The Storytelling in Blogging series is tackling why you should never write emotion and how introductions can determine whether or not someone keeps reading, shares your work, or leaves to never return.

The Power of Emotions

Today, my productivity was eviscerated. I read something on Facebook which was sad, heartbreaking, and honestly, something that just ticked me off. Why do people share articles of child molesters getting off without a day in jail?!

Stop.

Think about how you’re feeling and what your body has done.

When I’m on calls with clients, if I say something like that,

• brows furrow,
• smiles are erased,
• shoulders tense, and
• the body leans back.

Emotions can send you into hyper-productivity or into an abyss of careless drudgery. They can draw you into a good book for hours (or days) or make you feel empty and listless when a good story ends.

Emotions can do the same for your readers. But you shouldn’t actually write about emotions…

To Convey an Emotion, Never Write Emotion

Introductions should be the most emotionally-filled sections of an article. After all, emotions are powerful and can keep a reader engaged but we should never write emotion in the introduction.

Okay, so “never write emotion” is a bit misleading. What I should say is don’t start with a description of an emotion, start with a story which makes the reader FEEL.

Wait, isn’t that the same thing?

No. This writing construction concept is commonly referred to as “show, don’t tell.” Although we need to be careful not to go overboard with the show, don’t tell concept, we’re going to highlight how to do it in 100 words so there isn’t a real risk of that.

To simplify things: if you write, “She was angry,” you’re TELLING them to have an emotion, TELLING a reader how to feel. The opposite and more engaging method is to weave a story which drives a reader to feel. Describe a situation which makes her angry to draw your reader in.

Example:

TELL: “I was so confused. I couldn’t believe the horrible things the police officer was saying about my child. He was telling me the life I knew was over.”

Or…

SHOW: “There is no way this is true – not my kid. We’re good people, we go to church, we donate to charities… How did we miss this? His lips are still moving. This unfeeling detective talks while I say goodbye to my old, normal life.”

Which one makes you FEEL the character was confused? Which one makes you want to find out WHY this person is losing the life they knew?

Positive and negative emotions are equally powerful. Consider positive emotions such as confidence, excitement, happiness, hopefulness, inspiration, and humor. A few negative emotions are anxiousness, anger, loneliness, fear, confusion, and outrage.

Action: Rewrite 100 Words

Go to a post of which you’re proud but didn’t receive the traffic you believe it should have. Evaluate your story by asking yourself: did I break the rule “never write emotion?” Is there a way I can rewrite the first 100 words in order to follow the ‘show, don’t tell’ practice?

Now, let’s talk about how you might convince yourself you can’t do it.

Niche-Specific Excuses are Bulls–t!

Sorry for the harsh language there, but many clients in the food, craft, and fitness niches tell me they can’t tell a story. After all, they’re just making a pie, a candle, or a workout.

That’s lazy writing. No one will accept someone can’t jot down a 100-word story to introduce their article. Note – I’m not talking about a 100-word introduction, I’m saying a 100-word STORY.

In the previous storytelling in blogging article, One-Time Stories and Trigger Anchor Text, I introduced the stories we need to tell and how to get people to read them. Those stories are about us, sure, but they must be written considering a reader’s reason for reading, which was the first article in the storytelling in blogging series.

When we consider the audience’s reason for reading, it’s clear why we should never write emotion. We want to connect so we must write to elicit feeling, allowing them to develop a connection.

Remember, your story it doesn’t have to be a long, rambling tale. Here’s an example in about 100 words.

An Example of “But I Can’t Write Like That!”

This is an example I worked on with a client in 2016. While her lifestyle blog was receiving a decent amount of traffic (500k page views a month), she said her food posts were mostly only recipes because “no one wants to hear a story about food.”

{Did you hear that pin drop?!}

After retrieving my jaw from the floor, I asked her about her next food article: tuna casserole. In 10-minutes we wove a brief introduction, designed to trigger a feeling of growing up in a time where everyone knew their neighbors (National Good Neighbor Day was approaching).

