Nobody wants to read your sh*t
Author, Steven Pressfield, has a great book called, Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t.
The core premise of the book is—wait for it—nobody wants to read your writing. People are too busy. It’s just true.
It’s been a while since I read the book, but the idea has stuck with me ever since. I’d like to share my own interpretation and what to do about it.
How to write stuff people want to read
If you want people to consistently read your writing, whether it be a blog post, social media post, website copy, or any other form of writing, then every piece of content should answer two questions:
- “So what?”
- “What’s in it for me?”
If someone doesn’t have a clear understanding of the point you’re making and how it benefits them, then you’ve missed an opportunity.
But it’s deeper than that. You don’t just miss one opportunity. You also put at risk all future opportunities to get your messages read.
Why? Because you’re teaching people that your words aren’t worth reading.
You teach them to tune you out.
And that’s the death knell of marketing. You need your words to get read or you aren’t actually doing marketing.
Like all things, it comes down to trust. People will click and read your words as long as you deliver an ROI on their time.
Every time you focus on yourself instead of the reader, that trust gets diminished. Drip by drip, it teaches people not to read your words.
And that’s why it’s so important that every word you write is in service to the reader and has a clear point.
It’s about them, not you. Always.
