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Use Vulnerability to Attract Readers and Increase Followers
Making yourself more human to your readers can help you gain more followers and keep them coming back
Something I’ve been learning how to do over time, is put a little more of myself in my stories. This doesn’t come easily to me, since I’m a technical academic writer who was well trained to remove myself from my work. So, I’m still a bit uncomfortable opening up about who I am. Yet, the content I find myself drawn to is often toned down, and more personal in nature compared to more formal types of writing. While it’s not all I write, I’ve come to realize that sharing personal stories as a way of introducing or humanizing content is a very effective way of increasing the number of readers that are drawn to your work.
Like other writers, I generally write about topics I’m interested in so there is some personal aspect to the writing. But I’ve learned the benefit of taking this a step further, by using vulnerability to better reach my readers.
Writers, especially those who write more formally, become more popular when they show their vulnerable side. Vulnerability or sharing something about yourself that creates an emotional reaction in your audience. When the vulnerability you show is a mistake you’ve made, this can often make…