“A warm tuna casserole reminds me of Tuesday nights when I was 11. Dad would go to his lodge meetings and Mom would have “Bingo Buffet” with many ladies in the neighborhood. Every Tuesday evening, at 6:30 on the dot, Mrs. Porter would add her ‘famous’ tuna casserole to the buffet.

That tuna casserole said friendship. A tuna casserole meant we – all the neighbors – were invested in each other. That tuna casserole was a show of neighborly love.

Mrs. Porter, however, would pinch my cheeks. Hard. She doesn’t rank as high in my memories as that comforting casserole.”

Sure, there was A LOT more to that story. There were other Tuesday Tales: of sneaking an extra portion, the neighbor kids fighting for the last piece, and even that time when she put an uneaten piece of tuna casserole under her bed to save for later.

I shudder.

Those additions can be woven into the piece while keeping in mind the emotion and goals for the article. We are interested in crafting a story with the first 100 words.

Any Content Can Begin with an Emotional Story

I took this challenge to a mastermind I’m in: for what content do you have the hardest time writing introductions? In a group of 6, they all came back with roundups as the most difficult piece of content for which to weave a story.

When I asked for a difficult topic, Melanie proposed a roundup of “30 of the Best Ways to Talk to Your Kids About Sex.”

Okay, challenge accepted…

But before we could even talk about the introduction and the “never write emotion” concept, the ladies in the mastermind jumped into the structure of the article. “You could divide the post by “Mom Talk,” “Dad Talk,” “Sex Talk with Young Women,” “Having the Sex Talk with Tween Boys…”

This is a great division of links – for the reader, SEO, and your content’s organization. Structuring the roundup that way will also allow the reader to quickly identify with a group.

But is that where your article starts? Absolutely not.

We need to get them engaged first – they need to reminisce about their situation. Let’s tell them why this roundup is so important and why they really should read (and share) it. How?

Tell them your story. Don’t leave out the awkward and embarrassing details of when you first had the talk. How old were you? Where were you? Who told you? Was it horrifically embarrassing? Did you even get ‘the talk’ or did you and your friends find a book in the library and flip through it during a sleepover?

One hundred words to engage a reader is not a long introduction. Remember, those 100 words will likely lead to someone sharing the article or not.

Action: Roundup

Find an old roundup post and consider how you could write the introduction to tell a story which prompts the reader to feel. But first, read this powerful (and short) piece on writing what moves you by Brandon Clemonts for Jeff Goins.

Takeaway and Tips

As content creators, we should never write emotion. The introduction is the ideal place to weave a story full of feeling. But remember, show, don’t tell.

Tip: end the piece with the feelings you want them to take away from your writing. It can either be the same as or provide resolution to the feelings raised in the introduction.

The Storytelling in Blogging Series

We’re still early on in the storytelling in blogging series. These are the bare-bones basics we’ll be covering:

• #1 – Telling the Right Story
• #2 – One-Time Stories and How to Use Trigger Anchor Text
• Why You Should Never Start Your Writing with an Emotion (and How to Write Instead) – this article
• Visual Storytelling (Using Images, Fonts, and Videos)
• How to Use Bucket Brigades in Storytelling for Posts and Sales Pages
• How to Use Storytelling Off-Site

Over to You

I know this section was meaty and this was a lot to read.  The concept, however, is easy to implement: never write emotion. Open your writing with a strong introduction to allow a reader to develop a connection.

Please pin this to your blogging structure or content development board on Pinterest. Your shares are how we grow.

The storytelling in blogging series continues with the one-time stories you need to tell and the trigger anchor text to use in order to turn visitors into fans.

As I laid out in the first of this series, Why Storytelling in Blogging Matters, you know that stories sell. They sell products, services, the words you type, and they help you sell yourself. But what stories will help a reader invest in you? What stories do you need to tell in order to turn readers into fans? And what engaging, curious, or emotional trigger anchor text can you use to get them to find out more?

