How to Write an Introduction: A Easier Guide

There’s a lot of information available on How to Write an Introduction. Getting people to read your content is an important component of your blogging approach. However, what about composing introductions?

Persuading people to read an article is an art form in and of itself, and if you don’t do it well, you’re depriving yourself of potential promoters, subscribers, leads, and even paying customers.

Take a look at the graph below from Schwartz to see what I’m talking about. It displays where users stopped scrolling in an experiment spanning numerous articles throughout the web.

Chartbeat examined a visitor’s behavior on a second-by-second basis every time they landed on an article, including the piece of the page they were now viewing. Each bar reflects the percentage of readers who read the article to the end.

10% of people who land on an article never read it all the way through.

So, what’s the best way to entice more people to scroll? One method is to write a strong, intriguing introduction.

So, let’s see what we can do to improve things right now, shall we? I’ll show you how to develop effective introductions that convert casual surfers into readers in this post. Introductions to articles are important, and here’s how to make them work for you.

How to Write an Introduction 10 Ways to Follow

1. Make your initial sentence as brief as possible.

Short sentences appeal to me. They appeal to me since they are simple to comprehend. Short, legible, digestible, and snappy sentences have an amazing amount of value.

However, many writers become so engrossed in the pressure of writing their introduction that they produce extended, jumbled lines. The problem with long, jumbled sentences is that they make readers work extra hard to understand them. Readers do not want to have to work hard to comprehend your post, especially at the start. Start your introduction with a couple of short sentences.

2. Say something out of the ordinary.

“Create a hook” and “catch the reader’s interest” are definitely two pieces of advice you’ve heard. What, on the other hand, attracts people’s attention? Actually, I can thinking a lot of things, but none of them would be proper for an introduction.

The gist of these oft-repeated words is to say something out of the ordinary. Even something unexpected. You’ve done a decent job if your opening line is strange enough to make readers want to read the next one. You may lose potential readers if you begin with anything uninteresting or predictable.

3. Don’t use the same title twice.

Assume the reader has already read the headline. It’s not necessary to rewrite it. Instead, use this opportunity to reaffirm the article’s title and set the tone for the rest of the piece.

4. Keep your introduction to a minimum.

There’s no hard and fast rule on how long an introduction should be. Readers, however, have limited attention spans, as the Slate study revealed. They can’t wait to get to the heart of the storey. Don’t bury information in your article because your readers are hunting for it. Let’s get right to the point.

5. At least once, use the term “you.”

The word “you” has a lot of power. It communicates to the reader that you, the author, are writing the piece specifically for them. You understand them, you care about them, and you want your work to speak to them. It’s a simple trick that helps you make an important connection with your reader.

6. Spend 1-2 words explaining what the article is about.

This is what your English instructor would call a “thesis.” This is where you inform the reader about the topic of the article. In order, what will you be talking about? What will the reader take away from this? Lay it out to allow the reader decide whether she wants to read the piece in its entirety, scroll to other sections, or not read it at all.

Don’t be scared to write something like “This essay is about X” or “In this post, I’ll discuss Y.” To get you started, here are some variants on this theme:

“You’re about to discover why sea turtles deposit their eggs on the beach every time.”

“And, if you’ve ever wondered why sea turtles lay their eggs on the sand, this is the answer.”

“The 17 reasons why these magnificent creatures lay their eggs on beaches are explained in this article.”

“The reasons why sea creatures lay their eggs on the shore are fascinating, humorous, and shocking.”

7. Explain why the article is significant in 1-2 sentences.

Although you may understand why the substance of your article is significant to your readers, they may not. Make it apparent to them why the material you cover in your article is crucial for them to know. You might persuade readers who would otherwise abandon the professional book writers to continue reading.

You’ll recall the following line from the introduction of this article:

You’re denying yourself prospective promoters, subscribers, leads, and even paying customers if you don’t [write introductions] correctly.

The purpose of this essay was to tie the topic of blog post introductions to the larger issues of readers, customers, and money.

8. Mention a concern or issue that your readers may be experiencing.

Even better if you can incorporate a pain point into the introduction. Every profession has it is own set of issues. When you developed your buyer personas, you should have some already listed. If you mention such issues in your opening, you’ll have a better chance of gaining a sympathetic reader.

Here’s a terrific example from Alex Turnbull of Buffer, who uses a tale style with a problem twist in his intro:

People want to solve their problems and questions, and articles that show them how can help you gain readers.

9. However, be cautious while sharing stories.

Many people will tell you that the beginning should include a storey. Stories can be effective, like in the example above, but there are effective and ineffective ways to convey stories in your introduction.

Use storytelling to pique the reader’s interest and allow them to identify with her. However, don’t go overboard and write a long-winded storey that loses readers in the process. Remember how we said to make introductions brief? When telling a storey, this is still true.

Notice how I underlined the first sentence in the “empathy” section. Here, I assisted in the formation of a bond between my readers and myself. Then I shared a personal experience in a short tale. “What’s next,” I said at the end of the introduction.

If you’re going to start your piece with a tale, here’s a tip: Don’t reveal the conclusion until the reader is halfway through, or even at the end.

10. To express importance, use a statistic or a fact.

When journalists begin a news piece, they frequently provide readers with an eye-catching statistic or information about the situation. A genuinely engaging data or statistic can draw your reader in and show them why your topic is so vital as a blogger or any other form of writer.

Assume you’re a plumber who’s writing a blog post about pipe replacement. If you start a piece by discussing how common it is for ageing pipes to burst in the winter, you might get more readers. If readers notice that this is a common nuisance, they may want to continue reading to understand how to avoid it.

Conclusion

Consider what kind of introduction might entice you to read the content the next time you compose an article beginning.

Would you want to read more if the opening sentence was long and wordy? No. You might be thinking to yourself, “Woah, is this going to be the rest of the article?” and then leave the page. What about a storey or a query that has nothing to do with you? No, most likely not.

You want to read something original, original, and intriguing to convince you to read past the introduction of an article. You’d like to talk about yourself and your issues. You want to be in a position where the rest of the article is a must-read experience that will assist you in solving your problems and changing your life.

Introductions are difficult to write, and it takes time and effort to write a good one. It’s possible that you’ll have to rewrite them multiple times before you’re happy with them. Remember, it is all worth it if it means retaining a few more readers’ attention.