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Are you like me? Able to fret ages about what you should put in your introduction? Wondering what people need to read, before they will read the rest of your blog post? I found a simple solution to that and I am happy to share that with you here!
Why are long introductions unwanted?
Long introductions are tedious. In this day and age, people look at your blog posts and any other online content, on a mobile device. Research shows that online reading covers well over 70% of all online content consumed, and this percentage is rising. This means that long introductions mean scrolling. And when ideal readers have to scroll to get to the point they may well decide to click. Click away from your blog post, that is. So, then you have lost your ideal reader, before he or she could decide whether the content of your blog past was worth reading.
What is the invisible effect of long introductions?
The impact of long introductions is also that once ideal readers click away, highly unlikely to return to your blog. They may even feel disappointed, because the promise your blog title holds was what triggered them to clicked to read your blog post in the first place. Now they’ve not realised why they needed the value you shared in your blog post, and somehow in their subconscious minds they might even store the thought that your blog isn’t as valuable to them as they had hoped. Whereas you blog to attract more clients, showcase your expertise and grow your mailing list, this way you’ll end up having an unknown amount of ideal readers who won’t read your blog to the end.
How can you keep your introduction short and to the point?
Treat your introduction as a qualifier: keep it short and to the point. Mention the one problem your blog post is addressing. Any of your ideal readers will resonate with that one problem, because you know exactly what challenges, pains, issues, fears, problems or unfulfilled desires your ideal clients and your ideal readers are facing. So, get straight to the point. Use one to three lines, max. Here, ideal readers will decide either A or B:
A: This is for me, I recognise this issue, I want to read further and I want to know how to solve, reach, achieve the title’s promise.
B: This is not for me, I don’t have issues like this.
The B’s you can’t help, I’m afraid. And that’s just great. They will click away. Good riddance 😉 You don’t want to connect with readers who you cannot help, nor are you able to truly connect with those. And that’s fine. The sooner they know, the better. And for you – there are plenty more fish in the sea, who are far more suitable to connect with.
These fish are the A’s. It’s the A’s you can really serve. The A’s are the ones you can connect with, and the introduction has one sole purpose: to qualify the A’s and entice them to read on.
Would you like to see an example? Then have a look at the introduction of this blog post: https://saskiavanderiet.nl/write-with-confidence/
So, remember, all you need to do is use one or two sentences to make clear what your blog post is about. The rest will fall into place. Really, just try it out.
Now, I would love to know what your main insight was reading this post. Please share that here in your comment. In return, I will give you a small, simple, sweet visual blogging tool.
Invitation to The Free Blog Recipe Webinar
It is my greatest wish to inspire and encourage you to build your online legacy. Would you like be confident in sharing your valuable content with your readers, prospects, fans and clients in the most simple, fast, and authentic way? Wouldn’t you just love to eliminate the unnecessary stress, time, effort and energy that you experience about blogging?
Are you ready to start writing for your blog with confidence? Then book your spot now, as numbers are limited. See you there! The totally Free Blog Recipe Webinar
Live, Love & Leave your Legacy
Saskia
xx