The Storytelling in Blogging Series: Trigger Anchor Text

We’re still early on in the storytelling in blogging series. These are the bare-bones basics we’ll be covering:

• #1 – Telling the Right Story
• #2 – The One-Time Stories You Need to Tell and How to Use Them to Turn Visitors into Fans Using Trigger Anchor Text – this article
• Why You Should Never Start Your Writing with an Emotion (and How to Write Instead)
• Visual Storytelling (Using Images, Fonts, and Videos)
• How to Use Bucket Brigades in Storytelling for Posts and Sales Pages
• How to Use Storytelling Off-Site

There are affiliate links in this article which means at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy.

The One-Time Stories You Need to Tell

Why do you blog? What is your origin story? Why do you spend 4 hours on an article that’s read in 4 minutes or 3 hours prepping, testing, photographing, and writing up a meal which will be made in just 20 minutes?

In Simon Sinek’s book, Start with Why, he posits that finding the answer to this question is the reason people want to hear from you.  Why do you blog?! Why do you blog about your topic, specifically?

ACTION: Take a few minutes and write 3 reasons you choose to do what you do. Next, list 3 ways in which you help readers. Finally, craft 4-7 sentences which detail why you blog.

If you want to work ahead, brainstorm a few trigger anchor text phrases which would really pique a reader’s curiosity about your story. What would make them click through?

If you truly want to help people, it shows in your writing. You write from a “we” position, not from a “me” place. They need your story, your help, your support. Telling them why you do what you do will help them decide whether to invest in you.

But that’s not the only story they need to hear.

Your “Nope, That’s Not Me” Story

If we are honest with ourselves, we try to be all things to all people. But we can’t be all thing to everyone and sometimes, it’s admitting that which helps us gain clarity.

When you started your blog, what consumed your thoughts? Was it how you were going to help people or what problems you could solve for them?

Sure.

But your focus quickly became:

• Hosting and Theme
• Branding and Social Media Profiles
• WordPress and Plugins
• HTML and CSS (and other techie stuff you didn’t want to learn)

As you now know, dear seasoned blogger, one can have the fanciest theme, the “best” email provider, and the perfect logo and never make a dime or see a single pageview other than from their mom. #sadtrombone

I don’t normally work with brand new bloggers because I believe the value of a blog is in the content. If one doesn’t have content, does one really have a platform, let alone one they can turn into a business?!

I know what I am NOT to people and in telling them that, I give them a plan. I also deliver the message that I’m not in this just to amass as many clients as I can or that I’ll work with anyone who has a pulse. I tell them my “nope, not me” story and solidify my place with them.

ACTION: It’s your turn to identify what you’re not. Spend a couple of minutes narrowing your focus by detailing what you’re not so that you can attract your ideal reader. Your goal is to get 2-3 sentences detailing your “nope, not me” story.

Where Do These Stories Go?

An about page may be your first thought to where to put your one-time stories and you’re right! Make sure both of these stories end up on that page. But don’t stop there!

The About Me page shouldn’t be the only place your readers see your stories.

In nearly every post, you can position yourself to engage the reader with these two stories. You can (and should) use powerful anchor text to link to your about page.

Pro Tip: People often ask me what to do when a post goes viral but their bounce is off the charts high (meaning, the reader only reads that post and nothing else). I tell them, among other things, that they need to add powerful anchor text to their viral. 

As a reminder, anchor text is the text which is underlined and, when clicked, opens the linked article or page. Our goal is to make anchor text relevant to the destination’s topic (SEO-friendly) while piquing a reader’s interest enough to get them to click through. Read more about anchor text best practices.

Before we move on, I want to be clear – we will deviate from traditional anchor text usage for SEO. Your goal isn’t to rank your about page. The purpose with engaging anchor text is to get a first-time reader to click TO your about page.

And we develop trigger phrases because they will:

• get a new reader to click through because their curiosity is piqued or emotions are charged and
• remind an existing reader of why you do what you do (and why you do it for them).

