It's tricky to write an irresistible blog post when you try too hard. When you love what you're writing about though, it's simple. The fingers fly across the keyboard and your readers love it. The goal is to reach as many people as possible with your message. To do that, make it intriguing.
Blog Post Introduction Ideas
You need a hook for that attention grab. You can use a set of these interchangeably for your blog posts. These are six of the best ones for a travel blog intro. This is an example. So adapt it as you like. These can kind-of act as a blog intro template.
- Begin with a fact.
- Lure with the ending first.
- Introduce with an anecdote.
- Ask a meaningful question.
- Present a cliffhanger
- Confrontations that challenge the reader.
Blog Introduction Examples Explanations
These post introductions are a basic template guide. For example, the first idea. When you begin with a fact, it can act as a lead-in to the next thing. The reader expects more, so they read on. It lures them to read. Even if they don't want to. They'll be so intrigued, they'll click in.
In the second example, you are luring them into the blog too. This time, it's done by giving a tease of sorts about the ending of the piece. They'll want more, so they come in to get more from you. They want to know the back story to it. It's clever.
The third example allows the reader to get tempted by a story. It's actually more like a promise of a full story. Again, it's a teaser that lures them in. Have you ever had a moment when you said that you know something, but then you don't tell them what? It drives the listener to ask for more. The exact same thing applies to this situation. You are driving the listener crazy with the tease of the back story. It extremely effective.
For the fourth example, you're engaging so directly with the reader that they can't help but follow. They'll want to know the answer to the question you posed to them. They have their ideas, but what are yours? They'll click in to find out what the answer was.
For the fifth intro, you're creating a cliffhanger for the reader. Again, they won't be able to help themselves. They'll want to read on. Think about the last time you watched your favorite show. The cliffhanger they tease you with is crazy. It drives you crazy waiting to see the resolution. It's a fact that our brains work that way. We all want closure. Use that to your advantage.
You can face the reader with a challenge of sorts. When you present a challenge to a person, they'll want to resolve that issue. It's a natural part of psychology. Like the previous irresistible blog post introductions, it creates tension. The tension needs to resolve itself. The reader wants to find that resolution. That's what draws them in.
Other Blog Intro Ideas
Let's say you dislike the six intros given. You want to attract the reader to read on by following these elements. Each one creates a step in the hook. Your reader wants a hook, or they'll move on in their search. Be that thing that stands out and grabs attention.
- Create intrigue that makes them want more.
- Give a takeaway to your reader.
- Ask a question in the intro.
Intrigue is familiar to most people. If you like to read books, you'll understand this without an explanation. In case, you don't understand, let's break it down some. Imagine someone telling you the plot of a story. Then they just walk away before the end. You might run after them aggressively begging for that conclusion. You might even follow them wherever they go to continue trying to get the conclusion. That's what creating intrigue does for your reader. It's the hook.
Giving a takeaway to your reader makes them want more as well. By now you should've picked up on a key thing. You need a hook. The reader sees the takeaway and figures that they can gain more from reading what you have to offer. So they read on.
When you lead with a question, you're involving the reader to engage. That engagement is the magic sauce to a blog. Otherwise, why would someone subscribe? See how that happened? Make sure your question intertwines with the blog post, and you'll have literary magic.
Travel Blog Intro Example
Imagine you're a blogger who promotes travel. What are some ideas that would work for your intro? Consider what is interesting in the area you're writing about. Lead with something like this.
- The Grand Canyon is larger than a state.
- You would never believe what they found at the canyon that day!
- One day on her hike in the woods Susan heard a loud sound.
- Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon?
- Susan saw the bush move, near the edge of the canyon.
- What would you do next?
In the first intro, your reader will want to know which state. So you're actually doing two things at once. It's a hook. They'll think it's a state they know of, or they'll go searching on a search engine. Either way, the reader connects. That's an important part of blogging. Make sure the delivery of the blog matches your intro, or they'll never come back.
