How often do you scroll through social media or websites and come across an engaging content that prompts you to read to the end?

Have you always wondered what makes content compelling? Most of the time, when you put out your content, your audience either does not engage with it or does not even open it.
We’ve seen so many people go through this “boring content” phase and how frustrating it can be. We’ve compiled 5 simple tips that you can start infusing into your content to hook your readers from start to finish.

Before we delve into the tips, it’s necessary you understand what makes a content boring or engaging.

• Boring Content: This type of content is often termed “a generic content”. When a content is written without addressing the needs of the target audience (TA), has so many jargons in it, does not have a clear structure and contains so many grammatical errors, it’s termed a boring content.
  This is so because the reader tends to lose interest as quickly as a cheetah chasing it’s prey.
  
• Engaging Content: A content that is relevant to the TA, sparks their interest and often addresses the readers problems in a creative and well structured way is termed an engaging content.
  This type of content compels the reader to read more and before you know it, you have a loyal fan who trusts you and is willing to talk about your business in the midst of people.
  
  Fortunately, switching a content from boring to engaging is something that can be learnt and easily applied. Below are the 5 simple steps that will change your content creation game for your business.
  

From Boring —Engaging content.

Here are the 5 tips you can apply to your content to switch from boring to engaging.

Step 1. Know Your Audience (The first step to an engaging content)

This is the most important aspect of creating an engaging content. Your audience or reader is someone who needs the services you provide. To put out content that your reader finds relevant, you have to research and figure out who exactly they are; their age, gender, location, the kind of things they believe in, how they think and what makes them stay up at night.

Remember, If you’re putting out content to solve your audiences’ problems, then you have to know and understand them in order to optimize your content properly.

Step 2. Create a Strong Headline/ Hook

It’s one thing to know your audience, but it’s another thing to create a strong hook that will draw them in. A hook in the content world, is the opening statement of your writing that immediately grabs your readers attention. It has to be compelling enough to engage your potential customer to find out more.

Hooks/ headlines that work the best are the ones that tick your audiences’ pain points or ones that spark their curiosity. The goal of this is to engage your audience so as to discover the immediate solution to their problems.

For instance, you’re here right now because you want to understand how to put out engaging contents that will help your business and it’s safe to say that if you’re still reading, then that means this post engaged you. Exactly!

One important point to note though is that the body of your content has to deliver on the promise made on the headline/ hook. If it doesn’t, not only will your reader skip your content, it’ll also lead to distrust which is very bad for business.

Step 3. Tell a Story

The art of storytelling has been used for centuries to connect, inform and entertain people. Stories have been shown to make content creation extremely powerful and engaging. When storytelling is weaved into content creation, it ignites a personal connection to a reader.

Storytelling can motivate and inspire a reader while also sharing valuable information at the same time.

Think of every piece of content like a conversation. People don’t just want information, they want to feel.
When your readers relate to the things that you say, it evokes a strong emotion and creates a sense of connection.

It is always important to note that the story you’re using for your content should be aligned with the message or the solution you’re trying to pass across.

For instance, if i’m creating a content on how you can gain more customers for your business, telling you a story on how I did the same for my business is a simple and efficient way of letting you understand the things you can do to get more customers.

Step 4. Ask Questions—Engage your audience.

An easy way to turn a boring content into an engaging one is to ask questions. When you ask questions, you invite your audience to engage mentally; to reflect and to relate the content to their own lives. It’s like starting a dialogue even if they’re just thinking about the answer in their heads.

For instance, if you’re writing on lead generation, you might ask “Do you have a strategy in place for generating leads?” A simple question like this makes the reader pause and reflect. It turns passive reading into active engagement.

It gives them a reason to keep reading because now they’re thinking about their own experiences and how your content fits into their lives.

You could even invite them to take action: “Are you ready to start generating leads today?” Questions like these are powerful because they make your content interactive and personal.

Step 5. Offer Value and Solutions

Finally, the key to transforming any content from boring to engaging is by offering real value to your audience. People are constantly searching for answers and solutions for things that will improve their lives in some way. Your job is to give them that through your content.

But here’s the secret: Don’t just give them the what—give them the how. Offering advice or tips isn’t enough, you need to show them how to apply it in a way that’s simple and doable. Be specific in your advice and offer practical steps they can take immediately.

For instance, if you’re creating a content on lead generation. Don’t just say “you need to have a strategy for generating leads”. Instead break it down. Try something like this “send 10 DMs to people who fit into your clients persona everyday for the next ten days and see what happens”.

This gives the reader something tangible they can do right then and there.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, what makes a content engaging depends on how well you offer help to your audience. It’s more than just putting out content for putting out sake, it’s the ability to make a connection. To see your readers not just as people on the other side of the screen but as friends. It’s about being human, being genuine and sharing your thoughts and solutions in a way that feels personal and real.

When you can put your audience first during content creation , everything changes. Your content comes to life. More than just a content, it becomes something they come back to. There’s no magic pill that creates engaging contents. It’s your ability to understand your audience in a way no one else would that sets the change from boring to engaging.