Engaging Anchor Text Example (Trigger Phrases)

Let’s use a client’s site which is a blog about helping obese people start a running regimen. On the about page are the why and ‘nope, not me’ stories. Let’s set them up so we’re all on the same page…

The author’s “why” story is that she was:

• morbidly obese according to her doctor,
• couldn’t chase after her kids or climb a single flight of stairs without stopping,
• taking various medications for complications due to her weight,
• was embarrassed by her appearance,
• didn’t want her kids to grow up with her as an example, and
• knew death was knocking on her door.

On this page, she states that she knows of so many others like her who are too embarrassed to seek help or cannot afford to hire a fitness trainer.

Her “nope, not me” story on this page is that she:

• is not perfect (a statement that says the reader doesn’t have to be either),
• gave up searching for a magic solution, pill, or program, and
• that she is not a fitness guru, a nutritionist, or a medical professional.

Remember: her trigger anchor text should be designed to lead people to read more about WHY she is writing for them, WHY she wants to help them, and WHY they should invest in her. Her job is to get the reader to click through.

Some trigger anchor text for her could be (underline for anchor text example):

• Each night, I would go to sleep knowing that being obese wasn’t setting a good example for my children.
• It’s hard to get out of bed at 6 am for a run, but it’s harder knowing that my weight is going to kill me.
• I would buy every diet pill or supplement and it would crush me each time when I realized it was no magic weight loss solution.

More Examples of Trigger Phrases for Anchor Text

People are inherently curious about other people, so we need to use that to our advantage.

Your trigger phrase could be something about you and the reason you started your website or business but ultimately, your trigger anchor text should be rooted in curiosity, emotion, or problems.

Some examples are:

• The day I decided that my logical brain was going to take a back seat to my creative brain.
• When I get stressed, I always remind myself of the time I had to pack up the house-the entire house in 32 hours and get to the airport or my marriage was lost forever.
• When my husband introduced the kids and me to his girlfriend…
• And when I left college I realized I could not boil noodles, make breakfast, or surprise anyone with a baked good I didn’t buy at the grocery store, I knew it was time for a change.
• … the day a camel ride changed my life.
• … that day I locked myself in the bathroom to get away from my entire family because my medication made me want to hurt them.

Trigger phrases allow you to organically link to your about me page seamlessly. They are designed to get a new reader to learn more about YOU and your “why.” They also remind an existing reader why you write for them.

Take Action

It’s your turn. Add the sentences you’ve written detailing your “why” and “nope, not me” stories to your about page (and topic pages). Review your most popular articles and brainstorm a few ways you could use anchor text to engage the reader to click. Update the articles and incorporate at least one link back to these stories in every article you write.

Still to come in the storytelling in blogging series, we’re going to tackle storytelling in posts by detailing structure, copywriting tips, and so much more. Be sure to sign up for the once-weekly NDC newsletter to stay informed.

If you have questions about this series or want to brainstorm your origin story and trigger text, pop into the Elevate Everyone group on Facebook.

Storytelling in blogging is the secret of a great blog and strong blog traffic. Most of us have forgotten what young children know: stories sell. The Storytelling in Blogging series is going to provide a framework for any blogger to strengthen their offering and use stories to grow.

The Power and Profitability of Great Stories

One of the strongest marketing forces in the history of the world is Disney. How much do your kids love the Disney movies? The Disney dress-up outfits? The Disney figurines and toys? The Disney vacations?

Disney tells stories because they know stories sell. Disney also knows they don’t even have to tell original stories! This proves to content creators that even if the story has been told before, your story has not.

Your kids become engaged in the story. They relate to the characters and can understand and learn from the struggle and the journey.

And Disney literally takes it to the bank on the fact that stories sell.

Speaking of sales…

Storytelling in Blogging – Stories Sell and You’re in Sales

If you’re a blogger, you’re in sales. Don’t believe me? Consider what you’re trying to do every.single.day you write, promote, curate, and schedule.

