The Difference Between Being Interesting and Being Useful

Getting someone's attention is one thing.

Keeping it is another.

And there is an important difference between writing that is interesting and writing that is useful.

Interesting writing may get a reader to stop scrolling. Useful writing gives them a reason to stay.

Interesting Gets Attention

There is nothing wrong with being interesting.

In fact, you need some of it.

A good headline, an unusual idea, a surprising statement, or a good story can make someone curious enough to start reading.

But curiosity alone doesn't carry an article very far.

Think about the last time you clicked on something because the headline caught your attention, only to discover that the article didn't really tell you anything.

You probably didn't finish it.

You certainly didn't bookmark it.

And you probably won't go looking for another article from the same writer.

The writer got the click but lost the reader.

Useful Gives the Reader Something

Useful writing answers a question, solves a problem, explains something confusing, or gives the reader a new way to look at something.

It doesn't have to be complicated.

Sometimes the most useful articles are about things the writer considers obvious.

That's because what is obvious to you may not be obvious to someone else.

If you've spent years doing something, you probably know things that you don't even think about anymore.

Those ordinary things can be valuable to someone just starting out.

Don't Confuse Information With Help

Here's where many writers get into trouble.

They give the reader a lot of information but very little help.

Those aren't necessarily the same thing.

You can write 2,000 words about a subject and leave the reader wondering what they are supposed to do with all of it.

Good writing doesn't just dump information on people.

It helps them make sense of the information.

Instead of asking, “What else can I tell them?”

Try asking:

“What can I help them understand?”

That's a much better question.

Useful Doesn't Mean Boring

Some writers are afraid that if they make their writing practical, it will become boring.

It doesn't have to.

You can tell a story while teaching something.

You can use humor while explaining a problem.

You can share an experience and still give the reader something they can use.

In fact, some of the best writing does all three.

The reader enjoys the journey and arrives somewhere useful at the end.

Give the Reader a Small Victory

One of the best things you can do as a writer is give your reader a small victory.

Maybe they finally understand something that confused them.

Maybe they know what to do next.

Maybe they avoid a mistake.

Maybe they have a better question than they had before.

That is value.

And it doesn't require you to be the world's greatest expert.

You just need to help the reader move one step forward.

Write for the Person Who Needs It

You don't have to impress everybody.

That's an important lesson for any writer.

Trying to sound intelligent can actually make your writing harder to understand.

Write like you're helping one person sitting across the table from you.

Explain it the way you would explain it to a friend.

If you know something they don't know, don't talk down to them.

Bring them along.

That's what useful writing does.

The Goal Isn't Just Another Page View

A page view is nice.

A click is nice.

A new subscriber is even better.

But the real goal is to have the reader finish your article and think:

“That helped me.”

That's the kind of response that builds an audience.

Interesting writing may bring someone through the door.

Useful writing gives them a reason to come back.

And when you can combine the two, you have something worth building on.

Final Thought

Don't ask only, “Was this interesting?”

Ask a better question:

“Was this useful?”

If the answer is yes, you've given your reader something they can take with them.

And that's what good writing is supposed to do.