93% of all blog authors have admitted to crying when writing introductions.
Is that actually true? I’m not sure.
But, it’s an example of how a shocking statistic can get you to read on.
Introductions are your first, and usually, only shot at capturing the interest of a reader.
Just like how people judge books by their covers, readers judge blog articles by their introductions. It's the first chunk of text that a reader sets their eyes on, and it is the deciding factor whether they read your article, or dump it.
Why are blog introductions important?
With the average reader spending less than 37 seconds reading a blog post, you'll want to make sure that your introduction grabs their attention, paints a picture of what your blog post is about, and ends on a strong note— all within one paragraph.
A great blog introduction never happens by accident; it requires careful planning and creative thinking. Your intro doesn't need to be long and complex, it just needs to do its job of introducing your article.
After reading this blogpost, you'll know that it’s way easier than you think.
If your goal is to write gold-standard blog introductions, this article is right up your alley.
The purpose of an introduction paragraph for blogs
Get their attention
There are many different types of blog introductions, but all of them serve one common goal: to draw in the reader.
You want your introduction to make people want to read more, to pique their interest and make them want to learn more about your topic. With just a few sentences to capture your reader’s attention, you really make them count!
Reduce bounce rate
A website’s “bounce rate" is the percentage of visitors who leave before consuming any content on a particular site or app. Blog pages typically have a 70-90% bounce rate, astonishingly higher than other types of content.
People leave sites for 2 reasons:
- Their needs are satisfied and they have obtained the information they were looking for
- Their needs are unsatisfied and they are still searching for information
Having a strong introduction allows people to understand what information they can get from your article, preventing them from thinking that your article is irrelevant and hence, clicking away.
Google employs it’s own ‘pogo-sticking’ algorithm to track web users.
Pogo-sticking
If a user clicks on your site, return to the search results page, then clicks on another link, they are pogo-sticking. This is especially so if they click on many other links after visiting your page.
High bounce rate alone is not enough for Google to penalise your SERP rankings.High bounce rates combined with high pogo-sticking activity will lead to your ranking being negatively affected for irrelevant keywords.
A good introduction will get your reader’s eyes onto the next paragraph, give them the information they want, and prevent pogo-sticking.
Angling your introduction
More often than not, how your introduction is angled depends on your blog post’s objective. If you're trying to sell a product or promote a service, your intro will be different than if you're just trying to share a personal story.
Objectives aside, thinking about how you can address your audience’s needs is of equal importance.
We can reference frameworks like the 5Ws of identifying our target audience:
Who?
Who are the current customers?
Who are the target customers?
What?
What are your current customer’s backgrounds?
What are some challenges they currently face?
What will make them want to read more?
What’s in it for the reader?
When?
When will they be searching for an article like this?
When will they need your products?
Where?
Where do your consumers consume blog post content?
Where did they discover your brand?
Why?
Why is your topic relevant to their lives?
Why do they purchase from your competitors?
How will identifying the 5Ws help?
For example, if I have identified my target customer to be high-income young mothers that face difficulty purchasing baby-proofed furniture, this is far more specific than any ol’ Joe that’s interested in purchasing furniture.
I know that their baby’s safety is of utmost importance (and it’s possible that a furniture-related accident occured which led to them searching for this), and that budget isn’t a concern. They are likely searching for a credible source to recommend solutions that will prevent future accidents.
From here, I can craft an introduction that addresses their concerns, while keeping my own objective of promoting my baby-proofing technology to them.
After identifying your audience’s concerns, the path to crafting an introduction that addresses their needs and your objectives will become much clearer.
Even if you now have a clear idea of how to angle your introduction, don’t write it haphazardly—you’ll still need a solid game plan on structuring your introduction.
Structuring your introduction
Just like anything else, there's a formula for writing great blog introductions. You want to hook your readers in and make them want to read more, so it's important to get off to a good start.
Here's a basic structure to follow:
- Hook
- Transition
- Preview of Solution
- Close
Hook
This is the first sentence of your introduction.
Start with a catchy sentence or two that grabs your reader's attention. Overused cliches or quotes run the risk of making your site sound tacky.
Common hooks for blog posts
Do we need the world to collapse before we pay attention to the climate crisis in front of us?
Rhetorical question: a question asked with a very obvious answer. Typically used to add element of drama in your text.
Have you ever experienced feeling itchy after you speak with unfamiliar people?
Yes/No question: These encourage the reader to keep reading to find the answer.
93% of all blog authors have admitted to crying when writing introductions.
Shocking statistic: Surprise! It's the first sentence of this blog article. If you're reading to this point, it means that it worked. If you're using a real statistic, it is objective proof that the problem you're trying to solve is significant.
Cats are better. That’s a fact.
Bold statement: The more controversial, the better. Though, be careful not to offend.
"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." -Helen Keller
Quote: Pick a relevant quote from someone famous.
A really good example of using a quote in your hook can be seen in this article by CoSchedule on "How to Write Advertising Headlines Like These 8 Awesome Examples", where it’s seamlessly woven into the context.
