4 Copywriting Techniques That Will Make People Read Your Content (From Start to Finish)

Content marketing isn't as simple as it sounds. From identifying the right demographic, optimizing it for the ideal platform, and ensuring it complements your user journey, there are many elements that you need to balance.

One of the most important obstacles that you need to overcome is getting your visitors to read the content you're putting out there. Without this, your content marketing strategy will soon fall apart. But how can you make sure your audience is engaging with your content?

Here are four tips to make more people read your articles all the way through:

1. Short and snappy is key

Landmark research back in the 1990s found that internet users mainly scanned content when reading it online. This has since been supported by more modern research, indicating that our browsing habits haven't changed and estimates now suggest that users read only 20% of a webpage.

This has a massive impact on how you should design your content and build your marketing strategies. You need to ensure it's clear and concise, using short paragraphs and other stylistic techniques, such as bullet points, to break up information.

2. A picture says a thousand words

Visual content should be a significant part of your strategy. Not only do images help readers retain information more easily, but they make your content much more shareable, driving higher traffic numbers to your site. Visual content can also be an effective way of conveying complex subjects in a more understandable way, helping you to quickly share your brand's message.

Images can be a simple way of sharing a certain emotion with your audience, too. If your readers engage with your content in this way, they are much more likely to be loyal to your brand and even advocate your services to others.

3. Keep it above the fold

Research has found that visitors spend most of their time (80%) looking at content that sits above the fold. This means you need to ensure all of the most important information is toward the top of the article. Many marketers choose to put their call to action (CTA) at the bottom of the page but if this is falling below the fold it may not be the best idea and could be damaging your conversion rates.

4. Location is everything

You need to ensure that where your content sits on your website fits in with your user journey. It should be easy and straightforward to access, allowing users to navigate their way through your website and get what they want from it during their visit.

This is why it's important to undertake research into your user journey and buyer cycle to make sure your content is working effectively to guide your audience.