How to grab (and hold) your reader's attention
I used to think I could keep my reader’s attention by building up to my main point.
Then I’d scratch my head wondering why nobody was reading my brilliant posts (sarcasm intended).
It took me a while to learn I was breaking one of the oldest writing rules—one that copywriters and journalists have known about for decades.
The rule usually goes something like this: Don’t bury the lede.
A lede (pronounced like seed) is your main point. If you bury the lede it means you wait too long to get to the main point of your writing.
Today, I want to give you a writing system that holds your reader’s attention by not burying the lede. It will work for newsletters, articles, social media posts, emails—anything you write.
And the best part is it’s simpler than you think.
Get To Your Main Point Fast (Intro)
I’ve written elsewhere about the importance of a strong opening hook. I’d encourage you to read that short guide, but I’ll give a quick summary here.
Your opening hook is that crucial first sentence (or two) that reels readers in and makes them crave more. It should pack an emotional punch and pull your reader’s eyes down the page. Mastering this skill alone will vastly improve your engagement.
But after the hook is where many writers fumble. They jump straight from the hook into the body without first setting the stage.
After you hook your reader, immediately reveal your main point.
And in case you’re wondering, yes, you should only have one main point per post. You’ll have sub-points to explain or tie into it (see the next section).
When you reveal your main point, make sure that it:
States your purpose clearly
Highlights the benefit for your reader
Leaves no room for question
For example, look back at the introduction to this post. My point is: Don’t bury the lede. I state it unambiguously right after the opening hook.
Now, I can hear what you’re thinking: “But, if I reveal my main point, my readers will just stop reading.”
Not true. On the contrary, it gives them a reason to continue reading.
See, readers are naturally lazy (myself included). When we read something, our first question is: what’s in this for me?
Your lede should answer that question for them.
If the benefit resonates with a pain or frustration they feel, they’ll gladly continue.
Explain Exactly What You Mean (Body)
After you reveal your main point, it’s time to expand on it. This makes up the body of your writing.
If you’re writing a social media post, you’ll likely list your points and briefly explain each one. If you’re writing something longer, like a newsletter (like this one) or article, your points will be subheadings with a longer explanation.
There are 3 ways to arrange your sub-points:
Step-by-step (i.e. numbered list)
By order of importance
By order of logic
How do you know which arrangement to choose? Base it on the type of post you’re writing.
For example, if you’re writing a post called “11 Steps to Starting an Online Business,” there’s a specific order readers would need to follow. So you’d use the step-by-step approach.
I you’re writing something like “10 Tactics I Used to Grow My Social Media” you might choose to list the tactics by order of importance. Chances are, some things you did helped you grow more than others.
A quick note on order of importance: Sometimes the most “important” thing is just the most interesting thing. If one of your tactics is “Don’t Post Every Day” you might put that one first because it’s eye catching—even if it’s not the most important.
Finally, you can use order of logic. This works well if you were writing something like “How to Plan a Productive Daily Routine.” Obviously, you’d want to talk about a morning routine first, then an afternoon routine, and finally an evening routine. If you mixed those up readers would feel confused.
Whichever arrangement you choose, make sure each sub-point should support your main point (lede).
Restate Your Main Point (Conclusion)
Now that you’ve revealed your main point and explained what you mean, you have a final step to seal the deal.
Restate your main point.
Here’s where I see a lot of writers mess up. They tie everything together in their conclusion by rehashing all their points. That’s a surefire way to get readers to click away and not take action (if you’re including a call-to-action).
Tell them what you’ve told them.
More than anything, this helps drive home the main point of your writing. If it’s a social media post, you may restate it in only be a sentence or two. If it’s a long-form post, it may be a couple of brief paragraphs or concluding section.
After you restate, you can choose whether to include a call-to-action (CTA). I could write an entire letter on writing effective CTAs, but all you need to know for now is it’s where you ask your reader to do something. You might ask them to subscribe to your newsletter, buy your product, or just leave a response.
The reason it’s so important to restate your main point is because the two parts of your post readers are most likely to remember are the intro and the conclusion—assuming they read all the way to the end.
Become Captain Obvious
It’s impossible to hold your reader’s attention if you don’t clearly articulate what’s in it for them. If they have to figure it out for themselves, they’ll likely lose interest.
Luckily, you can easily solve this problem by revealing your main point as early as possible.
So, the next time you write a social media post, article, or even an email, make it a point to get to the good stuff fast. Your readers will repay you with their time and attention.