Methods to Spark Interest Among Your Readers On Any Platform: Putting Yourself in Your Readers’ Shoes for Better Writing

Posted byCJ Coombs Posted onJanuary 23, 2025 Comments0
Photo by Dip Devices on Unsplash.

You can’t solely think about the topics that would only interest you, right? You must ask yourself what readers… your potential readers… might want to read.

Who is your reading audience?

Writers, first and foremost, it’s necessary to make an impact on your readers so they’ll come back for more. It’s so critical to engage your readers. You might ask yourself, “How do I do that?” If you want to keep your audience attracted to your writing from the first sentence to the last, read the below. If you’re an experienced writer, you don’t need to relearn the general tips.

Does your first sentence begin with a strong hook?

Let’s say your reader stopped by because your title and opening image were intriguing. If you want to keep it going, you want a powerful first sentence. Maybe your first sentence is a question. Maybe it’s a shocking detail. Maybe you briefly describe an unusual experience. Whatever the case, make sure your first sentence stands out. Make it shout, “Hello!”

That first sentence helps to draw your readers in. Make them curious enough to stick around to hear what you have to say.

Make them care. Sprinkle some emotion.

Is your writing relatable?

Write about something that resonates with experiences your audience might be familiar with. Tie that in with emotion.

For example, you could write about your first child and what it was like seeing your child being born. That’s very relatable but remember that not every childbirth experience will have the same perspective.

What’s key, however, is how you plan to tell your story. What readers will relate to is your ability to show your vulnerable side. When you write about a relatable topic, it opens the door to a connection and if your readers like what you’re starting to share, they might want to continue putting in the time to finish reading what you have to say. Your words, their time.

Injecting emotion into your articles is one of the greatest strengths for writers. It can make you sound more relatable to your audience. Being more approachable and relatable as an author can make your work more engaging and entertaining to readers and can keep your readers coming back for more. (Source.)

Maybe you have a storytelling voice. Readers are drawn to good stories. Even if you think your topic is a bit dull, you can turn it around by including a personal narrative to make it more engaging.

Sometimes, too, adding more images in the body of your writing helps readers stay attached to your story. Pictures break up the language. They help the flow of a story.

Ask for feedback

When you’re at the end of your article or blog, ask some questions. For some readers, it adds a sense of value to their time because your question brings a response that opens a connection.

Whatever platform you write with, think of it as your writing neighborhood and the readers have come to the neighborhood library. They read your work. You ask for feedback. When a response is made, there’s a connection.

There’s nothing like establishing connections with your reading audience, especially when they share your story and wonder when your next one is coming out.

So, how do you figure out what your readers want?

You can’t fulfill your goal of finding readers until you try to understand what they want. Naturally, this includes some research.

If you have had a niche for some time, you probably have an idea of what your audience wants especially when they return.

I write a lot of history pieces, so in a short amount of time, I figured out there are many readers interested in history.

You can expect to find many articles online about what is trending in your niche if you have one. If you research any discussion boards, you can get an idea of what readers are interested in, especially through their comments and questions.

Don’t forget that emotion is tied to engagement. In the last emotional movie you watched, did it make you teary? Well, that’s what you want to earn with some of your stories. Even though we may not like to get sad and cry after watching a movie or reading a book, it’s what draws us into the story. And it doesn’t have to be sad.

It takes a long time to understand what any reader wants. Sometimes when you engage with readers, you can find other topics to write about through those connections.

A reader has given our words the time and chance to make a difference in their life, and a writer’s job is to not let down the reader, but to give them something worthy of reading. (Source.)

Think about what readers want to know

Sometimes, well, okay, maybe a lot of times, we might write about the things we want to say instead of remembering to consider what the readers want to hear or know.

Think about it like this. Each time you put information in your browser when you’re looking for an answer, you land on an article written by someone who is giving you the information you need.

You need to be a reader’s go-to person whether it’s for information, a good story, or relatable experience that offers advice.

As a writer, you can establish credibility with your writing experience. You don’t have to be a professor to engage with interested readers.

If you tell your readers that you know something, you better make sure you do. They will be coming to you for answers if you say you have them.

Others have said it before, put yourself in your readers’ shoes.

Thanks for reading and sharing. Previously published in Illumination.

© 2025 Cathy Coombs | Follow on LinkedIn

Author of Stranger in the Window, a true story.

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