1. Tell them something they don’t know.

2. Tell them something they DO know — make it relatable.

3. Help them solve a problem.

4. Help them help someone else.

5. Help them answer a question.

6. Tell them they’re doing something wrong — and how to correct it.

7. Show them a better way to accomplish a task.

8. Explain why a common way of thinking/doing is ineffective.

9. Bust a myth.

10. Motivate them to try something new.

11. Make them feel cared for/understood.

 

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12. Make them laugh.

13. Make them feel happy/sad/angry/inspired.

14. Challenge their thoughts/beliefs.

15. Give them a question to respond to.

16. Offer a new perspective on a popular/trending topic.

17. Politely flaunt your expertise — show them they can trust you.

18. Let your guard down — be human.

19. Offer them something they’ll want to keep coming back to.

20. Be yourself — people are drawn to genuine souls.

21. Be skeptical — you don’t know everything for sure.

22. Do everything with your reader in mind — make them feel like they belong here.

 

 

 

Meg is the creator of Novelty Revisions, dedicated to helping writers put their ideas into words. She is a freelance writer and a nine-time NaNoWriMo winner with work published in Teen Ink, Success Story, Lifehack and USA TODAY College. Follow Meg on Twitter for tweets about writing, food and nerdy things.