Are You Engaging Your Readers With Questions?

When writing your marketing materials, do you ask your readers questions that engage them, ignite their curiosity, and keep them wanting more?

Well, you should be.

Why? Because in today’s overstimulated world, your prospects are constantly in a state of information overload.

And that’s why it’s so essential to always engage and connect with your readers, whether you’re writing a blog post, an article, or even a sales letter.

Because if you don’t, you can guess what will happen: your reader will take one look at your tiresome, lifeless piece of writing and quickly move on to the next thing.

So what’s the best way to keep your reader interested in what you have to say?

Ask questions.

Why questions matter

The vast majority of blog posts, articles, and sales and marketing materials only mention the seller. Listen to me! Look at me! Look what I have!

This type of writing doesn’t engage your reader. It pushes her away.

A question, on the other hand, causes your prospect to automatically engage with your copy.

Because any time you ask your reader a question, she’ll automatically come up with an answer. It’s human nature.

And if the question is relevant to her, she will want to continue reading, because she’ll assume that the rest of the copy applies to her as well.

How to use questions in your marketing materials

For instance, if you’re writing an article about the weight loss benefits of dark chocolate, you could write a headline like this:

‘5 Astonishing Reasons Why Dark Chocolate Will Help You Lose Weight’

or…

‘The Amazing Truth About Dark Chocolate and Weight Loss’

Both are good headlines, and both will attract readers.

However, if you write a headline asking a question like this:

‘Can Dark Chocolate Help You Lose Weight?’

You engage the reader even more.

Why? Because the reader assumes that if the answer to the question isn’t in the headline, it must be in the copy below it. So it makes her decide to keep reading.

You can ask an open, closed, or even limited (i.e. do you prefer x or y?) question–either way, you’re encouraging a response, and that creates further engagement.

When you ask a question, you’re inviting conversation. And when you create a conversation with your readers, you deepen the relationship with them–and make it more likely your copy will resonate enough to create a sale.