Tips for Increasing Reader Engagement with Curated Content

Interactive content has evolved from a novelty to a fundamental strategy for publishers aiming to enhance audience engagement in 2025. As readers increasingly seek immersive experiences, publishers are incorporating gamification elements, such as quizzes, polls, and interactive narratives, to transform passive consumption into active participation. This approach not only captivates audiences but also fosters a deeper connection with the content. Polls, for instance, are a powerhouse tool. Embedded directly into articles, they turn passive readers into active contributors, boosting time spent on-page and uncovering preferences traditional analytics miss. These insights enable publishers to refine their content strategies while fostering a sense of community, a win-win for trust and relevance. Publishers like The New York Times have pioneered this approach for over a decade. Their iconic "How Y’all, Youse, and You Guys Talk" dialect quiz, launched 10 years ago, became the most-read article in the outlet’s history at the time and remains a blueprint for hyperlocal publishers. By leveraging regional dialects, it transformed linguistic curiosity into a nationwide conversation while fostering micro-community connections—proof that localised interactive tools drive sustained engagement. Hyperlocal publishers are now building on this legacy. For example, TribLive’s 2023 “Can You Pass This Pittsburgh Slang Quiz?” became a viral sensation in Western Pennsylvania, testing readers’ knowledge of phrases like “yinz” and “jaggerbush.” This playful interactive piece not only celebrated regional identity but also drove record traffic and social shares, showcasing how dialect-driven content strengthens community ties. Also, incorporating game-like elements taps into readers' intrinsic motivations, such as the desire for achievement and competition. This strategy enhances user satisfaction and encourages repeat visits, thereby increasing engagement and loyalty. Here are the key takeaways for publishers: 1.    Implement Interactive Elements: Integrate features like quizzes and polls to create engaging content formats. 2.    Understand Audience Preferences: Tailor interactive components to align with your readers' interests and behaviors. 3.    Measure and Optimise: Regularly evaluate the performance of interactive content to refine strategies and maximise engagement. Interactive content is shaping the future of digital publishing. By embracing gamification and incorporating tools like polls into editorial strategies, publishers can craft compelling experiences that not only attract but also retain readers. What interactive formats have you found most effective? Share your experiences and examples in the comments below! #DigitalPublishing #InteractiveContent #Gamification #AudienceEngagement #PublishingInnovation

Embarking on the content creation journey can feel like navigating a maze. Over the years, I’ve discovered that the secret to making meaningful connections through content isn’t just about what you say, but how you say it and ensuring it genuinely resonates with your audience. 1. Embrace Simplicity: When I first started posting, I thought using big words and complex sentences would impress my readers. It didn’t. Feedback showed they preferred straightforward, easy-to-understand content. It was a lightbulb moment—simplicity wins. Now, I always ask, “Would my grandma get this?” before I publish anything. 2. Deep Dive into Your Audience’s World: After sending out a simple poll to my followers asking what topics they were interested in, the engagement on my subsequent posts soared. Knowing your audience is like having a roadmap for your content journey. 3. Storytelling is Your Best Friend: Sharing a personal experience while sharing my journey, complete with all the missteps and eventual triumphs, garnered more responses and shares than any how-to guide I’d ever written. Stories not only make it relatable but also create emotional connections, making your message more impactful and memorable. 4. Consistency is More Than Just Timing: I once experimented by posting daily for a month and then sporadically the next. The drop in engagement during the sporadic month was stark. Regular, predictable content keeps people coming back. But consistency isn’t just about schedule—it’s about maintaining a consistent voice and quality that your audience can rely on. 5. Break the Monotony with Visuals: Visuals can turn complex information into an engaging, digestible format, making your content more accessible and enjoyable. 6. Feedback: Early on, I viewed feedback as a personal critique, but I’ve learned to see it as a gift. Positive comments highlight what’s working, while constructive criticism offers a blueprint for improvement. Engaging with feedback has turned my audience into co-creators of my content.

