Answer the Question Your Reader Is Really Asking

Every reader comes to an article with a question.

Sometimes they know exactly what that question is.

Sometimes they don't.

As a writer, one of the most useful things you can learn is how to discover that question and answer it.

The Question Behind the Question

A reader may search for:

“How do I write a better blog post?”

But what they may really be asking is:

“Why aren't people reading what I write?”

Those are two different questions.

If you answer only the first one, you may give good information without solving the reader's real problem.

Listen for the Problem

Before you start writing, ask:

What is my reader trying to accomplish?

Then ask:

What is keeping them from accomplishing it?

Those questions can change the entire article.

Instead of simply giving information, you begin helping someone.

Don't Assume Your Reader Knows What You Know

This is one of the easiest mistakes for experienced writers to make.

You know the subject so well that you forget what it was like not to know it.

A term that seems obvious to you may be completely unfamiliar to your reader.

Explain what needs explaining.

There is no shame in making something simple.

That's your job as the writer.

Let Questions Shape the Article

Questions can also give your article a natural structure.

For example:

• What is the problem?

• Why does it happen?

• What can I do about it?

• What should I do first?

Now you have a path for the reader to follow.

You don't have to force a complicated structure onto the article.

The reader's questions can provide the structure for you.

Give the Reader Something Useful

A good article should leave the reader with more than information.

They should have something they can understand, use, or think about after they finish reading.

That's when writing becomes useful.

Final Thought

Don't begin every article by asking,

“What do I want to write about?”

Try asking,

“What does my reader need to know?”

That small change in thinking can make a big difference in your writing.

You aren't simply filling a page.

You're helping someone find an answer.