How to Be a World-Class Writer and Get More Engagement

Arlo Letter

Lessons about building a one-person business, writing, and self-improvement

Are you tired of not having enough people reading your content?

Sure, it could be the algorithm’s fault.

This is what I thought too… until I started reading my own writing. I couldn’t stand it. My writing was all over the place. I lost interest quickly. No wonder I wasn’t getting views!

Imagine what it would be like to have 1,000 people commenting on your articles, saying how helpful it was to them.

If you’d like that, then I suggest you avoid this mistake.

The Problem of Unfocused Writing

Most written pieces are ineffective because they are too scattered.

The purpose of writing is to enrich, entertain or educate. When you show unnecessary content to your reader, you’re making it harder for them to figure out the purpose behind you writing. When that happens, your reader will lose interest and stop reading halfway.

So here’s the solution: rule of one.

Rule of One

This is an important technique in copywriting, especially in email marketing.

It can also be used in content writing.

Put it simply, rule of one is to have:

• One Idea

• One Reader

• One Promise

• One Call-to-Action

The effect of this rule is that readers feel connected to your copy and feel clear about what action they’re supposed to take next.

By narrowing down the focus of your writing, there’s less chaos and more intention. You’re taking your reader on a journey to get what they came for.

Let’s break down the different components of this rule:

One Idea

The idea is the foundation of your writing.

You should only write about one idea because it helps your reader focus.

For example, the idea I’m giving to you in this article is the rule of one. By narrowing down to one idea, your reader can understand you better. Notice how I didn’t talk about copywriting structures, time management, or how to focus when writing.

You’re not actually supposed to write about a bunch of different things in one piece of content.

But…

I see 90% of writers do this because it makes it easier to write more words.

While these catch your attention…

The problem is…

The components of the list are not that related to each other.

With too many ideas, it’s harder to remember any of them. You’re not helping the reader. You’re confusing them even more.

Remember: your goal is to make your reader resonate with you.

It’s better to write in-depth about one idea than to superficially write about 10 ideas.

Think about how your content would affect the reader…

Not how cool it would look on your profile.

One Reader

People prefer content they can relate to.

You have to consider:

• interests

• gender

• age

• goals

• social status

If you’re a copywriter in the business niche…

You wouldn’t want to make movie references, memes or slang wouldn’t you?

It’s important to know who you’re talking to so you can effectively convey your message to them.

If you don’t know your reader…

The best way is to write your younger self.

The reason why I’m writing this article is because I want to help people write better.

I’m writing to myself 2 months ago when I first started writing on Medium.

Back then, I was confused.

I wanted to get better at writing, but I didn’t know how.

Since I learned about the rule of one, I thought of writing about it as if my younger self would read it.

I’m considering my younger self’s pain point (wanting to write better), interests (online business), and writing in a way he’d like to read (short sentences).

The person you know best is yourself.

So, write as if you’d be able to send this article back in time.

One Promise

Next, you want to only share one promise.

Too many writers try to overcompensate by giving many promises:

“I’ll teach you to workout in the gym so you can lose weight, take better selfies, gain muscle, be more confident, OH and you’ll get better sleep, and you’ll be more popular and…”

It’s too much.

There’s no focus.

When there are too many promises, you confuse your reader.

At best, they become skeptical over your desparation to sell them something.

You need to focus on ONE major result.

For this article, the main promise is you get more engagement on your writing since it resonates with your readers.

I didn’t talk about how you’d save more time, or make more money, or sound smarter.

Sure, these results CAN happen when you apply the rule of one…

But the major result is engagement by making your reader resonate with you.

That’s it.

Pick the most important result. Then tell the reader what they’re going to get.

One Call To Action

Lastly, only have one CTA.

This gets rid of the friction and confusion from your reader.

In copywriting, the purpose of the first sentence…

Is to get you to read the second sentence.

The purpose of the other sentences…

Is to get the reader to do the CTA.

Give your reader a favor by having only one CTA.

In summary:

1. One Reader

2. One Promise

3. One Idea

4. One Call to Action

P.S.

Whenever you’re ready. Here’s how I can help you:

1. Hop on a Clarity Call with me: Have any doubts? I was in your position before. Let’s get clear on what you should be doing.

2. Work 1-on-1 with me: I’ll help you improve your writing and apply the rule of 1 in action! Then we can craft your content strategy to get more engagement within 30 days.

Damnit. I put 2 Call To Actions!