What started as a weekend hack has become a growing platform and services business. Today, Corio surpassed one million impressions. Whilst we consistently maintain that impressions and likes aren't the measure of success, this milestone offers valuable lessons about what truly engages audiences when sharing an authentic position. Our journey to one million impressions has increased our conviction about what resonates in today's crowded and competitive digital landscape: • Connection stories dominate: Personal experiences and authentic journeys averaged 50% higher than other types of content. • First-person narrative matters: 95% of our top-performing posts used first-person storytelling, creating an immediate sense of authenticity and relatability. • Questions engage: 65% of the highest-performing content included questions, inviting dialogue rather than broadcasting information. • Length isn't a barrier: While conventional wisdom suggests keeping content brief, longer-form content (200-300 words) performed exceptionally well, achieving 70% more impressions. Analysing our most successful content reveals clear patterns in what makes a story travel: 1. 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵: Our highest-engagement posts weren't polished or corporate - they were human. One engineering post with the opening line "I spend my time guessing..." captured the authentic reality of professional life, generating massive engagement by expressing what makes that organisation special. 2. 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀: When we shared concrete examples rather than abstract ideas, engagement increased measurably. Stories with real journeys - challenges and outcomes - resonated deeply. 3. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀: Regardless of length, well-structured content kept readers engaged and helped positioning resonate. 4. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: Months with regular posting showed significantly higher performance. The flywheel effect of showing up consistently drives significant growth. True impact happens beyond metrics. The real value comes when: • The right prospect sees your positioning at their moment of need • They recognise their situation in your narrative and reach out • Your consistent presence builds trust • Your in-person interactions are amplified by what people see online It's this last one that matters most. You need to get out of the building and talk to people - prospects, customers, friends, colleagues - anyone who will listen to you and your ideas. When you couple this with a willingness to share and learn, it becomes a force multiplier. Authentic positioning creates connections that drive business results. People are watching, whether they interact or not. When your message connects, they'll find you. Keep showing up - authentically and consistently. When you do, you will become the obvious choice for the people you are trying to serve.

What’s a major L&D skill that isn’t talked about enough?👇 CURATION! With so many learning resources available at our fingertips, effective content curation is more important than ever in Learning & Development to save teams time and their budgets. It’s time to move away from a build-everything-from-scratch mindset and start curating with intent from the vast array of content libraries and resources we have available to us. Great curation isn’t about dumping resources into a library—it’s about creating clarity, relevance, and learner-first experiences. Here are 7 practical tips for curating content that actually drives learning: 1. Understand learner needs – Get clear on what learners are trying to achieve. 2. Use diverse sources – Combine paid (e.g. LinkedIn Learning, Udemy etc) and free (e.g. YouTube, podcasts) content. 3. Evaluate critically – Look for relevance, credibility, and engagement potential. 4. Design experiences – Mix formats (videos, articles, interactives) into a coherent journey. Think of it like a music playlist. 5. Test and launch – Validate the flow and usability before publishing. 6. Maintain regularly – Keep content fresh and links active. 7. Analyse and adapt – Use data and learner feedback to fine-tune your approach. And to truly make the most of curated content, focus on these areas: • Define clear learning objectives – Content should directly support specific outcomes. • Prioritise relevance – Choose resources that resonate with current learner needs. • Seek continuous feedback – Let learners shape your strategy through input and insights. • Leverage microlearning – Bite-sized, just-in-time content boosts engagement and retention. • Evaluate continuously – Track what’s working, and evolve accordingly. • Communicate value – Promote curated content with strong internal messaging. • Organise content libraries – Use tagging, categorisation, and archiving to keep things usable. Final thought: Your L&D strategy doesn’t need more content—it needs the right content. With a clear plan, a learner-first mindset, and a commitment to quality over quantity, you can turn your content library into a powerful tool for development to save your L&D team time and effort! #LearningAndDevelopment #ContentCuration #LXD #Elearning #DigitalLearning #LearningStrategy #CuratedLearning #LearnerExperience