This second example is another example of hooking the reader. They're left asking what. Your blog post provides the answer. As in this first example, be sure to give them something worth reading. Always remember that the way you present the information is what makes a great writer.
In this third example, we see a person who is potentially walking into the lead of a horror story. Nothing draws a reader in like suspense. Make the thing that Susan found something worthwhile. Then your reader will want to know more about Susan's travels. What adventures did she have? How did her journey end? Did she find her long-lost love? These are the hooks.
Asking a question is another way, as we showed here. It's as simple as that. This is one of a list of several great go-to blog introduction examples. Your subject could be anything. In this case, it's travel stories. We guarantee that these hooks work. It's amazing how well fiction does in a blog. It's not that commonplace either. So, if you're considering a subject, that might be a good one for you. It's like the whole van-life movement.
This next example is fun. You're telling the end or potentially, middle of the story here. It's in the intro. Readers don't expect that type of thing. So it's a hook. It's an intriguing thing that draws them to investigate what else you have to say in your blog.
Finally in this section of examples of the above tips, is the question. Putting the reader on the stage to resolve the story is a huge trick of great bloggers. In fact, Vloggers use it to become millionaires on YouTube. these small details work. That's why we use them. You should too.
Blog Intro Template Structure
Now let's take a look at the structure. Your intro must follow a set plan. It can use various hooks, as shared above. The structure though is important as well. Here are a few points to remember. You can use this template to structure yours.
- Use keywords carefully.
- Bring attention to something.
- Tell the reader what they're getting.
- Get to the point.
- Connect with tone.
Let me explain. Keywords are wonderful. Their placement, however, can end your brief stint in blogging. Google and other search engines need keywords. They also recognize keyword stuffing. Never do that. Use one keyword in each sentence. If you have a string of keywords, then you can place them all in one sentence. Just don't add the keywords to every sentence. Think of it as sprinkling the fairy dust of content through your blog post. Your intro is the same. Only, the intro is even more important. If you keyword stuff in the intro, your reader will pass.
One sentence needs to say something meaningful to the reader. State a point to them. Let them know a fact. Drop one of the examples above from our travel examples. Add something in one sentence that provides information.
Let the reader know what they get from reading your post. Some circles argue about this but think about commercials. Which one would you watch? The intro that sounds like a principal talking in a monotone, or the one that entertains you? Don't lose your reader before they even read the blog entry. Remember that point.
Don't make the intro too long. the reader will exit out. they'll probably never come back either. Keep the intro short, sweet, and to the point. We've written three-sentence intros before. Once they used, subscriptions came in faster than an umbrella for sale on a rainy day. It works well.
Your tone is everything. you'll develop this more as time goes by. It's rare to know what your tone is when you first begin blogging. Once you have it, then it will bring back regular subscriptions. Set a tone for your intro. It should match your blog entry.
Today's Demands for Intros
Today the search engines are more demanding than ever before. You'll need a set number of characters for a successful blog intro. We covered what and examples of how. We even covered some structures. Check with the search engines used in your area for requirements. Make sure and keep up on those as time goes by. They change. The keywords vary too for subjects that are trending. It's important to master the fine art of integrating the keyword for your daily trending list. Once you master it, you won't need to pay for advertising. Good blogs draw in readers. You could even get subscribers that way as well.
Use social media. A great social media campaign will help you draw in the readers for your blog. Your intro gets followers from that. You'll post these intros you now know how to write on social media. Place your links to your blog and pages. That's it. Just make sure the reader gets what they came for. You must make the intro match that. Otherwise, it's literary death.
Just remember that writing an intro for a blog is an art form. It takes practice to get it right. Once you do, you'll be able to write about anything. You'll get faster at writing them over time. Eventually, you can get that van. Head out to travel across the country, and post as you go. Your blog can be documentation of that journey. You could also share your journey through recovery. Another idea is to share having a baby, and any other thing that readers want to know. If you go the fiction path, you'll write as you go. it's far easier to write a novel, one blog entry at a time. Tell a story of a girl named Susan, or whatever you want to share. Now, you know how to hook the reader.