This is a concept that isn't new but as relevant today as ever. Fuse that with an acronym to focus your efforts and we have today's article! This can be applied to your writing endeavours and any other scenario where you have points to get across and direct people towards certain actions.
Let's talk about the power of ONE. And what is RIOA (ree-OH-ah)?
Well, like with anything, it's good to drill down to one specific area of focus, eliminating anything else (for now) in order for people not to get confused and have a clear path of learning and action.
All pieces of writing should have a clear goal, a central tenet and lead the reader in a certain direction. Of course, you can always be more haphazard in some circumstances but if you want the most impact and effect, then keeping it pinpointed is the way to go. And as people's attention spans aren't exactly getting any longer or sharper, then all we can do to keep them on track is important.
So as well as the one central purpose of your article or idea, where is that directed? Well that's where our new friend RIOA comes in. Focus on:
One... Reader
One... Idea
One... Offer
One... Action
Reader. Who exactly are you speaking to? In marketing, having an archetype you're addressing directly is common practice. There's someone on the other side of the screen or book, so who is that? Get that clear, get into their heads and approach from that angle. It will be much easier for you, and more effective for them. Sure, many other people outside of that particular person may have less interest, but that individual (and others like them) will likely lap it up.
Idea. What's the specific 'thing' you want to talk about and get across? There's always something. What is it and how can you best communicate it?
Offer. What are you offering? In a sales scenario, what precisely are you selling and what would you like your prospect to do? Perhaps it's buy the product directly, or sign up for more info etc. Don't give them multiple options or they'll just leave it. Define the clear objective in this moment.
Action. Which leads us on to action. You know who you're talking to, the central idea, what exactly you're offering... now what would you like them to do? You want them to take a clear action and/or walk away with something. Again, not multiple options as it only confuses the issue. One action.
Now, not everything requires a specific action (depends on the context) but even if you're not 'selling' anything or leading someone in a certain direction, you're likely writing with some sort of purpose. That could be a nugget of knowledge or just pure entertainment.
You don't have to be too militant about it, but worth stopping and considering what you're trying to achieve before embarking on your next writing mission. Obviously if you're just having a bit of fun then it's not all that important, but if you are looking for more, and to really transfer your ideas and get people to buy (or buy in), then get clear and get going!
The wider you cast your net, the less fish you're going to catch
The more things you try to convince your reader of, the less likely they'll believe you, and the less weight each point will hold. And a fully believed idea is far more powerful than several partially believed ideas. Take away that decision anxiety and give them a single path, as excessive options can be a killer.
Get this right along with knowing where your reader/potential customer is as at and you have the main basis to effective writing. We'll cover the Stages of Awareness (the buyer's journey) in a future article, so can get the 2 working in tandem. From that point, there are plenty of techniques to build on top but just knowing and applying this is a great starting point.
Source
A few books worth checking out around this area is The One Thing by Gary Keller, Essentialism by Greg McKeown and The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz. All deal with this idea of the power of focusing on one main thing at a given time, and in the latter case how choices to a point are a good thing but paradoxically end up messing with you and your progress.
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