Writing content with AI is not a problem. Not editing the following things is: - Not deciding on your hook statement – Your first few words determine whether your audience stays or scrolls. One line placed up or down, the impact changes drastically - be it engagement on the page or the post. - Not focusing on the purpose of writing – Are you informing, persuading, or entertaining? Every piece of content should have a clear goal. - Not sticking to your selected audience – Writing for everyone is writing for no one. Stay relevant to your intended readers. - Not refining clarity and logical flow – AI generates words, but it’s on us to make them flow seamlessly- from introduction to conclusion. - Not fact-checking statistics and data – AI might pull numbers that aren’t accurate. Always verify sources. - Not checking for emotional impact – Facts inform, but emotions connect. Ensure your content resonates. - Not removing fluff and redundancy – AI often overexplains. Keep it crisp and to the point. - Not optimizing for readability – Long, complex sentences lose attention. Keep it structured and easy to scan. - Not aligning with brand voice – AI may lack context. Ensure the tone matches your brand identity. - Not adding originality – AI can assist, but your unique insights make the content valuable. - Not making it actionable – What should the reader do next? Give a clear call to action. - Not breaking up text for better engagement – Walls of text are hard to read. Use bullet points, headers, and spacing. - Not tailoring for different platforms – The same content won’t work the same way everywhere. Optimize for where it’s being posted. - Not proofreading for AI’s quirks – AI sometimes misuses words or phrases. Read carefully before publishing. - Not personalizing the message – AI-generated content can feel robotic. Add human touches where needed. - Not testing different versions – Sometimes, a small tweak in wording can make a big difference in engagement. AI can generate content, but your edits make it more impactful, more powerful. What do you think? #ContentCreation #AIWriting #EditingTips

I'm speaking about something rather unconventional for a procurement conference. LinkedIn. Yep. I'm running a 90-min workshop to teach procurement practitioners, marketers & sales reps how to leverage LI in a way that actually works. How to produce content that people actually want to consume and engage with. How to find the right people to connect with & then do so in a meaningful way. Why am I qualified to teach people how to use LI? When I was selling marketing procurement software, I closed over $24.3M in net new business using LI. This platform has had a profound impact on my professional & personal life. I've landed two jobs as a result of the brand I've built on this platform. I met several of my industry besties here - even a roommate. How do I optimize my posts to get so much engagement (comments)? I follow what the data says in Richard van der Blom's algorithm report. It's a analysis of 1.5M+ posts from 34K individual profiles & over 26K company pages spanning over 50 countries & 25 languages showing what’s most impactful on LI in 2024. Some of my takeaways from Richard's report: 1. Aim for a 8am - 11am posting time in your time zone. 2. Maintain a regular posting rhythm: committing to a 3 or 4 weekly posting pattern is preferable over a daily burst followed by silence. 3. LI counts a 'repost with thoughts' as fresh content. 4. The first 60 mins: early engagement sets the momentum for the post's visibility in the next 6 hrs. 5. Personalized images, rather than generic stock photos, can increase engagement by 45%. 6. Vertical photos are the most effective, especially since 64% of users are on mobile devices, yielding a 15% higher click-through rate than square images and 25% more than horizontal images. 7. Ideal Text Length for Text & Image Posts: 900 - 1,200 characters. 8. Polls: most effective polls offer 3 answer choices & run for a week. Best to post on a Monday or Wednesday. 9. Strategic Tagging: mentioning others in comments can be beneficial if they contribute to the discussion. There's no downside to unresponsive tags in the comments, but lack of engagement from those tagged directly in your post might reduce growth potential by 25%. 10. Calls to Action: possible increase in reach by 10% for posts with calls to action. 11. If tagged individuals comment on your post, it positively influences your post’s visibility. Such comments are 1.5 times more impactful than those from untagged users, making tagging a potentially powerful tool for growth. 12. The presence of hashtags in posts does not significantly boost reach. 13. Document Posts: aim for 12 slides, include 25-50 words per slide & ensure the post's guidance is fewer than 500 characters. 14. Ending your post with a question can lead to an increase in engagement of 20% to 40%. 15. Optimal video time: 1 - 2 mins. Videos over 3 mins see a 15% decline in engagement. I've got a couple free SIG conferences passes. Ping if me you'd like one of them.

