3 Easy Fixes to Get People Reading Your Writing
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Ever feel like no one's paying attention to your writing?
I've been there too. You write and write and just don’t understand why people are not reading your stuff. Often times, your skills are already there, you just need some tweaks to make people come back for more of your writing.
I've helped other writers make simple changes that hook readers, and I'd love to share them.
So today, let's get into three easy fixes that can turn casual browsers into engaged readers:
Hooking them from the very first line
Making your writing easy on the eyes
Ending with a bang that leaves them wanting more
Believe me, these small adjustments can make a big difference.
If you’re looking to get paid for your words, here are some resources to help you achieve that:
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3 Easy Fixes to Get People Reading Your Writing
Imagine your writing like a Netflix show.
If the first episode grabs attention and each scene flows smoothly, people will binge the whole season. But if the plot is confusing or drags on, they’ll switch to something else before you get to the good part.
Unfortunately, most people don’t realize that good articles follow a similar pattern. People don’t get hooked, are demotivated to read because of the design, and within a second of a click, close your hard-worked article for good.
It can be pretty sucky.
I’ve been asked to give feedback on other people’s writing lately, and I keep seeing the same topics coming up.
But here’s the good news: with a few small changes, you can ensure that your texts stand out from the crowd and are actually read.
1. You’re Not Grabbing Them Right Away
The beginning of your post is (next to the headline) one of the most important parts. Think of it like an opening scene in a movie or show. If it doesn’t catch your attention, you’ll lose interest fast. The same thing happens with your readers.
Tip: Start with a story, an interesting fact, or something personal. People love stories because they feel connected to them.
Instead of diving straight into your topic, try to open with something that pulls them in. A surprising fact, a question, or a quick personal story can work wonders.
The goal is to make your readers curious and want to keep reading.
For example:
Last year, I was staring at my screen, trying to figure out why no one was reading my stuff. Then a friend gave me some feedback, and it hit me. I was just dumping info on people. I wasn’t telling a story.
A personal touch or a relatable story makes your readers feel like they’re on your journey. It’s all about creating that connection from the start.
2. Your Writing Looks Like a Wall of Text
Even if you write the best stories ever if your text looks like a giant block of text, people will jump off before they’ve even started reading. How your text looks is just as important as what you say.
Tip: Break it up with white space, bullet points, and short paragraphs.
Most readers skim first. They’re deciding in seconds if your article is worth their time. So, make it easy on the eyes from the jump.
Break up your paragraphs. Keep them short, three or four lines at most. Throw in a single sentence paragraph every now and then to keep things varied. Bullet points are great for the eyes as well.
Short paragraphs help keep the reader engaged
Bullet points make key points stand out
White space gives the reader some breathing room
The easier your article is to read, the more likely it is that someone will read it through to the end.
3. You’re Not Ending Strong
Think about the last time you read a great article and think about what usually sticks with you. Right, the ending.
Tip: Finish with something to think about.
Maybe it’s an insightful quote, a lesson, or a thought-provoking message. The goal is to leave them feeling like they’ve gained something valuable. If you can, try to tie your ending back to your opening to make everything come full circle.
For example:
You can’t control who clicks on your articles, but you can control how you design them. Focus on telling a good story that is easy to understand and makes readers think. If you do that, you’ll see that more people will stick around to read what you have to say.
It’s not so difficult to write good articles when you incorporate those three tips.
What I personally like to do is to just write down a brief structure of my post. For example, for this one, it looked like this.
Intro: Starting it off with a metaphor, people love to get into the stories
Personal insight: Recently I was asked to give feedback on other’s people writing and more often than not it’s the same three things
Valuable information:
Storytelling. Set the scene. Start with an interesting fact, a hook, make it personal.
Design of the article. White space, bullet points, paragraphs (max 3–4 lines)
Leave them with a bang. A message to learn etc.
Finish with a learning: How I structure this article.
This is all I had and it helped me structure and write down the entire article in a way that would be helpful for the readers.
Learning of the Week
Last week I added a poll to my newsletter and set it for three days. The question was: What topics would you like to see more often in this newsletter?
After the 3 days were up, I thought it would be cooler if the poll ran forever, so I changed the setting to “forever”. The problem was that this restarted the poll and all the votes were gone. Sigh. Luckily I wrote down what it was, so here we go:
How to get more subscribers - 12.5%
Hot to get paid subscribers - 25%
How to start an online business - 0%
How to build a community - 25%
How to improve my writing - 37.5%
Since it seems that many of you would like to learn more about writing, let's see which part excites you the most.
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Thanks for the tips! 🧡 I also love that you use an orange heart! It’s my fav emoji!
To be honest I saved this post for better use.
Thank you Claudia 🤝