5 tips to write a better blog introduction for your blog posts

Do you know an average reader spends just 15 seconds on a web page? Or that only 3 out of 10 people go beyond the 3rd paragraph of a web page.

The point is clear: If your blog introduction isn’t persuasive, your readers will bounce off.

They don’t care how many hours you’ve invested in researching and writing your article. Or that you wish they read till the end. Bad introduction = No blog views.

Every blogger (including me) wants to write a good blog introduction. So that the blog gets more views, traffic, and reward for its efforts.

The question is: How to write a blog introduction so good readers read till the end? That’s what this post is about. In this article, I’ll tell you the 5 tips to write a better blog introduction that persuades readers to read till the end.

(You've read beyond 15 seconds and the 3rd paragraph. Mission accomplished. Thank You.)

Ingredients of a good introduction:

a) Hooks the readers right from the first sentence. It makes the readers curious to read till the end.

b) Lets the readers know if the blog post is for them.

c) Explains the importance of the idea and what you’ll cover in the post.

d) Teases the original insights (summary) of the article.

e) Introduces the benefit of reading the complete blog.

(Does this post's introduction have at least 4 of these?)

5 tips to write a better blog introduction for your blog posts

1. Show credibility

Who would you prefer to read the blog ‘How to earn your first $1 million dollar online?’ from?

- A random blogger

- Or an internet entrepreneur who shows you the proof that they have earned $1 million online.

The second one, of course! Users want to read experts. They want to learn from someone qualified to teach them. More importantly, they want to learn from a trustworthy and credible person.

So the solution is to share your credentials. Your results. Or a proof that shows you know what you’ll be talking about.

Example: Brian Dean, founder of Backlinko, in his post ‘How to get high-quality backlinks,’ shares the proof that his site has 452,000 backlinks.

He, then, goes into detailing the step-by-step strategies to earn the backlinks.

This does 3 jobs:

- He earns the trust of the person.

- He makes the readers curious. The person is then interested to know how Brian has earned 420,000 backlinks.

- Readers are assured that the article is worth their time. That this isn’t yet another ‘high fluff-low value’ content.

2. Use the PAS formula

Connect with the readers through a shared problem. This makes readers feel welcome that there’s someone experiencing the same problem. It breeds familiarity and is an instant hook. Readers will be willing to learn how you solved the problem so that they can, too.

The best way to establish shared context is the PAS (Problem, Agitate, Solve) formula. Here’s what it means:

- Identify the pressing problems of your readers. State it in the first sentence of your blog post.

- Now it’s time to agitate the problem. Explain what makes the problems pressing. What’s at stake if the readers don’t solve it? Explain the negative consequences of the problem.

- Empathize with the readers. Tell them they don’t need to worry. That you’ll provide them a solution to their problems, and they’ll be free of it. Touch on the benefits of solving the problem once they solve it.

Example 1: Here’s the PAS formula in action (Full blog post)

Example 2: Suppose you’re writing a blog post on, “How to scale your revenue from 0 to $100,000 (after having tried everything),” here’s the PAS introduction paragraph:

P: You’ve tried everything to grow your business. Sales. Emails. Web content. But, your revenue is growing slower than a snail’s crawl.

A: You’re feeling overwhelmed, having tried everything. Countless money spent. Plus, hours of hard work going down the drain. If it stays the same way, maybe you’ll be out of business. Everyone’s scaling, except you.

S: Being stuck sucks. But, it doesn’t have to be. My business was in the same position last year. I scaled it from 0 to $100,000 in revenue in less than 10 months. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how I did it and how you can, too.

3. Start with a shocking statistic

Stats are to support your claims. But, you can use them to introduce your blog posts, too. Especially if it’s an unexpected take. Or something the readers don’t know about.

This post’s introduction is itself an example. See how I started with - that readers read only a few paragraphs before bouncing off. But, I didn't stop there.

I built on the introduction to connect with you through a shared problem (We both want our blog posts to get read until the end. Which means writing a persuasive introduction). I mentioned the benefits of writing a good introduction. Plus, I teased a solution that there's a way you can do that. It made you curious to read further.

In just 10 sentences, you got the idea that:

a) Writing a good introduction is crucial.

b) You’ll learn from someone that wants to achieve the same goal.

c) You’ll know how to write a good introduction after reading the blog post.

4. Tell a story

Stories bond humans. It helps in empathizing with others and builds an instant connection. Those who master storytelling can make people read/listen to anything with 100% attention. That’s what you want with your blog posts, right?

Storytelling increased Groove’s blog engagement by 300%. Plus, the average time on the page soared by 5 times than usual.

Example: Here’s Groove’s introduction in a storytelling format

Luckily, storytelling is a skill, and like every skill, it can be learned.

Here’s how to use storytelling in your blog introduction:

a) Share a real-life event (like the above Groove’s introduction).

Or create a hypothetical scenario.

Example:

b) Ensure the story connects with your blog’s outcome

c) Share the common struggle. Create a relatable situation.

d) Storytelling expert Nancy Duarte advises creating contrasts.

That is, “what is vs. what could be.”

First, describe the current situation (“what is”)

Then, tell what the future can be (“what could be”)

e) Use the story spine

e) Withhold the conclusion until the end.

Example: If you’re writing a post on “best SEO practices,” don’t tell the meat (the original insight) of the blog post. You just have to mention enough to get the reader interested in your blog post. Create suspense.

6 resources to become a good storyteller

5. Ask a straightforward question

Blog introductions shouldn’t be complicated. Start with a simple, straightforward question. It engages, and establishes a shared context with the readers.

Plus, it’s a no-nonsense approach. The readers come to read a blog post with the end goal to learn something. When you ask a question (and they answer subconsciously), it assures them they’ve come to the right place.

Example:

Search Engine Journal recommends asking questions in 3 different ways:

a) Ask directly to the person if they’re struggling with the problem your content is solving: “Are you struggling with blog SEO?”

The above Ahrefs image, too, is an example of this.

b)  Picture the reader’s current situation: “Are you trying to rank higher on the search results? This post is for you”

c) Ask users whether they want a solution you offer:

Example:

Write blog introductions that persuade readers to read the blog until the end

No one knows the hard work of publishing a blog better than the writer. You put in hours of research, writing, and editing. It does break the heart when the blog doesn’t get views and isn’t read until the end.

No more!

Start with these 5 persuasive blog introduction techniques. Test each of them. See what works for you. Enjoy the benefits - more blog views, increased website traffic, and reward for your writing effort - for years.