Hook Your Readers: Write Attention-Grabbing Blog Introductions
Getting someone to read and understand your article should always be your goal. A critical part of this is to write strong introductions. A great opening paragraph makes a great first impression. Just like first impressions when you’re on a job interview or on a blind date, where you have to make a small talk and create a connection, your introduction must be catchy and address the reader directly.
Here’s how you can make yours count:
Start with an Interesting Question
“What’s the matter with kids today?” is a classic example. Asking a rhetorical question is an effective way to let your target readers determine the problem your blog post is about to solve.
Your questions should be specific and direct, but they don’t have to be boring. It must be powerful and make a point, not a waste of time.
Just go easy with this, though. You don’t have to say, “Do you need a lawyer to represent you in court?” or “What you should do with your leaky faucet?” Don’t ask obvious questions or questions answerable with yes or no.
Those who will be reading your article already knows what they want to do. They just want an additional information that can help them make wise decisions.
An Inspirational Quote Can Work
“It takes twenty years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”
Quotes can make a great opening, but don’t overuse this technique. If you will include quotations from well-known people, it can increase your reader’s trust in you.
Use Mind-Boggling Facts
“Previous studies have shown that people predisposed to heart problems are 27 percent more likely to have a cardiac event on their birthdays.” (source: http://mentalfloss.com/article/76475/study-shows-happiness-can-trigger-broken-heart-syndrome-too)
Yes, there are facts that aren’t exciting to read. So avoid using those that are often repeated and too common in a particular niche. The facts you will include must have a hook. When you properly use this strategy, you can turn a browser into a customer.
Always think of your reader as someone you know, like a family, a co-worker or friend. consider your readers as your friend or a relative. You share information, as you want them to know something that couldcan lighten up their mood or solve their problems.
“Previous studies have shown that people predisposed to heart problems are 27 percent more likely to have a cardiac event on their birthdays.” (source: http://mentalfloss.com/article/76475/study-shows-happiness-can-trigger-broken-heart-syndrome-too)
Yes, there are facts that aren’t exciting to read. So avoid using those that are often repeated and too common in a particular niche. The facts you will include must have a hook. When you properly use this strategy, you can turn a browser into a customer.
Always think of your reader as someone you know, like a family, a co-worker or friend. consider your readers as your friend or a relative. You share information, as you want them to know something that couldcan lighten up their mood or solve their problems.
Let’s face it. It, it’s comforting to know knowing that the article you wrote for hours could can keep people reading from start to the end. It simply means that you hook them into your message and didn’t think about it as junk.
We all need to keep writing that way.
Sources:
http://examples.yourdictionary.com/rhetorical-question-examples.html
http://www.businessinsider.com/inspirational-quotes-from-successful-people-2015-7
http://www.forbes.com/sites/brentbeshore/2013/10/25/11-tips-for-making-a-worthwhile-introduction/#55903e87172d