When an author creates a series of posts, readers start to anticipate the continuation, and that’s the main goal!
If you just post one article, even if it’s very important and informative, it’s better than nothing, but it will likely be forgotten quickly. However, if you create several related posts, people will become interested and want to return for more information. It’s like reading a book—you can’t stop at just one page!
By the way, let’s look at history. In the past, writers did just that—they published one chapter each week in literary magazines. That’s the essence of serialization, right from the first source.
Moreover, one article doesn’t always allow you to cover everything. If you break an article into parts, you can go into more detail on each aspect. Long articles often have a problem—the author tends to jump from thought to thought because there’s too much to say within one article. Serialization can help here too!
Let’s not keep you waiting. Let’s dive into the topic. You’ll find only benefits and nothing more. Let’s get started!
Contents:
What is serialization in a blog?
Let’s start simple. You create content that is united by a common theme or concept and is released in parts. That’s serialization. Each installment develops its plot within one theme, adds new details, and leads to the next episode.
Now, let’s see how this works in practice.
The first example that comes to mind is a cooking blog. Yes, you can just post recipes every day, and the blog will probably grow. But serialization will significantly increase recognition. Let’s take two bloggers as examples. The first is a restaurant chef who shares how to organize a home kitchen like a restaurant. The central theme of the blog is meal prep. On Monday, the chef goes shopping. On Tuesday, he prepares the meat, portions the vegetables, and plans the meal prep list. Wednesday is for meat and poultry prep. Thursday is for vegetable prep. Friday is for desserts from the freezer. On Saturday, the climax of the series—preparing a two-course meal and dessert in 10 minutes using the prepped ingredients. An ideal series that guides the viewer from start to finish. The second example is a blogger who dedicates weeks to different world cuisines. An Indian cuisine week, a French cuisine week, and so on. This is also a good series option, but each post stands alone. Readers don’t have much motivation to go further. This leads to another important point.
The series must be logical and coherent. A single theme for the posts may not be enough. You need to build a logical chain of publications so that each piece of content is connected to the others.
Headlines and teasers: how to grab attention?
Let’s talk about what headlines and teasers are and how they can enhance your content. We won’t dive into boring details because if you’ve ever scrolled through social media or skimmed articles, you know that the headline is the first thing that catches your eye.
The headline should be attractive, spark curiosity, and prompt action. It should give a general idea of the article’s content while leaving room for imagination.
For example, a blogger-expert who transitioned from banking to marketing. The headline “The Beginning of the Journey: Reasons for Change” piques interest. Why did he decide to leave a stable job and start over in a new field? What prompted such a decision? A captivating headline immediately grabs attention. People want to know what comes next. That’s the power of such headlines—they entice.
Headlines can vary: they can ask questions, offer solutions to problems, or simply intrigue. However, regardless of their type, there are common requirements: they should be brief, clear, and appealing.
For instance, the headline “5 Ways to Improve Productivity” is decent, but “How I Became More Productive in a Day Than Ever Before” sounds much more interesting. It arouses curiosity and a desire to learn how this was achieved.
Now let’s talk about teasers. These are little hints at the end of a post that say, “There’s more to come!” Teasers are a truly effective way to engage people and motivate them to return to the blog.
It’s important to remember that headlines and teasers must be truthful. If you promise something in the headline, make sure to deliver it in the text. Readers quickly lose trust if they feel deceived. So, strive to be honest and provide valuable information.
Why does serialization work? Let’s figure it out.
There’s a meme going around: “I got caught in a reel about a girl who fell into the hands of scammers, and now it’s three in the morning, and I’m still scrolling through her ‘scammers’ page to find out how it ended.” That’s serialization in action.
Let’s consider a situation where a blogger decides to share their experience of stepping out of their comfort zone. Instead of publishing one long text, they break their story into several parts. In each part, they describe different stages of their journey: doubts, challenges, small successes.
Readers can easily relate to their experience. Many have faced similar feelings, creating an emotional connection between them.
After reading the first part of the post, readers want to know what happens next. They want to find out how the blogger overcame the challenges.
The blogger creates not just content but a whole story in which readers become participants. Each new post is an opportunity to delve deeper into the blogger’s feelings and thoughts, discuss them in the comments, and share their own ideas.
This is the secret of serialization: it turns one-sided interaction into a dialogue where everyone can express themselves.
Creating anticipation
Let’s figure out how anticipation works and how you can use this technique in your writing.
The foundation is a strong concept around which the series will be built. You can write twenty-five posts about one event, but if it’s a story about going to get milk, it probably won’t be of much interest to anyone. First, you need to understand that your series is interesting and valuable to people.
Next comes intrigue. Think about what you can leave in the shadows. Hint at a conflict or problem, but don’t reveal everything.
An important element of intrigue is ambiguity. To spark readers’ interest, you can create a sense of the unknown. For example, leave some plot lines unresolved. If your characters have an important meeting ahead, don’t show the conversation right away. Make the audience wait a bit, but let them know that something significant might happen.
Now let’s refer to a cinematic term — suspense. This is a state of anxious anticipation. It can be tension between characters, tension in the plot, or even tension created by a question you haven’t answered yet. The more tension you create, the more your audience will want to know what happens next.
Set high expectations. If you want your audience to look forward to the next part, you need to ensure that each part of your series is worth their time. Make sure your content is useful, interesting, and engaging. If you can set high expectations, your audience will return for each new installment.
But it’s important to make a crucial note. If you are inconsistent and often fall behind on content, you shouldn’t rely on serialization.
You must stick to your schedule and publish parts of the series accordingly. If you make your audience wait too long, they may lose interest and stop anticipating the next part.
Mistakes to avoid
Unfortunately, many authors make mistakes that can undermine all the benefits of serialized content. Let’s look at some of them.
Too long of a plot development. If you drag out the plot, there’s a risk of losing your audience. Readers want to see development and resolution of the story. Discussing one topic for four months is too long. Try to wrap it up in a few weeks.
Weak connection between parts. If in the first part you discuss one topic, and in the second you switch to a completely different one without explaining why it’s important, readers may get confused. Each part should logically follow the previous one.
Ignoring feedback. Don’t forget that your audience is not just passive viewers. They can leave comments, ask questions, and share their opinions. Ignoring their feedback is a serious mistake. If readers ask questions about what you discussed in previous parts or offer their ideas, it’s a great sign that they are engaged.
Excessive shock or unexpected twists. Of course, intrigue is important, but too abrupt changes in the plot can drive readers away. Give readers small hints or clues in previous parts so they feel involved in the process.
Ignoring closure. If you just stop writing without summarizing, readers may be left with a sense of uncertainty. The concluding part should summarize the main points and perhaps leave room for reflection or future topics.
In conclusion, serialization is a powerful tool for retaining an audience and increasing engagement, but only if used correctly. Remember that your goal is not just to tell a story but to make readers want to return for more content.
