Want to know how to write a blog intro with impact?
It’s important to understand human psychology.
But don’t worry, you don’t need a psychology degree to write a great introduction.
Far from it.
You just need a few simple psychological principles that get readers saying “YES” to the rest of the article.
When you use them, it’s a win-win for everyone involved.
Your readers are thrilled they found your website.
And you:
Gain a loyal following
Get more email subscribers
And make more sales or affiliate commissions
The best part?
A great intro can even improve organic rankings because more engagement sends “positive signals” to Google.
Keep reading for 11 tips to write highly compelling blog introductions.
1. Start with a Question (or Statistic)
When you ask a question in a blog post, the reader has to read the following line to get the answer.
And as an opening paragraph, it’s perfect, as it encourages this trend.
The trend of reading the next line.
Questions can also be used to build rapport by getting on the same page as your reader.
Or by making them laugh or by building curiosity.
Some question examples:
Want to know a secret?
Don’t you just hate it when your dog barks all night?
What if you could please everyone all of the time?
Another great opening sentence is with an industry statistic.
Varför?
Because they add a perceived authority to the writer, as it aligns you with the expert or industry.
If you’re not an expert on the topic with raving credentials, a statistic is the next best thing.
Examples of sharing stats:
81% of marketers view content as a core business strategy
Content marketing generates three times as many leads as other digital marketing and costs 62% less
This might help you come across as an expert content marketer, even if you’re not one.
2. Know Your Readers’ Pain Points
In his book Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman writes:
“Loss aversion refers to the relative strength of two motives: we are driven more strongly to avoid losses than to achieve gains.”
In simple terms, this means that humans are twice as motivated by pain than by pleasure, a common concept known in innehållsmarknadsföring and modern psychology.
It’s also the reason why almost all sales copy and advertising leads with a pain point.
And you can do the same in a blog post introduction.
For example, which of the following motivates you more?
This one habit can get you into shape for the summer and feeling amazing!
Is this habit stopping you from getting into shape and destroying your confidence?
Life tends to escape most of us, and we become complacent. Then, avoiding the pain becomes less painful than leaving our comfort zone.
That’s why knowing your readers’ pain points are so effective.
Knowing the problems your audience is facing will clarify your message and influence your audience to take action.
3. Communicate Expertise
Many people shy away from promoting themselves because it feels like they’re bragging.
But, to write a good blog intro, expertise is essential.
However, you don’t need to hold a master’s degree or above to be an expert.
You only need to be perceived as an expert.
“How?” You ask…
Here are a few ways to establish authority and expertise in your writing.
Be Specific
Assertive people with authority are direct without being domineering.
They say it how it is.
That’s because they are confident about what they know and communicate with conviction.
To make this work in your intros, avoid being vague or passive and, instead, be specific.
Want a specific blog introduction example? Here are two:
The first one doesn’t require much authority, but the second is crucial.
Christmas Jumpers: After researching 100+ Christmas jumpers, these were the best quality we found, thanks to their 100% sustainable and eco-friendly fabrics.
The Ketogenic Diet: After 3 years on the keto diet, this is, in my expert opinion, the fastest and safest way to get started with keto.
Show, Don’t Tell
Instead of telling people how much of an expert you are, demonstrate your wealth of knowledge by making complex topics easy to grasp.
It’s better to let them define you as an expert than you trying to convince them you are one.
Use Social Proof
Social proof is an excellent way to establish expertise and authority.
Here’s how you could include it in your intros:
People often ask me; “What is the best way to market my business online?”
Or…
I get this question asked a lot by my email subscribers, so I thought I’d address it here…
This ties into the previous tip. You’re not directly stating that you’re an expert. You’re using social proof to do it for you.
4. Keep it Short and Sweet
Unless you’re a world-class storyteller, aim to keep your blog introductions short and sweet.
Clear and concise, and on point.
Try to set the pace of the article in your intros. A pace that moves them along quickly.
Successful introductions only require one thing.
Let the reader know they will get the answers they seek in your article.
Of course, longer intros can work, but they must be well thought out and match the tone of the main content.
5. Meet the Search Intent
Meeting the search intent is essential.
And not just for SEO benefits, as it lets the reader know they’re in the right place.
To do this, include your primary keyword in the first paragraph if you can.
You can also emphasize search intent in bullet points.
(More on bullet points later.)
The reason why search intent is so important in SEO is this:
Relevance, context, and understanding.
When people do a Google search, they can often be vague.
That’s because they don’t know the details of what they’re searching for.