Most people think a “good” LinkedIn post is about hooks, storytelling, and a call to action. But if you’re trying to generate leads, those basics won’t cut it. Here’s what truly separates elite posts from the rest: 1. Solve the unspoken problem. Most posts solve the obvious problem. Elite posts tackle the problem your audience hasn’t fully articulated. Instead of: “Here’s how to get more engagement on LinkedIn," Try: “Why your LinkedIn posts aren’t converting (even with 1,000 likes)." This positions you as someone who truly understands their pain points. 2. Hook with insight, not curiosity. Hooks like “The secret to LinkedIn success” are overplayed. Start with a counterintuitive insight: - "Likes don’t matter. Conversations do." - "If your posts aren’t generating leads, it’s because you’re writing to impress, not to connect." A strong insight hooks the reader and reframes how they think. 3. Write in layers for different readers. Not every reader is ready to engage the same way. Speak to three levels: - Skimmers: Use bold or bullets so they get value fast. - Deep Readers: Provide detailed insights for those who want depth. - Action-Takers: Include a clear next step to convert them into leads. Write like an inverted pyramid: biggest insights up top, details as they scroll. 4. Use emotional specificity. Instead of: “Does your LinkedIn profile need work?” Say: “Is your LinkedIn profile so vague even your mom wouldn’t know what you do?” The more specific and relatable your language, the stronger your connection. 5. Be intentional about the action you want. Not every post needs a classic “DM me” or “What’s your biggest challenge?” CTA. Instead, decide on the specific needle you want to move: Do you want your audience to engage? - Frame your content to spark a conversation. Do you want them to take a next step? - Direct them to your funnel. Or do you want them to think deeply? - Focus on delivering clarity or a breakthrough insight. Every post should have a purpose…even if that purpose is simply to leave them saying, “I’ve never thought about it that way.” Lead-generating posts aren’t just about algorithms, but also about creating moments of clarity for your audience. When was the last time a post made you stop and think?

B2B tech companies are addicted to getting you to subscribe to their corporate echo chamber newsletter graveyard, where they dump their latest self-love notes. It's a cesspool of "Look at us!" and "We're pleased to announce..." drivel that suffocates originality and murders interest. Each link, each event recap and each funding announcement is another shovel of dirt on the grave of what could have been engaging content. UNSUBSCRIBE What if, instead of serving up the same old reheated corporate leftovers, your content could slap your audience awake? Ego-stroking company updates are out. 1. The pain point deep dive: Start by mining the deepest anxieties, challenges and questions your audience faces. Use forums, social media, customer feedback and even direct interviews to uncover the raw nerve you're going to press. 2. The unconventional wisdom: Challenge the status quo of your industry. If everyone's zigging, you zag. This could mean debunking widely held beliefs, proposing counterintuitive strategies or sharing insights that only insiders know but don't talk about. Be the mythbuster of your domain. 3. The narrative hook: Every piece of content should tell a story, and every story needs a hook that grabs from the first sentence. Use vivid imagery, compelling questions or startling statements to make it impossible to scroll past. Your opening should be a rabbit hole inviting Alice to jump in. 4. The value payload: This is the core of your content. Each piece should deliver actionable insights, deep dives or transformative information. Give your audience something so valuable that they can't help but use, save and share it. Think tutorials, step-by-step guides or even entertaining content that delivers laughs or awe alongside insight. 5. The personal touch: Inject your personality or brand's voice into every piece. Share personal anecdotes, failures and successes. 6. The engagement spark: End with a call to action that encourages interaction. Ask a provocative question, encourage them to share their own stories or challenge them to apply what they've learned and share the results. Engagement breeds community, and community amplifies your reach. 7. The multi-platform siege: Repurpose your anchor content across platforms. Turn blog posts into podcast episodes, summaries into tweets or LinkedIn posts and key insights into Instagram stories. Each piece of content should work as a squad, covering different fronts but pushing the same message. Without impressive anchor content, you won't have anything worth a lick in your newsletter. 8. The audience dialogue: Engage directly with your audience's feedback. Respond to comments, ask for their input on future topics and even involve them in content creation through surveys or co-creation opportunities. Make your content worth spreading, and watch as your audience does the heavy lifting for you. And please stop with the corporate navel-gazing. #newsletters #b2btech #ThatAshleyAmber

