Stop Doing These 7 Things If You Want More Reads On Your Stories
Fix these 7 things today and boost your stats immediately.
There are many reasons why your story isn’t gaining any traction. As a new writer myself, I’m all too familiar with the disappointment when I see a new story with 0 views and 0 reads.
I’ve had it happen once too many times.
Today, I’ll share with you 7 reasons of why I would not read a story.
As a reader myself, I began to observe my thought process on why I would skip over a story and why I would click on another story instead.
Hope this will help you create a new strategy to boost your stats on Medium!
No Reason to Read
I need a reason to read an article. Is it entertaining? Or will it teach me something new?
As I reader, I need to know that there is value for me to read a story.
If it makes me laugh, it provided me with entertainment. If I learned something new, it provided me with knowledge.
There is no reason for me to click on a story if it does not provide any value.
The 5 Minute Guideline
I’ll hardly ever read articles that are more than 5 minutes, unless they are exceptionally riveting and interesting!
It could just be me.
But when I see an article indicating more than a 10 minute read, I’m already reluctant to check it out.
Outdated Information
Depending on the topic, frequent updates to the information may be required.
If the article offers information that is no longer relevant in today’s world, then I won’t waste my time reading it.
It’s a good idea to keep content as evergreen as possible.
Even if someone stumbles on the story 5 years later, the information is still pertinent and delivers value. Perfect.
The Great Wall of Text
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. If there are no breaks in the text, I’ll likely click away in the first few seconds.
Seeing walls of words impacts readability. The experience just isn’t good for the reader.
If you’d like to read more on this, check out an article I wrote on “How to Engage Readers to Increase Your Read Ratio”.
Zero Interest
There are some articles I will never read because it doesn’t interest me at all.
It’s not that you haven’t done a good job. You probably did a brilliant job.
For example, I will never read a detailed story about programming, woodworking or poetry. It’s just something I am not interested in.
Don’t take it personally!
Check Your Work Before Publishing!
As a writer, it’s your duty to ensure that your piece is free of errors.
It doesn’t help your status as a writer if your article is littered with spelling errors and grammatical issues.
Run a simple spell check to make sure your work is impeccable!
Boring or Confusing Headlines
I can’t emphasize the importance of good headlines enough.
It’s the first thing that grabs a reader’s attention, much like how an eye catching thumbnail entices a viewer to click on a YouTube video.
If I can’t tell what the story is about from it’s title, I probably won’t click it.
Likewise, I’ll skip through it if the title is super boring.
Takeaways
- There is no reason for me to read it
- The article is more than a 5 minute read
- There is outdated information in the article
- The article has bad readability
- I have no interest in the topic
- The article has too many errors
- The headlines are confusing or boring
Make sure to take this information with a grain of salt! These are my personal preferences and habits, which might not apply to other readers.
Some readers may truly enjoy reading a 20 minute story on an interesting topic. Still, I’m hoping this helps you out when planning your blogs!
If you enjoyed this article and would like to support me, please consider buying me a coffee. My frozen Canadian hands will be forever thankful. Thank you!
Are you enjoying the articles on Medium so far? Consider joining Medium to read unlimited articles! It’s only $5 per month. Cheaper than a fast food meal nowadays!
You can sign up today with the following link! It will only take a few minutes. You also be directly supporting writers (including me) by signing up. I will also receive a small commission. Happy reading!