relevant pages. This puts the reader at the wheel and makes the information easily accessible to those who need it without boring those who already know it. Added bonus: it helps with SEO.
Mobile first!
Make sure it is mobile first. Many people use their phones more than their laptops to surf the Internet. If the images are not optimized and do not load, or if the content is poorly laid out, your visitor will leave. Simple as that. If you use Finalsite Composer, use the preview tool for mobile devices to ensure that content can be scanned on all devices.
Snaring heads
On average, 80% of website visitors only read your headline. Another 20% will read your entire page or article. Headlines allow you to entice the reader and let them know what information they will find on the page.
Use keywords
Make sure headlines contain certain keywords. Not only is it good for your SEO performance, it also confirms to a millennial that they are in the right place.
Use your value proposition
A value proposition is a statement that describes the benefits visitors should expect from your business. Value propositions can complement keywords that are important for SEO.
Short, but relevant
Your headlines should attract readers. The words in H2 and H3 may be all that people read – they keep scrolling and stop only at the headlines that pique their interest.
Use ethos, pathos and logos
Aristotle’s three elements of persuasion still apply, especially for subtitles. You can’t get creative with page titles for SEO purposes, but in subheaders you can get all creative. Get your reader involved!
Millennials do care about content and they will eventually read it. It’s a matter of packaging it the right way. Meet your audience where they like to be and then lead them through the funnel to your products.
