How to build anticipation?
As marketers it is vital to get people to read our blogs. Without visitors we are not helping anyone. Yet each day most of us are so focused on creating new content and sharing it to social media we forget one key thing.
Anticipation
If we are able to get the word out ahead of time about what we are posting in a way that builds excitement we would have a rush of people wanting to read it when it is posted. Rather than trying to attract people after the fact.
I however am completely clueless on how to build anticipation. As you can tell. My articles and wording are almost always straight to the point. I have a really hard time drawing out the ending.
Anyone have some suggestions to counter this? I would love to hear them. I keep thinking if I could create a few posts on social media in between articles on my site to build up anticipation it would boost traffic.
it seems like a rational idea. The execution is beyond me. I thought I would stir the vast wealth of knowledge here for some suggestions we could all benefit from.
Maryann
Recent Comments
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That's a difficult question. It's not easy to master writing techniques. Some people have a natural ability to write and create anticipation. That anticipation has to happen in the introduction. My suggestion to you is to read some of the blogs completed by other successful WA members and check out how they start them. Often it starts as early as the Title. For example if I wanted someone to read a WA blog I've just written it might start of with the Title "I'm Rich"... that's sure to make them click onto it. Then I'd go onto telling them how I intend to get rich before I bring them down to earth and let them know I'm not really rich yet. Just an idea. Jim
There is still a lot yet to learn in the area of techniques for me. I will have to focus on reading more blogs. Thank You
Maryann
I have the same problem. I call it my "Dragnet" syndrome. Just the facts, Maam, just the facts. I will be watching for any suggestions on how to build anticipation.
That is a great reference I seem to stick to the facts too often and not build enough energy. I will have to work on it.
Maryann
Hello Maryann, that is a really great question. This is not like a television series or the children’s matinee, where you are left wondering if the hero or heroine, will meet their doom or get out of the trap. I guess the only way to build anticipation is to use Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook to intrigue a following.
Harvey, That is exactly what I was trying to figure out. how to create a post in Facebook and such that would create the intrigue for the next article. I have a decent following in Pinterest and Facebook and Twitter. However it seems like a cold announcement when I announce my articles after they are written. Was trying to find a way to warm up the audience before hand.
Maryann
I would suggest creating graphics that would make the visitor want to read the article to find the answer, similar to the matinee series that would always leave the hero or heroine in a cliffhanger situation. That always got the audience to tune in the following week to see what happened.
Good suggestion, maybe ask a question on one day, and give a brief summary of the answer, on the following day, with the advice that all the detail will be reviewed in your blog, which follows on the third day? Best Alan
That sounds like a pretty good method. Exactly what I was trying to get at. Thank you
Maryann
What helps me is when I have too much to say in one post (i.e. when it's already over 1,000 words and I still have a lot to say). Then I put a sentence at the end about what I'm planning to write about next. I might say something like such and such coming soon.
After writing the next article, I would go back and change the last sentence of the previous article to link it to the newest article, and also link the newer one back to the older one. But at the end of the newer article, hopefully have another hint of what's coming next.
That may not always be practical or easy to do, but when it does work out, I think it helps.
I'm just starting to do this, so I'm not speaking from a lot of experience here ... just what I'm trying to do.
Hope that helps.
Danette, Sounds like a pretty solid method. I very rarely have too much to say on each subject, just more ideas that branch off so to speak. However the method would still be valid.
Thank You
Maryann
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Seed your content with helpful adjectives and adverbs leading in progression to a happy objective. Tell a good story!
I was thinking more of before the content was released. Great tips for once it is though. Maryann