But what they do understand is how their search query relates to their problem.
When you can communicate their problem as it relates to the intent of the post, they won’t want to stop reading.
6. Obliterate Objections
Objections are simply doubts in a person’s mind that what they will read (or buy) will help them.
Everyone has objections.
But we can bundle almost all objections into four buckets:
People don’t want to waste time
They don’t want to waste money
There’s a lack of trust
They are unsure if there’s a need
Let’s briefly break each of these down from the context of writing better introductions.
First, people don’t want to waste time, so if they feel like they need to make an effort, they might put off reading a good blog post.
Combat this objection by stating how easy it is to learn, how quickly they can implement the teachings, or how beginner-friendly it is.
Second, they don’t want to waste money. If your article is reviewing an expensive product, highlight the benefits of owning it or the disadvantages of not owning it.
Third, if there’s a lack of trust, it could be in you, themselves, or the topic you’re writing about and will have doubts.
This one comes down to confidence. The best way to create trust is to communicate expertise and build rapport.
Lastly, people are unsure if they need to know more about your topic or buy what you’re selling or promoting.
To overcome this objection, the reader needs to become more aware of the pain points if they don’t learn more about them.
When you combat these objections in your intros, you’ll get people reading your content every time.
7. Build Anticipation
Building anticipation in your introductions is a great way to keep people reading.
This can be done in a couple of ways.
Similar to how horror movies keep you on the edge of your seat or the reverse; a motivational speaker on stage.
Here are a few ways you can incorporate these into your blog intros.
The first idea is to introduce a personal success story of how you overcame a challenging issue (or achieved an inspiring goal).
Till exempel:
In this post, I’ll share how I overcame my fear of public speaking in less than 1 hour. Not only that, I got a standing ovation the very next day.
Another way is to express a negative emotion your reader may be facing that the article is going to help solve.
Till exempel:
Want to know what the best meditation apps are?
Then you’re in luck. After spending the last 2 years completely stressed and burnt out, I tested 7 meditation apps over 30 days.
The best bit?
My stress has completely cleared up and I have more time to focus on my business.
Lastly, tell people what they can expect from the article. For example, this can be best done using bullet points.
This is my complete guide on how I increased organic traffic by 273% in just 3 months.
You’ll discover:
The three things I did differently to exceed my goal
How my traffic increase has impacted my income
And a step-by-step strategy so that you can replicate my results
8. Empathize
Injecting empathy turns a basic blog intro into a great blog intro.
And it’s an excellent way to engage readers as it helps build rapport.
But what does that even mean?
Rapport is how people connect through shared views, mutual understanding, and acceptance of each other’s differences.
Empathy is just one way to build rapport with your reader.
To bake this into your introduction, here are some helpful pointers.
Make a statement that the reader agrees with – People generally connect with others who agree with them, at least in the beginning.
Get on their level – Meet the reader where they’re at by aligning with their needs, hopes, and desires.
Show your vulnerable side – Paradoxically, vulnerability shows strength. And if your reader relates to your pain, they will begin to trust you more.
9. Use a Copywriting Framework
Copywriting is the art of sales using the written word. This is perfect for introverts who hate cold calls or sales meetings.
And it’s perfect for an effective introduction.
A copywriting framework is a structured way to format your writing.
For example, this is the PAS framework:
P: Problem – Highlight a pain point the reader is facing
A: Agitate – Emphasis the issues that may arise if the problem isn’t solved
S: Solution – Outline specific steps to solve the problem
Many copywriting frameworks exist, such as AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) and BAB (Before, After, Bridge).
Using one of them in a blog intro will yield significant results.
Here’s how PAS might look in your introductions:
Problem: Are you struggling to get enough fruit and veg in your diet?
Agitate: I get it. It can be hard to build this habit. Not to mention wreak havoc on your health.
Solve: That’s why I’ve put together this list of healthy smoothie recipes that only take 10 minutes to make.
10. Use Bullet Points
Bullet points have been used to sell stuff for decades.
They break up the text, which draws the reader’s attention. And they can offer some highly engaging details.
Details that get people wanting to read further.
Here’s how you can use them in your intros.
After introducing the article, share some context to clarify what they’ll learn.
Another way to use bullet points is to state the benefits they’ll gain from reading your post. Or the benefits of a product if you’re writing a review.
Lastly, make them skimmable and easy to digest. This will help them flow through the intro and is key for your overall blog content strategy.
11. Provide a Call to Action
A call to action simply tells the reader what to do next.
