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Not long ago we posed a question to our Facebook followers. We asked, “What makes a book, website, blog, or article irresistible?” Answers poured in. Everything from “if I can’t wait to tell someone about it, it’s irresistible” to “Content has to keep and hold my attention.” Based on the responses, the following are the three common threads. If you include at least two out of the three, we guarantee happy readers.

 1. Solutions

Your readers are asking questions and seeking answers daily. If you offer answers, you’ll hook them. Even more, create questions they haven’t yet thought of and then provide answers. As an example, an indie author we know is a top seller because she’s known as the food allergy recipes expert. Her book provides alternative recipes for people who suffer from the key food allergies. If you can find a way for your content to solve a problem, you’ll have a book that readers keep going back to. Create a list of ongoing questions your audience asks and create content around them.

 2. Secrets

Who doesn’t want to be in the know? As an expert, content creator, and author what are your secrets? Here’s a secret for helping discover your secrets: consider a failure or major setback either you experienced or witnessed someone else experience. What did you learn? What was the lesson? Secrets are often discovered in the midst of a mess or test. Another trick is to simplify the complicated. If your topic is complex, the “secret” might be to break it down in simple terms. A top selling indie author is known as the Internet “secrets” guy because his book deconstructs the complexities of Internet searching.

 3. Shortcuts

Give readers a fasters, easier, or more efficient way to do something and you’ve done a great thing. Think about the shortcuts you’ve discovered in your own experiences and share them. In the world of apps, smartphones, and information at our fingertips, readers are searching for the latest. Show your readers a shortcut and your content will spread like wildfire.

and as a bonus…

 4. Something to Share

Share-worthy content is especially crucial for writers of fiction. The share factor is what made indie sensation Amanda Hocking a millionaire and books like The Shack instant bestsellers. If content has something that readers can’t wait to impart on others, such as a unique idea, controversial viewpoint, or simple great storytelling, readers will push the content forward.

What makes content irresistible in your opinion? What books keep you going back for more and why?

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