Whenever we publish content on our website or social media, we hope that our viewers will click on the content and read what we wrote. We put an effort into researching and writing our content, so we don’t want them to just skim through it. Instead, we’d love for them to read the entire content. Can you do anything to increase your audience’s dwell time and retain visitors on your page?
What is dwell time?
Dwell time is an important metric for both websites and social media platforms. It refers to the time a user spends viewing a business page or webpage after clicking on the search engine results page (SERP) or news feed. Apart from the number of likes, shares, and comments, dwell time is now an essential metric that is being closely monitored. Some SEO experts believe that search engines like Google and Bing use dwell time to assess the quality of websites.
Knowing these should motivate us to create more content that will increase our audience’s dwell time. Here are some strategies you can implement:
Hook the audience with your introduction
It’s crucial to grab your audience’s attention with a clear and straightforward introduction. If your content is focused on beginners, avoid using technical or jargon words. This may confuse them and make them lose interest. Instead, help your audience easily understand what your content is all about.
One proven intro formula you can try is the PAS or Problem, Agitate, Solution. To start, address your audience’s pain points. Next, as you write your content, agitate these issues to motivate them to know more. Then, offer a solution to the problem at the end of your content.
Make your content digestible
The attention span of internet users is quite short, usually around 8 minutes, not to mention other distractions they can encounter as they browse through news feeds and search engines. If your content is hard to read, there is a higher chance that your audience will look for other materials to read.
To create bite-size content, you have to keep things short. Keep the paragraphs easy to skim by writing each paragraph only 3 to 5 sentences long. Organize lists by using bullets and numbers to allow your readers to see your main points.
Consider moving your call to action
It’s common to place the CTA (Call to action) at the end of every post. However, this approach will unlikely impact your audience’s dwell time.
Why not try placing the CTAs in your introduction? This will create a hook and will encourage them to explore your content further. You can also try incorporating something interactive in your social media image or reels, or the middle of your website page.
You could implement these strategies as you aim to increase your audience’s dwell time. However, creating engaging content that will help fulfill your audience’s experience is always important. Whether you aim to entertain, inform, or educate, always consider your audience’s interests. Remember that the longer they stay on your business page, the stronger the connection you can create, which will grow your online presence and increase conversions.
You may also like: Best Practices to Co-Create with Your Audience
Image source: elements.envato.com
