The secret words that keep readers hooked. Do you know what they are? Let’s jump right in!
Tuesday: Write with the Pen of the Masters
For the independent professional who’s aiming to build a brand, mastering the art of content writing is important. It will help you produce content that is worth the read and will always be consumed by your target readers.
One of the ways to achieve this type of content is by making sure that your piece flows seamlessly from one point to another. By writing this way, you’ll leave no room for confusion in the readers’ minds as they read your copy from top to bottom.
This week I’d like to share with you one writing tip I believe every independent professional should learn. I promise that once you’ve included this tip as part of your writing strategy, you’ll definitely position your brand as an expert in your industry.
Keep reading to learn how these secret words capture your readers’ attention and keep them hooked on your content.
I hope you find this week’s writing tip insightful as you formulate your drafts.
Miles Everson
CEO, MBO Partners
Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute
Write with the Pen of the Masters
Can you imagine over 70,000 independent professionals reading your content every day?
Think about it…
It’s nerve-racking, right?
You have to keep the readers curious from start to end.
When readers actually get to the end, you’ve done it!
HOW do we achieve that goal?
Bucket Brigades.
You read that right.
“Bucket Brigades” is a copywriting term pertaining to words or phrases that make smooth transitions between paragraphs or sentences.
It keeps the flow going by adopting a conversational tone that makes the reader focused on the content and message you want to convey.
This transition analogy was made by Maxwell Ross, a well-known copywriter in the 60s and 70s.
Start with a question:
- Do you want to learn how to __?
- So you want to __?
- Want to know more about __?
Describe a moment of insight
- Wham!
- At this point you realize…
- I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read…
Offer a solution or revelation:
- So what’s the answer?
- Sometimes all you need to do is…
- Don’t worry. There’s a solution.
…and many more!
Back then, there were no fire trucks or engines used by firefighters to put out a fire.
When there was a fire, people would line up and pass buckets of water from one person to the next to extinguish the fire.
Firefighters would maintain a smooth flow and transition of passing buckets to make sure they reached their goal.
That’s what should happen to the content we’re writing… metaphorically speaking.
After each paragraph or sentence, we need to give readers something that will make them excited and curious about the next sentence.
For great independent copywriters, creating transitions should be done carefully. To do this, we need to establish a connection with our readers.
Joanna Wiebe, copywriting guru and creator of Copy Hackers, is someone we trust and follow for tips on writing GREAT copy.
One of her secrets?
“…is NOT to tell the story, to do anything that’s above plotting or pulling. And let the bucket brigade move people to the next line…”
Here’s another thing.
You can use it as an opener, as a transition, or as a closer.
The best part?
It’s not only about people’s eyes being glued to what you’ve written, but it also has a good effect on readership stats or website traffic.
When your readers are hooked, it takes longer for them to leave the site. It’s a strong indication that you have interesting content. This will highly reflect on your website’s SEO rankings for search results too.
All you need to practice is making sure your readers keep reading by using Bucket Brigades.
Give it a try!
Hope you found this week’s insights interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Tuesday’s “Write with the Pen of the Masters!”
