The style of writing used in journalism -- the inverted pyramid -- is a horrible way to attract readers.
It's fine for informing people quickly. For persuading an audience, or keeping their attention, it's terrible. The design and structure is simply wrong for the job.
Would you read a mystery that gave away the ending on the first page of the book?
Would you watch a movie where the most exciting things happened first, then the rest of the two hours were more and more boring until the last scene died with a whimper?
That's the inverted pyramid. It puts the most exciting and fun things first, by design, with everything else less and less important until there's nothing left.
The inverted pyramid is a big reason why most blog posts, press releases, Facebook posts and tweets on Twitter get ignored.
The other big reason is the majority of posts and PR products are self-centered. They're not about informing or entertaining the readers. They're about making the boss or client happy.
So: you've got two fatal problems right there: (1) a boring way to write that gives it all away, and (2) talking about yourself, which only doubles down on the snoozefest.
How can you write things that don't get ignored?
Instead, use narrative tools whenever you can.
People naturally put information into a narrative frame.
Who's the hero and the villain? What's the conflict between them?
If you give away the ending in the headline and the first sentence, readers have no reason to continue until the end.
Give them reasons to keep on reading.
Don't talk about ideas or products or programs in a vacuum. There are people involved, right? People came up with those ideas, products or programs to solve problems. Show the need for a solution. Tell readers about the struggle to find ideas and solutions for this problem.
And these people affected by this problem aren't alone, right? Talk about how many other people are hurt by this problem.
Now you have a story with narrative questions.
Will these people continue to suffer from this problem? Will the good guys find a solution, or wll the obstacles and bad guys win? If they find a solution, will it come in time to help the people we've met?
With a storytelling structure, you raise questions and don't answer them right away. You show the audience people they come to care about, and they want to know what happens.Â
You should never simply say, "This problem is important." That's asking your readers to take your word for it, and beating them over the head with your answer. It's lecturing the audience.
Instead, use narrative tools to show why it's important.
There isn't a lone person affected by the problem you're talking about. There are public stakes. Other people in the same boat.
That's the bigger picture. Readers should care not just about one person, or one family, but about this problem, because a lot of people are affected by it. That's what makes the solution important.
It's fine for informing people quickly. For persuading an audience, or keeping their attention, it's terrible. The design and structure is simply wrong for the job.
Would you read a mystery that gave away the ending on the first page of the book?
Would you watch a movie where the most exciting things happened first, then the rest of the two hours were more and more boring until the last scene died with a whimper?
That's the inverted pyramid. It puts the most exciting and fun things first, by design, with everything else less and less important until there's nothing left.
The inverted pyramid is a big reason why most blog posts, press releases, Facebook posts and tweets on Twitter get ignored.
The other big reason is the majority of posts and PR products are self-centered. They're not about informing or entertaining the readers. They're about making the boss or client happy.
So: you've got two fatal problems right there: (1) a boring way to write that gives it all away, and (2) talking about yourself, which only doubles down on the snoozefest.
How can you write things that don't get ignored?
1) Avoid the Inverted Pyramid
Instead, use narrative tools whenever you can.
People naturally put information into a narrative frame.
Who's the hero and the villain? What's the conflict between them?
2) Give People Reasons to Keep Reading
If you give away the ending in the headline and the first sentence, readers have no reason to continue until the end.
Give them reasons to keep on reading.
Don't talk about ideas or products or programs in a vacuum. There are people involved, right? People came up with those ideas, products or programs to solve problems. Show the need for a solution. Tell readers about the struggle to find ideas and solutions for this problem.
And these people affected by this problem aren't alone, right? Talk about how many other people are hurt by this problem.
Now you have a story with narrative questions.
Will these people continue to suffer from this problem? Will the good guys find a solution, or wll the obstacles and bad guys win? If they find a solution, will it come in time to help the people we've met?
With a storytelling structure, you raise questions and don't answer them right away. You show the audience people they come to care about, and they want to know what happens.Â
3) The Big Picture
You should never simply say, "This problem is important." That's asking your readers to take your word for it, and beating them over the head with your answer. It's lecturing the audience.
Instead, use narrative tools to show why it's important.
There isn't a lone person affected by the problem you're talking about. There are public stakes. Other people in the same boat.
That's the bigger picture. Readers should care not just about one person, or one family, but about this problem, because a lot of people are affected by it. That's what makes the solution important.