Sometimes, it’s to get them to click a button or a link, buy a product, or sign up for a newsletter.
But it can also be used at the end of your introductions.
For example, some articles end like this:
Read on to discover the best keto recipes for complete beginners.
Or the call to action can be as simple as saying, “Keep reading” or “Let’s dive right in.”
Whatever you decide on, adding a call to action is an essential piece of a highly converting blog introduction.
Conclusion: How to Write a Blog Intro That Converts
That concludes this post on how to write an impactful blog intro.
Using these tactics will massively improve your connection with your audience and keep them on the page longer.
This is key if you want to build a loyal following and increase your bottom line.
The current economy is not our friend. Gas prices are soaring. Real estate prices are at an all-time high. From groceries to education, the cost of everything has increased, with the consumer price index (CPI) of food increasing by 9.5% in the last year.
Since many primary jobs do not seem to pay enough to cover people’s living costs, 45% of Americans have a side hustle or under-the-table job to help make extra income.
Do you find yourself constantly struggling to make ends meet, with mounting bills and the pressure of building a nest egg for the future weighing you down? The good news is that there are ways to earn extra cash that can help you relieve the financial burden.
With a little effort and knowledge, you can supplement your income and earn more money, all while covering your regular household expenses and building your savings. Here is a list of relatively easy ways you can earn some easy money in 2023:
Make Use of Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing has always been an easy and underrated way to earn extra cash. The idea is simple. You earn a commission every time someone buys a product based on your recommendation. You post about products on your online platform such as social media or your blog; people click the link redirecting them to an affiliate product page. If they make a purchase, you make a percentage of that income.
Start Working as a Freelance Content Writer
Affiliate marketing is one of many ways to make money through content. Most companies need a content writer, whether for their website or a random project, at some point. In addition, the global market has moved almost entirely online, meaning there will never be a shortage of work if you’re a web content creator who markets themselves effectively.
Teach a Class Online
If you have a skill, no matter how useless or generic you think it is, someone will pay good money to learn it from you. Know the basics of baking? You can make money teaching the basics to someone who just got opened their oven. Know how to do simple car or household repairs? There is someone who wants to learn it. You can partner with some online educational organizations or even teach your classes on YouTube.
Get Into Influencer Marketing
In this era where every kid, sibling, and grandpa is a TikToker, it’s not easy to start making immediate cash through being an influencer. Creating a brand as an influencer can take solid planning, time, and effort. There is no manifesto or manual on how to succeed and there is no exact formula for going viral. Does that mean there is nothing to do than just put all your content up and hope for the best? Not really.
Some tips and tricks can often come in handy in this case. The idea to succeed in influencer marketing is to create something relevant and unique. What is something unique that you can do? Or maybe it’s something many people like, but no one seems to be talking about it yet. You can sell whatever you have as long as you have a unique take on it.
Create a Blog
Another thing you can do that will take time and willpower is start your own blog. There is no shortage of data people can consume. So, what is the point of adding another blog to this chaos? Creating a successful blog that brings in traffic that ultimately converts to money is not easy. But is it impossible? No. With the proper search engine optimization techniques, your blog can also appear at the top of Google search results. Just make sure you don’t choose an oversaturated niche. Also, ensure you have at least one USP (unique selling point) that sets you apart from your competitors.
Get Into The Stock Market
The stock market and options trading could be successful side businesses if you’re interested in investing and seeking a side gig. Options trading is when you can buy or sell contracts that give you the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an underlying asset like a stock or ETF at a certain price and time.
Reading books on options trading and practicing with a trial account are both crucial steps in getting started. You may also join Discord servers and online groups to connect with other traders and gain knowledge from their experiences. Options trading involves risk, but if you go into it with discipline and caution, it is a simple method to make money.
Easy Under-The-Table Jobs
While many side jobs on the list above can help you make extra income, the problem is that you still need to report what you earn from most of them. So, you will have to give away a hefty amount of what you make to taxes. Getting yourself an under-the-table job can come in handy here. These jobs usually pay in cash. So, you can directly put the money aside without you having to include them in your tax declarations. Below are a few examples of a few under-the-table jobs that can help you make some easy side income:
There are plenty of options here. You can help tutor kids at home, give swimming lessons, clean pools or cars, do minor repair work, etc. All jobs of these kinds can help you make extra income without having to report it in your tax files.
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
Ananyaa Bhowmik is a neurodivergent and queer pop-culture journalist with the Wealth of Geeks. She has previously worked with brands like Sterling Holidays, Myntra, Bajaj, and the Loud Interactive. She is an independent scholar, cat parent, and performance poet. Her areas of research and interest focus on and around digital marketing, Canadian indigenous history, queerness in media, and pop-culture and fandom studies.
