Think of writing engaging content like cooking! Get the steps right, and you’ll get a masterpiece.

Ever wonder why your content is not getting the engagement you want?

Well, that may be because you didn’t write them to get the level of engagement you want. The difference between a great post and just another post is how well you can connect with your audience. Ask yourself these questions:

  • Can your content solve the audience’s intended problem? If no, then is it entertaining? If no, does the reader gain anything?
  • Is it simple enough to read?
  • Can your audience relate to your post?

All these questions are relevant to helping you if you’re on the right track. Want to know the simple truth?

Writing an engaging post is not rocket science! On the contrary, it is pretty straightforward.

Trust me on this; I’ve written and edited thousands of articles over the past few years and in several niches too – marketing, finance, Web3. And I don’t have a formal training. Instead, I follow a process to capture the topic and explain to my readers.

Want to know more about my process?

Over the next few minutes, I’ll walk you through 5 simple steps I use to start writing informative and engaging articles.

Research!!! Research More!

How many more exclamation marks should I add to let you know how important this step is?

Research and research some more. It is hard to write about what you don’t understand, regardless of writing engaging content.

Use 60% of the time slot for your post to research. Always make sure you understand your topic extensively before you start writing.

Think of it this way, you want to inform and teach your readers about your topic. You can’t do that unless you understand it yourself.

As a general rule, I don’t start any article if I can’t explain the topic to a complete beginner. In a technical space like Web3, ths step is quite important, you don’t want to make your article overly complicated.

Pro Tip: Never start writing without an extensive research process

Pick a Catchy Headline

Your headline is the first thing your reader/audience sees about your blog post. So, make it catchy and attractive.

However, before you pick your headline, do you have an idea of what to write about?

What do you want your post to cover?

When you’ve done your research to pinpoint what you want your content to cover. Your next task is to produce a catchy headline. Of course, your headline should:

  • Summarize your content in a few words
  • Tell the reader what to expect

You want to avoid click-bait headlines. Click-bait headlines misinform readers about your post. They will lure readers into clicking, alright. But in the end, the reader gets disappointed and leaves your page. That will end up hurting the performance of your article.

So, keep your headlines honest and straightforward. You can use words like “How-to,” Top (x), and listicle to create catchy headlines.

Pro Tip: Use headlines analyzers like CoSchedule Headline to create powerful, catchy headlines.

Get Your Writing Style/tone Right

That is right; get your writing tone right!

How do you want to write to your audience? Semi-casual? Business-casual? Conversational?

I have found that conversational writing styles work for most blog posts. You want to engage your readers like you’re conversing with them.

However, don’t decide based on my recommendation! Find out what works well for your target audience. Business execs? Business-casual or semi-casual works better. To help you do that better:

  • Who are your target audiences?
  • Jargons?
  • How do you want your piece to sound to them?

Casual and conversational also works great in the Web3. You don’t want to sound like a stuck-up bank manager to a group of “gmers.” However, you also don’t want to sound too casual in a technical article. So, find out what writing style works for your target audience before writing.

Keep it Simple and Conversational

Avoid your instinct to sound smart! Keep it simple and conversational instead. Here are some tips to help you to do that:

  • Use short sentences and paragraphs
  • Write in active voice
  • Avoid filler words
  • Use transition words
  • Use bullet points to outline some points
  • Avoid long and complex sentences
  • Talk directly to a person

If you want to keep your content engaging, your writing must be simple. For example, can your reader quickly scan through your content?

Think of it this way, you want to help your reader understand a concept. How would you want someone to explain that to you? In the simplest way possible?

That’s right! So, why is your sentence a bunch of big grammar and over five lines long? You won’t read that; why do you think your reader would read that.

Don’t make things complicated in a bid to sound smart and knowledgeable. You don’t want to stress your readers to get the main points of your post. Again, keep it short and simple.

Pro Tip: Convey what you have in mind in the simplest and shortest way possible!

Proofread and Edit

Never upload or submit your article piece without proofreading and editing. Your editing process should take about 20% of your writing process.

When editing, check for grammar and punctuation mistakes. Drop repetitions and awkward sentences. Also, check for complex sentences and break them down.

Pro Tip: Use online tools like Grammarly and Hemmingway to help your editing process.

Bonus Tip: Be Mindful of Your Punctuation and Grammar

For a great piece, you want to be mindful of your punctuation and grammar. Bad grammar and punctuation equal terrible writing!

You don’t want to give your readers a headache trying to understand your content, do you?

So, keep your punctuation and grammar in check. Online Editors like Grammarly can help you with that.

You must understand your audience to write engaging posts that connect with them. Keep in mind that it is not about you at all.

Do you have any other helpful tips? Let me know in the comment section.