What catches our attention on the web? A good picture or headline grabs attention, and then it’s down to the quality of the copy to keep the reader interested.
The rule of Charles Dickens still applies, but now it has to be applied with 21st century speed. Great Expectations was written to captivate the reader each week; captivate them enough to buy the next issue of ‘All Year Round’ in which it was serialised. Dickens was looking for sales and many of us writing for the web are also looking to achieve sales, ultimately.
This chart from Convince & Convert in the US is great for showing how we should approach writing content for our clients, but I think the balance isn’t quite right. Surely capturing and maintaining the audience’s interest is far more important than any other factor?