Other types of hooks you can consider
- Open-ended question
- Story or anecdote
- Problem that your readers face
- Metaphors
- Comparisons
You want your hook to be interesting. Use controversy, drama and mystery. Draw your reader in.
Transition
Now, you need to make your readers care about what you’ll be writing about. Describe your topic, use some humour and/or talk about the problem at hand.
This section usually consists of demonstrating your knowledge about a problem that people have.
Just like how people judge books by their covers, readers judge blog articles by their introductions. It's the first chunk of text that a reader sets their eyes on, and it is the deciding factor whether they read your article, or dump it.
With the average reader spending less than 37 seconds reading a blog post, you'll want to make sure that your introduction grabs their attention, paints a picture of what your blog post is about, and ends on a strong note— all within one paragraph.
These 3 sentences adequately demonstrate my knowledge on the subject matter. It also helps to include linked data points to prove that I've done my research and that my assessment of the problem is backed by evidence.
Preview of Solution
Blog post topics usually involve the writer solving a problem that the reader is facing. In this section, you will be giving a preview of how you will be solving your reader’s problems, as well as any additional benefits.
A great blog introduction never happens by accident; it requires careful planning and creative thinking. Your intro doesn't need to be long and complex, it just needs to do its job of introducing your article.
After reading this blogpost, you'll know that it’s way easier than you think.
What I'm trying to say here is: Blog introductions are tough, but with my help, they don't have to be. Plus, it isn't even that difficult!
Play off their hopes and dreams. Sell them a success story. Building anticipation and suspense is key to creating an atmosphere of excitement.
Close
Wrap up with an impactful closing sentence that leaves readers. This should also set expectations for what results the reader can achieve by reading your article.
If your goal is to write gold-standard blog introductions, this article is right up your alley.
This sentence basically invites viewers to read on to find out more!
Now you know how to structure an intro, but do you know how to write one?
Elements of blog intros
Not all blog introductions are created equal.
Depending on your personal style, brand voice, as well as your objective, blog introductions can incorporate any or all of the following elements.
Remember, for your reader to continue reading on, they must trust that the content you have will be valuable to them. These elements are commonly used to establish a connection between you and the reader.
These elements can be incorporated at any and all stages of your introduction.
Using Emotion
Injecting emotion into writing creates a bond between the reader and the writer.
These are 8 basic emotions that all humans experience:
- Fear
- Anger
- Sadness
- Joy
- Disgust
- Surprise
- Trust
- Anticipation
Describing an emotion that your reader has felt encountering the problem makes them think: “This writer understands what I’m going through, let’s listen to what he has to say”.
Creating a narrative that stirs emotion is the most effective way to motivate and convince people to read on.
Storytelling
According to the LinkedIn Technology Marketing Community, “57% of what makes content compelling is storytelling.”
There's a difference between telling and storytelling. One is mundane and boring, while the other is exciting and entertaining.
If done right, storytelling can be impactful. Especially if there's a relevant takeaway from your tale.
A really great example of storytelling is in this article by ImpactPlus on how to write a blog conclusion.
By referencing her personal experiences of struggling to write a blog conclusion, she manages to create emotional rapport with her readers who are going through a similar situation.
This encourages viewers to read past the introduction to see how she overcame her challenges.
Address your readers from sentence one
Use ‘you’, address them directly, ask them a question.
Talking about your own stories and successes are wonderful for establishing credibility, but it may lead to readers losing interest when it’s not clear how they will be impacted.
Use persuasive language where needed
An encouraging and persuasive tone is helpful in coaxing your readers to read on.
- It’s possible!
- I’ll show you how.
- It’s easier than you think.
Leave the reader in suspense
Don’t give away too much in your introduction! If your article can be summarised in the first 100 words, there wouldn’t be a point reading the rest of the post, would there?
Avoid using a salesperson’s voice
Even if your intention is to promote your product in the blog article, coming on too strong at the start can turn readers off— including those that might have become potential customers.
Still a head scratcher? Try using an AI content assistant
If you’re still struggling to create a strong introduction and need a helping hand, our AI article writer can generate blog content: from titles, outlines to blog paragraphs.
We’re able to generate fluent introductions, body paragraphs and conclusions, taking your target audience and brand voice into consideration!
The best part is, Hypotenuse AI generates entirely unique content every time, meaning that you don’t need to worry about suspiciously familiar sentences popping up. (Psst, click here for some free credits!)
How to improve your introduction after writing it
Now that your intro is written, it's time for some finishing touches.
Here are some guiding questions to examine how this can be done:
Are there any words or phrases that could be improved?
Is the structure awkward in any way?
Is the tone too casual or formal?
Go through your intro and make any necessary changes until it's polished and ready to go. You might even want to read it out loud to see how it sounds.
Conclusion
A good blog post introduction is...
- short and to the point.
- relevant to your post.
- interesting and engaging.
- able to properly introduce your topic and sets the tone for the rest of the post.
At first, it may seem difficult to write an introduction, especially with so many things to consider. I assure you that with enough practice, it’ll become like second nature to you.
Using these tips, you'll be well on your way to writing a compelling intro that pulls readers into every single one of your posts.
