| | | | | |  Are You Scaring Your Readers?
October 31st is Halloween in the United States. It's a time of year that's fun to scare unsuspecting friends or "trick or treaters" with frightening masks, creepy costumes and spooky decorations.
Let's pretend it's Halloween in the world of article writing. Can you think of things that would turn away readers? Perhaps it's terrifyingly long, never-ending articles, bone-chilling topics, or maybe an in-your-face startling approach.
As an Expert Author, you should avoid any alarming tactics that will disturb your audience. It's crucial to practice pleasant communication so your readers don't end up running for their lives!
Listed below are 15 tips on etiquette to stop scaring away your audience. Follow along closely, you may be guilty of some of these without realizing!
Article Writing: Does it Need a Makeover?
1. A Never-Ending Terror: Be thorough when you present the information that you've collected, however, don't take forever to unravel content and then trail off without making a point. Don't exhaust your readers, keep it short and sweet, and get to the point!
2. Fear-Provoking Conspiracy Theories: Not every topic is entangled in a conspiracy or global cover-up. While these theories can be interesting and will create chatter, it is difficult to maintain truth. It also takes a lot of effort to keep up with the reaction from readers! Stay optimistic and write about improving conditions, not just unleashing negative opinions.
3. Dismembered Grammar: Complex sentences that are disjointed and confusing to understand will turn your readers away in the first paragraph. Write in simple terms. Many times "more is less" when it comes to wording. Reread your material and get an extra set of eyes to look it over before it's finalized.
4. Ghostly Knowledge: You've no doubt come across a "dull" article. The author claims to be an expert and the only real tip is to purchase a product or look online for more information. Be specific and provide informative detail so your readers can see the benefit!
5. The Monstrous Paragraph: Bulleted lists, clear headings and short paragraphs are the key to presenting an exceptional article. If you are accustomed to only using one or 2 paragraphs, you're not utilizing the full power of article layout. Make your article pop by perfecting the design.
Web Design: Is it in Style?
6. Decrepit Technology: If you use a smartphone or tablet, doesn't it annoy you when the website is horrible to read? Responsive web design is top priority, as it will scare away potential customers if not implemented. You can read more information on responsive design by visiting here.
7. Eternal Loading Pages: One of the quickest ways to lose readers is to test their patience by allowing links to load at a snail's pace. Be persistent and check your load times to solve broken or slow links before you're the only one waiting ... for anyone to look at your site.
8. Complete Darkness: If a reader clicks your link and is required to give their contact details for any substantial amount of content, they will exit your page! Don't leave your readers in the dark. Turn on the light and build their trust by providing the content they came to find.
9. Horrifying Maze: Intuitive navigation can be tricky to display and implement on a website. Your goal should be to make any topic easily found within a click or two. If a simple topic takes too long to figure out, your readers will be on your competitor's site having a much better experience.
10. Sensory Overload: An unorganized and flashy website will make your readers' heads spin. Your site should be structured professionally, with the most important pieces featured. You don't want your audience to go blind trying to digest everything.
Video Marketing: Have You Looked in the Mirror?
11. Spine-Chilling Speed: There's a difference between displaying confidence and talking too fast. When you're creating videos, quality is still preferred over quantity. Relay your best tips in a short and concise way, and always speak clearly. Unless you're an auctioneer, you're not required to speed talk your way through a video.
12. Mysterious Message: Even if you have a million ideas to share with your readers, you shouldn't share them all at once! Before finalizing your video, seek a friend's advice on how easily they understand your tips. If you see them scratching their head, keep working at it.
13. Sucking the Life Out of Valued Customers: When you have valued customers who continue purchasing from you, the worst thing you can do is suck the life out of them by pressuring them even more. Give them space and offer something for free that will relieve the tension. Recurring customers are key!
14. Devilish Intimidation: When you're marketing with videos, it can be a habit to push products with "limited time offers" or bundles to help your customers save money. However, this can be intimidating and you may come out as the bully. Rethink your marketing efforts and refrain from sly, pushing language.
15. Bad Disguise: While it can be a good change to step out of your comfort zone, it's not always a good game plan to completely alter your appearance or personality. This relates to videos because you are seen in the flesh, and your audience will judge you. Be yourself and smile! You'll win them over this way.
If you're able to avoid all of the scary tricks above, your audience is sure to be treated by your articles and website material.
If you do find you've been guilty of some of these spooky tactics, it's not too late to meet the needs of your readers. Check out our related post by reading 7 Keys to Repair a Severed Connection with Your Audience.
Keep in mind, the only people you should be scaring away is your competition!
Happy Halloween to all of you!
| | | To Your Article Writing/Marketing Success & Passion!
Courtney, EzineArticles Member Support Manager
http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/
http://EzineArticles.com/ | | |
P.S. Read last year's Halloween blog post titled 'What Writers Can Learn From Zombies, Werewolves, and Vampires' here!
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