Sumo.com collected a ton of content marketing analytics to understand how many people read online articles…
And what they learned was shocking:
Only 20% of readers finished reading an article
The average visitor would only read 25% of an article
So let’s say you’ve got a giveaway at the end of your article, or a call to sign up to your list. 80% of visitors will never even see your offer.
So what can you do?
Find out exactly which messages will capture and hold your visitor’s attention. You can do this by asking them, finding the common theme of the answers and opening with that
Do content analytics on your site and find out exactly where people are dropping off of your article. Then put your call to action just before this point
Place your call to action some place besides the inside of your article. For example, a pop-up box or a box in the right-hand column at the top
Offer content upgrades throughout the article, not just at the end
Make your opening paragraph SING. You know how important your title is. Now realize your opening paragraph is JUST as IMPORTANT. Yeah, I know – no pressure, right?
Use images throughout your article to keep them reading
Attention spans are short, so keep your articles as moving, interesting and engaging as possible.
Have I succeeded in this effort myself? Well, if you’re still reading, I guess I have (today)…