Trackdesk is an intuitive affiliate management platform for businesses; from fresh e-commerce sites to mature affiliate programs. Integrate, communicate with partners, launch your affiliate program, and gain comprehensive insights in minutes.
Elysia Cartlidge is living proof that success will come if you work hard and don’t give up.
As a registered dietician with a full-time corporate job and two small kids, Elysia had a full plate and not much time. But she started her website, Haute & Healthy Living, originally as a hobby. A few years later, when she realized she could monetize it, she shifted her focus to healthy recipes, doubled down on SEO, and worked extremely hard on the weekends and when her kids were napping or sleeping.
Today she has a thriving website earning up to $15k per month.
Keep reading to find out:
Why she started her blog
What happened after she took her first blogging course
How long it took her to join Mediavine
Where her income comes from
How much she works on her site
Her marketing strategies
Her thoughts on SEO and social media
How she approaches keyword research and link building
How she creates content
Her favorite resources and tools
Her biggest challenge
Her greatest accomplishment
Her main mistake
Her advice for other entrepreneurs
Meet Elysia Cartlidge
My name is Elysia, and I’m a wife and mother to two little boys, Leo and Max, who are 5 and 2 ½ years old. I have a Master’s in applied nutrition and have been a registered dietitian for 11 years. I was a retail dietitian for 8 years before making the decision to quit and run my online business full-time in January 2022.
Why She Created Haute and Healthy Living
I decided to create my website Haute & Healthy Living, back in 2015 strictly as a hobby. I had just started my first corporate job as a dietitian and was looking for a creative outlet to work on outside of my day job.
When I first launched my website, it was intended to be a lifestyle blog. I posted about recipes, fitness, home decor, DIY projects, and beauty – pretty much all the things that I loved. I never had any plan to turn my website into a business.
I posted about random topics for about 8 months and then I completely stopped posting on my blog during 2016 and 2017 because I got engaged and was busy with wedding planning. Then shortly after the wedding, I got pregnant and had no energy or desire to blog.
During my maternity leave in 2018 with my first son, I decided to start dipping my toes in the world of blogging again. My mom sent me a link to a course called Elite Blog Academy, and I decided to take the course since I had some time while my baby was sleeping. Through the course, I learned that you could monetize a blog and turn it into a business, which to me was completely mind-blowing!
From that point on, I made it a goal of mine that I would monetize my blog and one day quit my job and blog full-time. My husband, family, and friends were supportive, but I think everyone questioned if you can actually make money from a blog. I made it my personal mission to prove that I could do it.
I niched down to just posting healthier recipes and started implementing some of the strategies from the course. I managed to grow my blog traffic to a point where I qualified for Mediavine a year later, in March 2019.
That was the game changer. Since being with Mediavine, my monthly revenue has continued to grow to the point where I was able to quit my full-time job after my second maternity leave in January 2022.
Although I started out covering a wide range of topics, I now focus on posting easy and healthy recipes for busy families.
How Much Money She’s Making
As I mentioned, every month my blog revenue continues to grow, but it’s currently bringing in about 10-15K per month, depending on the month. I’m on track to make around $130-150k this year.
The majority of my revenue comes from ads, but I do make some money from selling my ebooks (a few hundred dollars per month) and from affiliate marknadsföring as well (around $100/per month).
I will also launch another website in the next couple of months, which I hope to monetize in the next couple of years to help further diversify my income.
Although I launched my website in 2015, I started truly taking it seriously and treating it more like a business in 2018, so it’s taken me about 5 years to reach this revenue level.
I had to work on it very much part-time during this time period since I was also working full-time at my corporate job and tending to two young children.
I pretty much built my business at night when my kids were sleeping, on weekends when I wasn’t working my other job, and during my maternity leaves while my kids were napping or sleeping.
On average, I probably work on my business 35 hours per week, though it varies weekly depending on how much my kids are home with me.
Elysia’s Marketing Strategy
I don’t really have any unique marketing strategy that I’m using. My goal is always to produce high-quality content and to use keyword research to help people find my content. That’s my primary marketing strategy.
I’m always trying to improve my food photography as well, which can help with marketing since people will be more likely to want to try a recipe if it looks good.
Finally, I use Pinterest to help share my content, which also brings in some traffic.
Her Thoughts on SEO and Social Media
SEO is incredibly important for my business since most of my traffic comes from search engines.
