3 Ways to Write an Engaging Blog Post Introduction

The introduction of your blog is what will sell your reading.

Today, the internet is overwhelmed with information and only 18% of people will actually read your entire post.

And, if your introduction doesn’t motivate your readers to scroll down, you’ll end up losing them, which is the last thing you want when you’ve spent hours perfecting your copy.

Let’s take a moment to think: imagine you’ve been invited to a networking event where you don’t know anyone.

So, you’ve walked through the door, maybe grabbed yourself a drink and you stand there feeling like a lemon because no one’s paid any attention to you.

Now picture this: you go to the same networking event, only this time the host spots you walking in, welcomes you, shows you around and introduces you to the other guests; you’d feel a lot better right?

Here, the difference is in the introduction, and when visitors head to your website to read your blog, the experience is quite similar.

In other words, if there’s no introduction, readers can feel unwelcome and just leave; the headline might have caught their attention but the start of the blog didn’t meet their expectations.

With that in mind, here are 3 ways to write a blog post introduction, and make a positive first impression to keep your readers engaged till the end.

Address Your Readers

OK, I know this sounds obvious and you’ve probably heard about how you address your readers directly before.

But, what I mean here is that you should try to talk to your readers as though they were standing directly in front of you.

By doing so, you can add a whole new depth of engagement to your blog post and it makes it much more exciting to read.

Ultimately, you want to hook readers in and want them to connect with your content.

So by using words like “you”, you can create an emotional bond with your readers that will be hard to ignore.

On the other hand, if you just start your blog post by only talking about your own stories, experiences or successes, it’s very easy to lose interest because your readers won’t feel as invested.

For example, if you were writing a blog about drawing digital graphics and you opened with this line: “I’ve drawn hundreds of different images on my tablet which has led to me creating my own top list of brushes”; doesn’t really capture your attention does it?

But, if you rephrase this to: “Have you ever wondered what brushes you should be using for sketching? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. There are thousands of brushes to choose from so it can be difficult to choose. I’ve drawn hundreds of different images on my tablet which has led to me creating my own top list of brushes.”

Here, the reader has been addressed and made part of the story; they’ll feel more invested and that personal experience becomes more credible, encouraging them to read on.

Ask Questions

Questions are powerful.

When you ask them in your introduction, you’re inviting the reader to ponder an answer and think about the topic from the start.

But, some questions are a waste of time; yes, there are stupid questions, sometimes.

For instance, if you ask: do you want more traffic on your blog?

Well, duh!

However when used properly, questions are a great way for your readers to identify the problem you’re about to solve.

And, rhetorical questions are not always effective. For example, what are we going to do about losing readers on your poor-performing blog?

This question you cannot answer, and it might not have even prompted you to start thinking. Rather, you may have been offended that I called your blog poor.

So, when you ask a question in your introduction, you need to be able to back it up with an answer, or at least answers in the rest of your content.

Highlight Your Readers’ Problems

People read content for the value it offers.

And, every blog you write needs to solve a problem by educating, informing and entertaining your readers.

After all, who’s going to read your blog if you can’t help them?

So, make sure you identify and highlight your readers’ problems so they know you’re going to help them overcome it.

Plus, you can even capture the attention of those who didn’t even realise they had a problem that needed solving in the first place!

For instance, the problem could be lack of knowledge, poor results, wasted time or money and so much more; in this blog, we highlighted the problem of losing readers.

Similarly, you can just tell your readers what they’re doing wrong and confront their mistakes.

No, you don’t have to be rude about it, but a little gentle confrontation can grab attention and convince them that you know what you’re talking about.

The Takeaway

A strong blog introduction will immediately engage your readers and encourage them to continue reading.

Failing to address your readers or telling them how you can solve their problems will just send them back to the search results and read something else instead, probably your competitors.

So, use these 4 ways above to transform your introductions and create compelling copy to hook your audience in.

For more information, please contact us today.

In the meantime, please check our digital marketing services, which includes content writing, publication, and marketing.

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