Creating an Engaged Reader

Creating an engaged reader is our primary editorial aim. To do this, you need to grab a reader’s attention to keep them engaged from the start to the end. It is not an easy task but one that we endeavour to fulfil with every piece of content published by TheSouthAfrican.

Passion and engagement go hand-in-hand. That’s why writing about something you’re familiar with is so important. Your engagement (through research and knowledge gained) with the topic at hand will directly influence the reader’s engagement. If your writing lacks passion, your reader won’t be engaged – it’s that simple.

Grabbing a prospective reader’s attention tactfully and truthfully is vital. (Note that we are opposed to clickbait of any kind). Your headline needs to be strong and enticing – where possible, it needs to go beyond the breaking news with an angle relative to our target audience. Here are three useful tips

●  Start with a figure or statistic which encompasses the enormity of the topic you’re writing  about

●  Go beyond the breaking news. Use terms like “Here’s why”, “What you need to know about”,  and “What happens next” in your headline.

● Create an easy-to-digest listicle (list article). Examples: “Six things we learned from Mboweni’s budget speech”, “Eight times Eskom rocked the South African economy”, “The five best holiday retreats in Limpopo”, etc. Make sure you adhere to the format of a list article  (in-body) if you lead with it in your headline.