Companies spend thousands on content people will never read. Their "complete guides" that try to cover everything see some of the highest bounce rates. I saw this pattern with a real estate publisher's analytics— Some of their articles kept readers engaged for minutes. Others barely held attention for seconds. Together, we dug deeper… - Conducting reader surveys - Analyzing their most-engaged content - Interviewing top loan officers about common client questions Our efforts showed buyers spent the most time on… - Detailed, scenario-based content - First-time homebuyer guides with specific examples - Guides that answered follow-up questions before they were asked - Market analysis pieces that explained implications for different buyer types 📝 The data was clear: Readers didn't want broad overviews. They wanted specific answers to real situations. So, we rebuilt their whole content calendar around these insights. Every article now… - Answers the questions readers hesitate to ask - Addresses actual scenarios buyers face - Includes specific examples Their organic traffic increased 43% in 6 months. Your readers will tell you exactly what they want — if you know where to look. → sharewrites.com

I recently ran a content workshop for a client. Below, I am sharing the main takeaways: 1️⃣ Write for humans first, Google second Google tracks how users behave on your page: scroll depth, bounce rate, and whether they search again after leaving. If people don't like your content, Google won't either. 2️⃣ Back every claim with real data Never make a statement without a source. Google don't like content they can't verify. Link to reports, industry research, or even quote industry experts on LinkedIn. 3️⃣ Stay neutral, avoid bias Heavily biased content gets ignored by LLMs and trusted less by readers. Be clear about who your brand is best for, and who it isn't. Honest positioning builds more credibility than "we're the best at everything." 4️⃣ Inverted pyramid Don't bury the answer. Provide the ‘MUST KNOW’ info first, before you consider adding ‘nice to know’ info. 5️⃣ Key takeaways box Include a box at the beginning of the article to provide info upfront to readers and and make the AI search engines & Google’s live easier. 6️⃣ Hook fast in the intro, don't explain everything The intro is a hook, not a summary. Name the pain point, tell them they're in the right place, and tease what's ahead. But no need to give away the full answer in the intro. 7️⃣ Use callouts, pro tips, and bullets to break up text Walls of text reduce readers' engagement and makes content difficult for LLMs to extract from and Google. Callout boxes, pro tips, and bullets make content skimmable for humans and easier for AI search engines to extract context, especially in the first and and the middle of each article. 8️⃣ Expert quotes A quote from your CEO or CTO that no one else has is genuine information gain. It adds a unique perspective, builds credibility with LLMs & Google, and makes your content stand out from competitors who are all rehashing the same page-one content. 9️⃣ Add product screenshots Screenshots break up text and show your solution in action. Place them where they're relevant to the conversation, not randomly. They help readers visualize the product and move them further down the funnel. 🔟 Internal links Descriptive anchor text (not "click here") passes SEO value and helps readers navigate the site, and helps crawlers. 👉 Every piece of content needs a next step Don't leave readers hanging at the end. Whether it's another blog post, a pricing page, or a "book a demo" CTA. Always give them somewhere to go. The conclusion should be actionable, not a summary of what they just read, repeating information.