Helping Them Pass the Test in Your Blog

One thing we’ve learned over the years at Say It for You is that blog readers tend to be curious creatures.  What’s more, their curiosity factor is highest when they are learning about themselves.  As blog content writers, we’ve noticed that “self-tests” tend to engage readers and help them relate in a more personal way to the information presented in a marketing blog. Popular magazine editors appear to agree as well, because current issues are full of tests, games, and quizzes.

A recent four-page article by Kimberly Lankford in the AARP Magazine titled “Can You Pass the Penny-Pincher Test?” is a superb example of how content writers can engage readers using the format of Q & A. After revealing the best answer for each of five thought-provoking multiple-choice questions, the author offers a paragraph or two of useful explanation.

Example: What’s the easiest way to stop yourself from making impulse buys? Answer choices: A) Freeze your credit cards in a block of ice. B) Don’t go online or visit shopping malls. C) Tape a gallery of your unfortunate purchases to your refrigerator door. D) Put appealing purchases on a wish list first.

Answer: D. Put items you think you want on a wish list, then make a final decision a few days later. (The author goes on to explain that turning a one-stage purchase into a two-stage purchase forces a person to use a different decision-making strategy. When you return to a list later, you start considering minuses along with the pluses of that purchase.

In the course of offering these explanations, the author cites various studies and offers quotes from financial planning and psychology experts. Because of the clever test format, which includes a “Give yourself a grade” section, the content comes across as fun.

Quizzes provide effective ways for you to encourage readers to interact with your site, Lyn Wildwood of bloggingwizard.com explains. There are personality quizzes, trivia quizzes, and “how-well-do-you-know” subject quizzes. However, “running an online quiz is not easy feat,” Wildwood cautions. “It requires a keen understanding of your audience.”