How To Use The ‘Rule of Three’ To Create Engaging Content
What’s so special about the number three? I know you’ve heard about “three’s a crowd” which seems negative.
However, you will notice that threes are popular in literature and other writings. What’s the deal?
The brain processes information easier when there are patterns. We memorize phone numbers and lists by grouping them into threes. The Rule of Three suggests that contents become more satisfying, humorous, and effective.
How do we apply this in writing?
Groups of Threes
We learned that readers are more attracted to shorter content. To make your content appear shorter, group them into segments of three.
Write three sentences per paragraph. Create three paragraphs per subheading. The way that you group the contents trick the brain into thinking that the selection is short.
Less is More
When coming up with a list of main ideas, think of three strong solid points. Break down these ideas into more specific details. Give three bullet points per idea. The idea is to create short, catchy sentences without rambling.
Taglines
Taglines are a great way to capture the attention of the readers. Apart from the title, think of a tagline that summarizes the whole article. Ever wonder why Nike’s “Just do it” is memorable?
SEO Tips
The internet is brimming with content that it’s difficult to come out at the top. When writing an article, think of three main keywords. Distribute these keywords into three sections of the content. Why not come up with three anchor texts that point the readers to relevant sources?
Images
Add three relevant and interesting images to make your content more attractive to the readers. Too many images may overpower the text. We’re not thinking storybooks here.
The Power of Three in Writing
When creating your masterpiece, always make sure that your content is informative, interesting, and relevant to the readers.
● Informative – Provide supporting information. Give three main points then support them with facts. As much as possible, keep it to one main idea per paragraph. Your goal is to give information so that your audience will keep reading.
● Interesting – Don’t bore your readers with long texts and flowery words. You don’t want them reaching for a dictionary to understand what you wrote. The goal is to make your audience understand – in layman’s terms. Keep them glued to the content. You can use humor to keep them entertained but don’t exaggerate.
● Relevant – People will always ask, “What’s in it for me?” If they see that what you’re writing is irrelevant, they stop reading. Think of your audience. What would you say to them if you were speaking to them? Think of their background. Does the information you provide give value to your readers? What you write should apply to the general public and not just a chosen few.
Conclusion
Three is indeed a powerful number. Learning to write interesting, relevant, and informative content can be quite challenging. Hopefully, the tips above will guide you as you come up with your blogs or articles. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and learn from them. If you fail once, or twice, the third should do the trick!