1. Tell them something they don’t know.
2. Tell them something they DO know — make it relatable.
3. Help them solve a problem.
4. Help them help someone else.
5. Help them answer a question.
6. Tell them they’re doing something wrong — and how to correct it.
7. Show them a better way to accomplish a task.
8. Explain why a common way of thinking/doing is ineffective.
9. Bust a myth.
10. Motivate them to try something new.
11. Make them feel cared for/understood.
12. Make them laugh.
13. Make them feel happy/sad/angry/inspired.
14. Challenge their thoughts/beliefs.
15. Give them a question to respond to.
16. Offer a new perspective on a popular/trending topic.
17. Politely flaunt your expertise — show them they can trust you.
18. Let your guard down — be human.
19. Offer them something they’ll want to keep coming back to.
20. Be yourself — people are drawn to genuine souls.
21. Be skeptical — you don’t know everything for sure.
22. Do everything with your reader in mind — make them feel like they belong here.
Meg is the creator of Novelty Revisions, dedicated to helping writers put their ideas into words. She is a freelance writer and a nine-time NaNoWriMo winner with work published in Teen Ink, Success Story, Lifehack and USA TODAY College. Follow Meg on Twitter for tweets about writing, food and nerdy things.
Meg Dowell Writes 
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