The anticipation of your readers

Feb 07, 2008

Anticipation is akin to creating a demand or amplifying an existing need to know or acquire something. Anticipation keeps your readers hooked to what you’re going to say or reveal next. You must have observed this technique in the TV serials; if it is an ongoing story the episode always ends when things are just hotting up and you can’t wait for the next episode. Darren explains on his blog how to create anticipation in order to increase your RSS subscribers. The first step, as he rightly mentions, is to highlight the best you can offer.

I think this is the first and of course the best step you can take to create a sense of anticipation. This happens everywhere: people anticipate your future performance based on your past performance. Your past performance means creating high-value content on your blog or on your website non-stop. Every page, every blog post should give something to your readers and only then you will be able to increase the level of anticipation.

If people anticipate something from you as a blogger it means you have already raised their level of expectation regarding your performance, and this means you have got an advantage here. Having a similar advantage while writing professional content for your clients or for yourself can be a bit difficult because, although people are okay with you being a novice blogger (maybe because you’re not charging anything from them) they have a big problem if you are a novice content writer or copywriter and this is fairly understandable because they are paying you for the job or buying things from you after reading your copy or pitch.

As a professional content writer and copywriter you have to use the existing knowledge of the reader to create anticipation. For instance if a reader is visiting your website to purchase an MP3 player he or she is already aware of the benefits of owning an MP3 player; he or she just needs to be convinced why it is better to buy it from you rather than from some other seller. Even if you’re trying to sell a product that is totally new, its need already exists and you simply have to highlight how efficiently that product can satisfy the need. If you can do that you are raising the level of anticipation in the reader. Given below are a few benefits of raising anticipation in your readers.

Anticipation brings them back to you again and again

Typically a sale never happens on the first visit; it happens on the third visit. This is not a hard and fast rule but it is a generally accepted phenomena. If you give them something to expect they will keep it in mind to visit your website again; they will either remember your URL or they will bookmark it. A similar thing happens in case of a blog. If you want your readers to come to your blog again and again they must be convinced that you provide good content consistently. When you convince them they not only take measures to keep track of your future posts they also recommend your links whenever they get a chance.

Anticipation generates more business for you

This happens if you maintain a business website and expect people to partner with you after reading your content on your business website. When they go through your content, when they go through what you have previously done, the anticipation level is increased and they contact you to give you work. Here, you don’t increase anticipation by holding back the most exciting things; you present to them the best work you have done up till now. Clients who are planning to pay you don’t like surprises; the only anticipation they have is that you will deliver what you have promised through the copy of your website.

Anticipation makes you an authority

This is something that I have already mentioned above; people only anticipate when they trust that it is worth anticipating. They start expecting good content, good service, or good product from you when they go through your track record and respect you for what you have done so far. When they anticipate further goodness from you they endorse your authority, ability and skill. Being known as some sort of an authority helps you generate business and people trust your message eagerly. Being an authority opens many closed doors easily.

Let me know if you would like to add something more here.

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One Response to “The anticipation of your readers”

Authority » The anticipation of your readers
February 7th, 2008 at 11:11 am
[...] Content Writing and CopyWriting Blog wrote an interesting post today on The anticipation of your readersHere’s a quick excerpt Anticipation is akin to creating a demand or amplifying an existing need to know or acquire something. Anticipation keeps your readers hooked to what you’re going to say or reveal next. You must have observed this technique in the TV serials; if it is an ongoing story the episode always ends when things are just hotting up and you can’t wait for the next episode. Darren explains on his blog how to create anticipation in order to increase your RSS subscribers. The first step, as he rightly menti [...]