You are trying to “sell” people on your:

• Writing
• Advice
• Humor
• Tips
• Printables
• Hacks
• Newsletter
• Products
• Affiliate Partners
• Courses
• Click through from social or email to generate ad revenue
• Facebook Page interaction
• Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter follows…
• Sponsored Posts

See? You’re in sales. And it sure is a crowded place.

Blogging is a Noisy World

You’re in a noisy environment. There are more than two million blog posts published every DAY.

That’s a lot of noise, friends.

And consider that if your promotional efforts are primarily social media, you’re in a damn-noisy environment! We have so many choices, sources, opinions, and information to sort through on social. So does your potential reader.

How do you get their attention? More importantly, how do you keep it?

You grab their attention AND keep it by telling them stories. But not just any stories.

Telling the Right Story Isn’t Only Telling YOUR Story

Telling the right story goes far beyond a tale. Telling a story to captivate includes incorporating the reason a reader is there in the first place.

A good blog will tell a story but will never stop there.

Consider this: You notice spots on your daughter’s back when giving her a bath before bed. At 1 am, you think, “Just one quick search” because sleep eludes – you just can’t stop thinking about those spots! So, you go in with a purpose: to name those spots on her back. But that’s not the only thing.

You want to relieve your fear, uncertainty, and anxiety.

And if you don’t get a definitive answer (you won’t because Dr. Google is always a bad idea), you will keep searching.

Your reader is no different. They are there for a reason.

#1 The Reason for Writing and the Reason for Reading

Our purpose is to identify the problem and the reason why someone needs to search for an answer to the problem. Doing so will grow traffic and followings. Sure, we also need to:

• focus on SEO to get the search visitor.
• use targeted subject lines to get the click from social media.
• find new audiences who will soak up our content.

But our goal is to turn a first-time visitor into a fan so they keep coming back. After all, our purpose is to grow traffic and influence.

Example: Everyone wants to read about how your potty-training 3-year-old smeared poo all over the bathroom wall while you put the baby down for a nap. They’re thinking, “This is hilarious and I’m SO GLAD it didn’t happen to me.”

And they’ll get a laugh.

But why would they stay around? Why would they follow your site or social profiles?

Before writing, you must consider why they would be reading. Why did they click on the link in the first place? What did they want or need from the story?

Considering your experience and their reason for reading, your story could transition into tips to make sure a little one is ready for potty training or give them a recipe for a really great DIY wall cleaner solution. It could share with them calm-down breathing techniques you’ve learned, because seriously – we’d all be losing our proverbial poo in that situation.

Takeaway – When you tell a story, build a post only after considering the reason a reader would be reading it in the first place. Then, make sure you offer something of value instead of just telling a good story.

The Storytelling in Blogging Series

As you can imagine, there is a great deal to this topic and this is just the tip of the iceberg. I’ve written an entire series about using storytelling in blogging with each section coming with an actionable task to help you improve your blog’s writing.

In storytelling in blogging series:

• #1 – Telling the Right Story (this article)
• #2 – The One-Time Stories You Need to Tell and How to Use Them to Turn Visitors into Fans Using Trigger Anchor Text
• Why You Should Never Start Your Writing with an Emotion (and How to Write Instead)
• Visual Storytelling (Using Images, Fonts, and Videos)
• How to Use Bucket Brigades in Storytelling for Posts and Sales Pages
• How to Use Storytelling Off-Site

Take Action

In our example, you would want them to get the chuckle but you also want them to see you have them in mind when you’re writing. There is a reason they want to read a potty training article. Identify that reason and incorporate it into your writing.

Your readers NEED to find value in your humor and your authority.

But that’s not all your readers need. Next up in the series, we’re going to address the one-time stories you need to create in order to turn visitors into fans.

Pin this to your content creation board on Pinterest and while you’re there, follow us. And be sure to sign up to the NDC once-weekly newsletter to get the next in the series.