Aside from Pinterest (which I outsource), I currently don’t use much social media to grow my website. If you saw my number of followers, you probably would think that my website isn’t very successful since I have less than 5000 followers on Instagram and Facebook combined and don’t even have a TikTok account.
I decided to stop posting on Instagram a little over a year ago and only post on FB when I think of it. I found that social media was a major time suck, the algorithms kept changing, and the ROI wasn’t there. So I switched gears and focused the majority of my time on SEO and developing blog content, and that’s when I started seeing the most growth.
If you compare this January and February to the same time last year, my traffic is up about 80%. The moral of the story is you can still be successful and see growth without having a massive following, so don’t get caught up in the vanity metrics.
Keyword Research
I search for my initial ideas using sökordsforskning to determine which recipes to develop. I implement strategies from Stupid Simple SEO and Cooking with Keywords, two courses I took to help me better understand keyword research.
I try to target lower competition keywords so that people can find my content, rather than going for super competitive keywords, which can be difficult to rank for.
Länkbyggnad
Link building is very important, although I probably haven’t devoted as much time to it as I should, as there aren’t enough hours in the day. I hope that focusing on SEO and getting content to rank in top positions on Google will help organically generate backlinks.
I also provide links to my content in roundup groups that other bloggers can use on their sites if they choose to help with backlinks. Additionally, I use my expertise as an RD to sometimes contribute to publications like Insider, Livestrong, Women’s Health, Eat This, Health, etc., when the opportunity presents itself to help build up authority since these sites have a high DA.
Her Content Creation Process
Currently, I try to post about 2 new recipes and update one old recipe per week. I’d love to do more, but at this point, quality is more important to me than quantity. This amount is what I find to be the most manageable during this busy phase of life with young children.
When it comes to my process, first, I’ll come up with initial recipe ideas by conducting keyword research. Then I’ll select a recipe idea from my list and test it (usually multiple times) and make any necessary tweaks before photographing it, editing the photos, conducting additional keyword research, coming up with a post outline, drafting up the post, and inputting the images.
A lot of work goes into creating each post, so it’s definitely more than just coming up with a recipe and posting it on the blog.
Her Email List
I do have an email list that I email weekly. I mostly grow it by using opt-ins on my site. People who choose to subscribe will be added to my email list.
Elysia’s Favorite Resources
Some of my favorite podcasts are EatBlogTalk, the Blogging Millionaire, and Food Blogger Pro. I also like the TopHatRank webinars for learning about best practices for SEO.
Her Top Tools
I use KeySearch for keyword research and find that it’s affordable without being overly complicated like some of the other tools out there.
I also like Asana for building my content calendar since I can easily move things around.
Finally, I use Excel spreadsheets. I find tracking my content in spreadsheets is the best way to keep track of content ideas and keywords since I’m constantly adding new ideas.
Her Biggest Challenge
The biggest challenge I’ve faced is staying up to date on the latest best practices, the constant fluctuations with algorithms, and the never-ending Google updates.
In the blogging world, things are constantly evolving, so you have to be prepared for a bit of a roller coaster ride.
Her Most Impressive Accomplishment
My most important accomplishment thus far has been building up my business to the point where I could quit my corporate job after my maternity leave and pursue my online business full-time.
This not only allowed more flexibility and time to spend with my children, but it also proved to myself and those around me that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.
Growing my business to this point was all done while having a full-time job and a very demanding newborn and a toddler. It was not an easy journey, but I feel incredibly blessed knowing that the hard work has paid off and that I now get to wake up every morning and work on something that I’m truly excited about.
What She Wishes She Knew When She Started
I wish I had known that you have to post content that people are searching for. If you fail to do this, chances are people won’t be able to find you, which can definitely slow your growth.
I probably would have been much further ahead if I had known this from the start. But learning and mistakes are all part of the journey!
Her Biggest Mistake
Speaking of mistakes, mine is not focusing on SEO sooner. In the beginning, I posted random recipes that had catchy titles, rather than focusing on what people were actually searching for.
When I started focusing on SEO and meeting my readers’ needs, my business began to grow. I’m still going back now and fixing the mistakes that I made.
Her Advice for Other Entrepreneurs
You can accomplish anything you put your mind to.
The key is showing up consistently and putting the work in.
The difference between those who succeed and those who fail, is the ones who succeed are the people who continue to put the work in even when the odds are against them.
Do more of what’s working and less of what’s not. Through consistency and regularly assessing and refining your strategy, you will eventually find success.