If you've come to my site before, you know I often start with a story. In fact, a friend of mine recently told me he skips the first several paragraphs looking for when the “substance” starts. 🙂
But I'm not going to tell you that storytelling is the way to go. It's one approach, for sure, but not the only one. And you may or may not be great at telling a story. If you're good at it, use it. If not, look for another strategy.
Maybe the one I'm going to share with you right now.
I've used it already several times in this post. But you've likely missed it because you weren't looking for it.
It will feel way too simple and obvious once I share it.
People, when they read your blog, want to connect with you emotionally. They want to feel like you're trying to connect with them. And the trick to make that happen is two simple words.
You & I.
The writer is “I” and the reader is “you”.
I don't write posts that address you in the third person. It's formal but doesn't feel like it connects. And if you don't feel like I'm trying to connect, it's likely you'll walk away.
I told you it would be simple.
But it's the way I keep you engaged. I keep addressing you. Specifically you. Forget about all the others around here. I'm just writing to you. And you know, even as I write to you, that I'm thinking of you. Just you.
And because of that, you'll likely read to the very end of what I've written.
Because there's no one else here right now.
Just you & I.