Tag Archives: emotion

How to get longer reads of your online content

Metaphor, million dollar message, Persuasive message, punchline, ,
The right use of emotion in your writing can lead to longer reading and engagement
The right kind of emotion, anger and anxiety rather than sadness, encourages online story reading all the way through.
Photo by Nicole Honeywill on Unsplash

Naturally we’d like everyone to read all of our stories all the way through.

But what encourages readers to keep on engaging, hang in there until the end?

A fascinating study by Jonah Berger, Wendy Mae and David Schweider has unearthed that not all emotion is created equal when it comes to encouraging extended online reading. (Find the article here, the third article down under research headed ‘What leads to longer reads? Psychological drivers of reading online content”)

They delved into what it is about certain articles which encourages people to keep reading.

The three (plus undoubtedly a host of undergraduate students) combined natural language processing of a unique dataset of over 825,000 page-reading sessions from over 35,000 articles.

Their experiment examined how the words used (textual features) shape continued engagement.

Results suggest emotion shapes engagement.

But not all emotion increases reading.

Content that invokes anger and anxiety encourages further reading.

Content which encourages sadness discourages it.

Textual features that should increase processing ease (e.g. concreteness and familiar words) also increase engagement.

The meaty 20 page document makes an implication that “even controlling for what an article is about (i.e., its topic or topics), how that topic is discussed plays an important role in whether people continue reading,” they write.

“This provides a hopeful note for organizations trying to attract attention and engagement for less ‘engaging’ topics.

“While the topic itself may not engender continued reading, writing about it in a way that generates uncertain emotions and processing ease should deepen engagement.

“Writing style can compensate for topic.” (My emphasis).

Do you have a ‘less engaging’ subject you’d like both clarity and reading encouragement around? Give Punchline a call.

How does your story make someone feel?

million dollar message, one central truth, punchline, slogan, Tagline, value proposition, , ,
Make me feel something in your first story, and you're much better off. Then you connect with someone's emotions
Make me feel something in your first, most important story, and you’re much better off Then you connect with someone’s emotions.
Photo by Alexander Popov on Unsplash

As much as we like to think we’re rational, coolly evaluative creatures, at our heart, we’re ruled by our heart. It is what we feel that counts.

Sure, we’ll justify decisions we make, pointing out why something’s features and benefits are useful to us.

But that’s after the intuitive gut-response. This comes first.

This heart…felt, reaction is an aspect to include in all storytelling if possible.

If we can include it in our first, most important story – perhaps as a metaphor – so much the better.

Because we’re not automatoms, operating on logic.

We’re human beings, often within a business environment, looking for products and services which make our lives easier, better, more rich, more fulfilling. Again, it is what we feel that counts.

We’re emotional creatures – so don’t be afraid to appeal to that ‘feeling’ part of our psyche.

Your first story should reveal your purpose

Marketing, million dollar message, punchline, slogan, Tagline, value proposition, , ,
By making sure your first story has a purpose statement, you're more likely to engage with your potential audience
Your first story in a business is a chance to show your purpose, to engage our emotions. Make it count.
Photo by Rucksack Magazine on Unsplash

The story a business tells about itself heavily weights our opinion of it.

Indeed, purely based on its story we may or may not purchase its products or service.

We quickly read beyond its what…what it sells. This is the ‘head’ bit we readily take onboard.

We really want to know who the business is.

We want to know why we should buy. This is the ‘heart’ bit.

To appeal to our heart, to our emotions, a business needs to reveal its purpose.

That is, the reason it exists, and why you may be interested.

Xero makes ‘Beautiful Business & Accounting Software’.

Punchline ‘co-designs clarity of value proposition in 2-10 words’.

What’s your business purpose? Do you appeal to potential customers’ hearts?

If you, or a colleague is having trouble nailing your first story, give Punchline a call.

We’re powerful business storytellers.

Don’t repeat your ‘what’ if your business name gives me a clue

Brand name, messages that matter, million dollar message, slogan, Tagline, value proposition, ,

Each word is precious in your first most important story. Use them wisely. Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Don’t repeat your ‘what’ if your business name gives me a clue

If, by luck or construction, your business name gives me a clue what you do…great start.

Doing so allows you greater freedom in playing with the next few words, especially to achieve an emotional connection with a potential customer.

If I know your company is ‘XYZ Accounting’ for example, I’m much more clear what your business is about compared to ‘QRS Numbers’.

XYZ has the opportunity with their next words to tell me why they’re special beyond their spreadsheets – they can engage my heart.

QRS will need to make it clear they’re not statisticians, or data managers. Their next story will need to make it obvious they’re accountants.

All of which is OK, and part of the constraints and challenges of unearthing a clarity of value proposition in 2-10 expressive words.

However, if your business name does make it obvious that you provide a particular service or product you don’t need to remind me in your first most important story.

Each word is precious in a Million Dollar Message – ‘spend’ them wisely.