“Why the hell are you so boring?”

The debate of content vs. SEO is never-ending. And I don’t want to write another article favoring either of them. So, for a while, let’s consider both are equally important factors affecting the growth of your blog.

Content is important to hook people and engross them to read on. However, I have come across numerous blogs that post very boring articles every day. Though I haven’t got any mails asking about “how to hook readers”, I thought of writing it on instinct.

First two paragraphs of you blog post are most important elements of your article. People stop by, read it, find it boring, they leave. Hence, it’s very crucial to hook your readers in first two paragraphs itself.

Let me tell you few things you can do to make your article (or at least the start of your article) a bit more interesting.

1. Start with a story

   If you don’t know, let me tell you, people just love stories, especially the ones with important messages. However, make sure you enter relevant stories. Don’t describe intimate scenes of Romeo & Juliet and switch to stock market news.

   And please, don’t use repeated stories. Coming up with new ones isn’t difficult. Whenever something funny happens to you or some other thing that you can include in your blog, note it down. Put some interesting twists and important messages in it and post it on your blog.

2. A Problem

   People are always searching for solutions. And there cannot be any solutions, if you don’t have problems. So, if your post is offering some advice, or tips, or any other important message, create a problem. Exaggerate, if required. But let people know about the depth-ness of the problem and its possible consequences.

   You solution would definitely be appreciated. If you don’t get ideas, watch TV commercials for an hour. Almost every commercial begins with a problem and ends with a solution, which is always their product. Apply the same principle to hook your readers.

3. Create curiosity

   Almost 80% of links on the web are clicked by users because they are curious about it. Getting something else out of it and being disappointed is altogether a different story. And are you aware that I just made up statistics? And are you aware that I just created curiosity in you? That’s the power of creating curiosity – one goes on reading till he finds a satisfactory answer. It’s human nature.

   So, you can start your post by writing something that’s not known by most of the internet users, some facts, or some news, any thing.

That’s it. For god’s sake, try to be interesting. Don’t bore your readers.