What’s the second most important part of your posts, after that catchy title? The first paragraph.
Many bloggers don’t get much response to their article because many people dropped out of reading their article because the “1st paragraph” wasn’t too convincing for them.
Like a sales man; when he knocks at your door he firstly introduce about the product by telling the important and interesting things about it, he doesn’t tells any rubbish info like it’s power consumption or it’s weight etc. . This makes most of the people buy that product. Similarly you have to try and make your 1st paragraph of the article so much interesting that will make the reader scroll down and read the rest of the part.
If your 1st para doesn’t makes you look a good sales man,
then the rest of your article might not be thought useful by readers.
Here are 10 ways to make the first paragraph of your article drag the reader to read the rest of the part:
1. Ask a question-
Starting your post with a question is a very good strategy, it creates curiosity and makes the reader think on it. The thinking may often result in linking your content, and that is something very good for you.
2. Start by quoting an interesting story part-
They are one of the best ways to communicate and to produce emotional reactions in others like sympathy, apathy, laughter, anger, sadness and so on.
3. Put a picture in the first paragraph-
We all know that a good image captures the attention of the eyes, so do not miss the opportunity to use it. But beware, do not forget that you are trying to attract attention from the first paragraph to redirect them to full article, if you use a striking image, but that has nothing to do with the article, the effect is lost. Use an image that readers can identify with the title or phrase, or representing a situation arising in the first paragraph of the article or topic.
4. Use the reader’s Imagination-
Usually if you describe something that a person can imagine or project in the backdrop of his head, then it will help you. Appealing to the mental imagery is one of the most powerful things you can do as a writer or speaker. You can help make this happen using words like “imagine” ,”think like a ..”, etc..
5. Make an analogy or Comparison-
How many times we explain things without any success until someone comes and says, “does this means…” or “is it similar to…” and suddenly, although the topic has nothing to do, we understand.
When writing your 1st paragraph, remember something which brings to mind a comparison that is useful for the reader to understand more easily, do not ever hesitate to mention it.
6. Use Metaphor in your article-
Metaphors are among the most powerful tools as it helps to tell a story or give advice in only one sentence. It is a great way to attract attention and cause a mental image that allows readers to tell a story themselves.
7. Use some Surprising Statistics-
Starting your article with numbers is not always recommended, but this is the exception to the rule; an interesting and shocking statistic is a great technique. People like them who provide interesting data, but only if they are original, surprising or shocking. Like the images; the statistics used must also be relevant to the topic you are trying.
Note: Do not abuse the amount of numbers, Use figures from reliable sources, and if you use graphics to enhance your statistics for greater impact then it will give you more benefits.
8. Quote someone famous or an expert-
A quote from an expert in one subject or character recognition, can work wonders in attracting the reader’s attention in those first few seconds.
9. Write a summary of your post-
If your article is long and you feel it’s excellent but somewhere the reader might skip then at the last of the article you can summarize the article so that your reader gets the proper information about that article.
10. Beware of links in the first paragraph-
Particularly I think the links are very useful, to describe what it has been inspired from or what it is related to.
But if you use them in first 2-3 lines to raise a condition for understanding your article, then probably your reader might leave. Unless you are a continuing any post series,do not place links in the first paragraph that readers need to visit to understand the rest of the article; it will only encourage them to leave faster which you really don’t want.
Remember! If you get a great title and a first paragraph, then it will ensure that you get the reader’s attention to the rest of the article.
Please lemme know your response on this article and how you! take care of your 1st paragraph of the article.
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Great article. Thanks for the GREAT tips on writing articles. To be successful with any type of marketing or promotions, both online or offline, one must be able to properly write an article which will get the point across and also compel the reader to read the complete article all the way through. I believe the first paragraph should give an idea about what you are writing about as well as establish your credibility and give the reader a solid reason as to why they should read your article. Following paragraphs should provide supporting details and the final paragraph should summarize everything and bring the whole article together.
Writing articles takes time and practice. For best results, one should spend time reading the articles of known successful marketers, and use the formats of those articles as a guide for writing their own.
I think using a quote right off the bat is a great way to catch the attention and garner interest. From there these other tips can be used to keep the interest going. How well does shock value go over in a paragraph? I suppose there is the chance of turning someone off but it could help. What do you think?
The hardest part of writing an article is on how to begin it, on how to let your reader enjoy on the introduction so they could keep on reading. Thank you for this article, you made it easy to begin.
One more thing. I have found that it is best to never come across as if you are actually selling something. Instead make sure that it sounds like you are just trying to provide friendly information, then drop a link to a recommended and related product similar to your article. And of course it is totally alright if you receive an affiliate commission.
the title and the first paragraph are 2 primary factors that decide the fate of a post, thank you for the valuable info
The first paragraph is critical but you can only be effective if you know your readers. If you don’t know who your readers are you won’t know what they want. Once you know that you can deliver!
I’ve always read to include a link in the first paragraph for seo. Do you think it actually impairs article authority to include a link?
Google great likes links at the start rather than placed at any corner of a website. So it’s really good for that site that is getting linked in starting within an article. It doesn’t affects article authority as such because Google greatly admires linking to related outgoing links wherever possible.
you have to imagine yourself as the reader…. pretend to be the reader…. if your post then seems interesting to you it then will surely interest your readers… good job….
the first and foremost rule is better English…good english creates the first and best impression
You have a great write up here Sushant! I strongly agree with you, writing a short and brief summary in the first paragraph would really help a lot, at least it won’t make people feel boring and easy to understand what you’re trying to write in this post. I’ve seen some bloggers trying to write as long as they can in the first paragraph, it actually easy to drive people off because of the lengthy definition.
Writing a short brief, then straight go to the point, that would be perfect.
Great idea Sushant!
Regards,
Lee