A blog post introduction is the first section of any blog post. It introduces the topic at hand, and hooks the reader into reading the rest of the article. For me, the key to a successful intro has been simplicity. In this article I’m going to show you how to write an effective blog post introduction for your own articles.
How to write a blog post introduction
1. Address the topic right away
Get straight to the point here, start immediately with the topic at hand. If the topic is “how to keep bread from getting moldy” then you should open with something like “Having your bread get moldy before you can eat it can be frustrating, but there are things you can do to make it last longer.”
There’s always flexibility depending on the topic and type of article, but in most cases I get straight to the point.
2. Identify the problem
Right after I’ve broached the subject, I’ll typically identify the problem. So playing off the previous example of moldy bread, we might continue like this:
“If you’re sick of your bread getting moldy well before you’re ready, ”
This lets the reader know that we know exactly what the problem they’re having is, and we did it in the first 2 sentences.
3. Say that you’re going to solve it
Then we’d continue the previous sentence with:
“If you’re sick of your bread getting moldy well before you’re ready, then you’re in luck because in this article we’re going to show you how to keep bread from getting moldy”
4. Keep it short
I try and stay between 75-150 words in the majority of blog post introductions. People showed up to read the content and get their problem solved, not to ready a lengthy introduction. So keep it short, and to the point.
I might end with a one liner of “With all that being said, let’s get to why you came here!” then move straight into your first H2 subheading.
5. Talk to the reader
Speak to the reader, use the word “you”. If it feels like you are speaking directly to the reader then they are more engaged and more likely to continue reading.
6. Sympathize with the reader
Sympathize with their problem if you can. If you’ve ever experienced the same problem or anything like it then quickly express that. However you can relate, try to work that in.
The example blog post introduction
Here is the blog post introduction example that I used in the steps above put together.
How to Keep Bread From Getting Moldy (9 Tips)
Having your bread get moldy before you can eat it can be frustrating, but there are things you can do to make it last longer. If you’re sick of your bread getting moldy well before you’re ready, then you’re in luck because in this article we’re going to show you how to keep bread from getting moldy.
I’ve got a list of 9 helpful tips and hacks that are sure to make bread last longer and stay fresher. Number 9 is personally my favorite method, and the one I use the most.
Ok enough chit chat, let’s get to why you came here!
How to keep bread from getting moldy
List of tips…
Summary
That’s about it for blog post introductions, they’re really pretty easy. I’m no expert but I feel like mine perform pretty well so I thought I’d share my methods and just a few quick tips for crafting your introductions.
Here are all of the things going on in the above example intro.
- Short and to the point – 105 words
- Identifies the problem
- Tells that the content might solve it
- Hints at what’s in the article
- Encourages the reader to read to the end
- Speaks directly to the reader
- Relates to the reader’s problem, sympathizes
- Just generally makes the reader feel like they’re in the right place