Whether you’re running an amateur blog or a corporate website, your end goal is to have people read, engage with, and share your content. When trying to increase engagement, it’s easy to get bogged down in the details: researching methods specific to your industry, increasing your following on your social sites, or editing and re-editing your content.

But sometimes, the key lies in taking a step back from the minutiae and looking at the bigger picture. With this in mind, here are three ‘big picture’ ways to increase your site’s readership.

1) Make sure your target audience clear… and write for it!

Do you know who your content is geared towards? Or are you just writing for the broadest range of people you possibly can? If you haven’t already, hone in on a specific group of people and make sure that your language is geared towards them.

Above all, people want to feel understood. If your language conveys empathy for a specific audience, as opposed to a general one, your target audience will be drawn to it, increasing your engagement.

2) Take a look at your headlines. Are they compelling?

When you say it, it sounds like a ‘no duh’. But oftentimes we get so focused on producing excellent content, that we can forget that the headline is what will make or break it.  As with any marketing, the packaging is a considerable percentage of the product. If something is well packaged, then the likelihood it sells increases. In the same way, make sure your headlines really sell your posts or articles.

3) Make sure your audience knows that you genuinely care about them.

There’s nothing worse than insincerity. People pick up on it, not only in person, but also in texts, emails, blogs, and articles. It’s not hard to spot an un-empathetic writer. Remember to always connect with your audience: answer emails, social comments, and even calls. Appreciate the people who are supporting you, because they’ll appreciate you… and spread the word.

What do you think? Are you already working to improve in these areas? Or are you going to give it a try?