Done with that blog post? What’s next? Most marketers—if not all—would like their content to be read, but it seems like that’s not as easy as it sounds. So, what’s stopping people from taking the time out of their busy schedule to actually read articles?

Simple mistakes will prevent otherwise good content from getting the readership it deserves. Here are a few tips on how marketers can engage their audience and get people clicking.

Don’t be Afraid to Get Emotional

People love to laugh, so they’ll read and share something funny. People also love to be inspired in some way, so they’ll read an article that makes them feel good. Once people start feeling emotional about content, they’ll keep reading.

Emotional marketing messages are twice as effective as promotional ones. Find a way to keep content positive and take a moment to think about what readers love to share.

Keep it Short & Simple

Not to say that long content has no value, but many readers don’t have the time (or willpower) to read a two page article. If they don’t connect with content from the start, they won’t continue on. If a company’s posts are consistently over 1,000 words and getting no engagement, length might be the problem. It helps to vary the length of posts to see what works best, but try to make it reasonable.

Get People Talking

If a blog post is going to get engagement, there needs to be something to talk about. Try posing a few questions and asking for feedback. Once marketers get a conversation going, there’s a higher chance people will keep returning to read their content. Let the audience have some input!

Keep the comment section open and respond to all questions directed at the company. Be friendly!

Be Useful

Increasing engagement and readership is sometimes as simple as creating something useful for readers. What makes content useful? Start by understanding the target audience and what they’re looking for.

Unsure where to start? Do a little research and check out other blogs in your industry. See what gets the most engagement and what people like reading about. People will share content that they find useful and relevant to their own lives.

There’s Power in Formatting

How bloggers format content doesn’t seem like it would be too important, but it can make a huge difference when it comes to readership. Try breaking up text with images or writing in short paragraphs to make it easy on the eyes. Using bullet points or lists helps make your content clear and concise.

It’s been proven that scannable copywriting produces a 124% improvement in visibility. Make sure whatever is being shared isn’t a jumbled mess or else it won’t be read. Visually-pleasing formatting will make a huge difference.