6 Effective Tactics to Boost Content Engagement

You’ve put a lot of effort into creating your long-form document, whether it’s a comprehensive plan, zoning code, or other policy document or report. You can’t wait to share it with your stakeholders and get their feedback. After a few weeks you realize you’re not receiving the level of input you had hoped for. If it’s not user-friendly or enjoyable to interact with, the sad reality is that people probably won’t read it.

Think about the last time you had to research another organization’s plan or code. Was it easy to navigate? Could you quickly find what you were looking for? Did you *gasp*... actually enjoy reading through it? Take an objective look at your own document. Would you want to read it if you weren’t getting paid for it?

Was it easy to navigate? Could you quickly find what you were looking for? Did you *gasp*... actually enjoy reading through it?

How do we make our long-form documents interesting and appealing to our target audiences? Below, we explore six tactics to make sure our content effectively grabs our readers’ attention.  

Images

Images are a great way to create pause among lines of text. They make text easier to scan by creating visual cues and highlighting information you want to stand out. They could be used to show things like existing conditions, or help the reader visualize abstract concepts or ideas. When selecting images, make sure they are high resolution and clear, as blurry or grainy images can make your document look amateur. Try to use images that include faces, as research has shown that people connect more with images containing a face. Avoid cliche images, especially tired stock photographs, that have been used over and over. Be careful not to use content you don’t own. This HowTo article contains some great resources for finding royalty free images.

Memes are a fun way to incorporate images and pop culture into your content.

Videos

Videos offer a faster way for people to consume information than reading through paragraphs of text. They also provide an opportunity to combine entertainment and education. For example, the City of Albuquerque included an introduction video to help explain their new Integrated Development Ordinance. The City and County of Denver uploaded a video of the presentation that was given at an in-person workshop so those who weren’t able to attend could see what they missed. Generally, people won’t watch videos that are more than five minutes long, so aim for about two to four minutes. As with images, don’t use content you don’t own. This HowTo article shares places for finding royalty free videos, as well as resources for creating your own.

Introduction video on City of Albuquerque’s website.

GIFs

There may still be disagreement about how to pronounce GIF (which stands for graphics interchange format), but one thing we can agree on is that GIFs offer a fun way to encourage readers to continue scrolling through your PDF. They often add a touch of humor as well, like in this example created the by the City of Los Angeles for their zoning code update. They especially connect with millennials by referencing pop culture. This HowTo article shows you where to find them, or create your own.

Discover & share this GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.

Interactive Animations

One tactic for making your content more engaging is to ask for reader input using interactive animations. For example, the City of Miami Beach needed citizen input when they were exploring a General Obligation Bond. They included a calculator to help people figure out how much the bond would affect their property taxes over time. The City of Vancouver included an interactive timeline so people could compare the transition to 100% renewable energy over the 30 years. One of the key benefits of using interactive animations is they seek active participation from visitors. By allowing for user input, visitors are able to choose the direction in which an infographic will take shape. This helps people visualize and understand how different alternatives impact them directly. Interactive animations increase interest level and may also improve your audience’s ability to recall details from your message. This means that they may remember the important things that you want them to remember.

Infographics

Infographics add a visual element to detailed explanations, making complex information easier to digest. The most visually unique, creative infographics are often the most effective, because they grab our attention and don’t let go. They tend to work best by putting information that is hard to grasp into context through visual cues, icons, or comparison. It’s crucial to remember that the visuals in an infographic must do more than excite and engage. They must help us understand and remember the content of the infographic. This HowTo article shows you how to easily create your own infographics.

Infographics can be educational AND entertaining.

Maps

Often the most important part of a story isn’t what happened, but where it happened. Maps add visual interest, context, and scale, as well as make data more persuasive by adding ‘where’ to the ‘what’ and the ‘why’. It is important to show your readers where you are talking about instead of assuming they are familiar with the area. The City of Madison included an interactive land use map as part of their comprehensive plan. This allows users to quickly see and better understand the land uses described in the text. Going one step beyond simply a 2D map, this HowTo article shows you how to easily embed Google street view into your document.

By incorporating these six tactics into your long-form documents, you will be better able to grab your readers’ attention, keep them engaged, demonstrate that your content is worthwhile, and keep them coming back. It will also help establish your organization as the voice of authority on your project.

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