Amplifying the volume and affect of your blog posts begins with the headline to your article.  The next step to increasing the decibel level lies within the opening paragraph; if you have a great headline without an outstanding opening paragraph is like playing your favorite music without speakers.  So, let’s talk about how you can increase the reach of your blog post by improving your opening paragraph:

  • Get Interactive — The easiest way to get somebody hooked on your article is to get them thinking, and there’s no better way to do that than to ask a rhetorical question.  Not only do you get them to think for a brief moment, but the question also affords them the opportunity to create a general opinion about the subject and starts either comments or debate with your overall publication.
  • Start with a Story — Whether you want to include a personal story or research a quote related to the topic, you are giving the reader a chance to get personal with the article.  I do, however, suggest that you be as open with your audience as possible so that they have an opportunity to know and understand your perspective.
  • Initiate Imagination — To better engage the reader, you can also include scenarios which start with wordings like, “Picture this”, or “Imagine that”.  With the use of these simple terms (and others similar) you are now putting the reader in a particular position that requires them to think about their personal reaction to the topic.
  • Mental Imagery — If your topic is something that doesn’t capture the attention right off the bat, you can utilize analogies, similarities, and/or metaphors.  These writing techniques give the reader the chance to relate the information to something that they understand and know on a more familiar basis.
  • Shock with Stats — The internet is full of statistics, and some of the information that you find can be staggering.  If it comes across as a shock to your system to find out a certain statistic then it absolutely will do the same to your readers.  Make sure that you share those figures with them and provide another way for them to relate to the information and experience the content in another method.

In summary, having an phenomenal headline is not nearly enough to maintain a reader’s engagement to your post, but an opening paragraph that staggers them and creates an emotional response can make all the difference in the reach of the content.

Need Help?

If blogging and content creation are something that you are interested in but don’t know how to get started, contact us today to schedule your free marketing analysis.

Sources:
“The Essential Step-by-Step Guide to Internet Marketing”-E-Book
SlideShare.net
Image Source: HubSpot, “The 2011 State of Inbound Marketing”, E-Marketer.com