Picture this. You are standing, paintbrush in hand, canvas in front of you… and nothing to paint. Knowing how to begin a blog post can sometimes feel the same way. Knowing just what to write to hook your target reader and keep them engaged is surely an art. Knowing how to craft your blog introduction to ensure it is engaging and SEO-strong will set you apart.
Blog introductions should be crafted according to a template. Engaging blog introductions need to include words from the title. They should contain exciting imagery or other hooks to draw readers in while maintaining the company’s corporate identity. They must be on-topic for the body of the post.
If you have ever written an SEO blog post and wondered where to start, you will be relieved to know there is a pretty set way to write your introductions. Follow our step-by-step tutorial to learn the art of crafting engaging blog introductions, and save this post to revisit it whenever you need. Your SEO will thank you, and so will your clients, who will love reading your blog posts! Let’s get writing!
Crafting Engaging Blog Introductions: How To Get Started
The first step in crafting any good blog post introduction is deciding on the topic for your post. You can get started in this area by looking at your business from an outsider’s perspective.
Look around your store or take a virtual look at your digital business and imagine seeing it for the first time. What questions would you ask? What would you want to know more about? Who would you like to meet?
Here are a few blog post ideas that could lead you to a good topic, and therefore, a great and engaging introduction.
- When did the business launch?
- Introduce us to the staff
- What do you offer?
- What is your best/favorite product or service?
- Success stories from the buildup to the launch of the business or since its inception
- How to use specific products or services you offer
- Information about suppliers you use and why you use them
- Stories around what you provide. For example, if you sell cleaning supplies, write blog posts about how to clean carpets, sinks, fridges, how to recycle cleaning detergent bottles, etc.
- Human interest stories, e.g., your longest, most loyal customer, staff interest pieces, a day in the life pieces, etc.
Once you have your topic and feel inspired to write a post about it, you can start researching it. (Since it should be within your field of expertise, you will likely need minimal research, so this part should be quick and easy for you.)
Come up with a catchy headline, and be sure to include words that are used on your website and have to do with your store. Keep it to the point of the article to avoid confusion or misguiding your readers.
For example, if you are writing about cleaning carpets, a good headline would be:
“How To Use XXX To Clean Your High-Traffic Carpets”. (Insert the name of your cleaning product in place of XXX)
An example of a headline that would not work as well for you would look something like the following:
“Amazing Carpets with A Great Product.”
The second headline is too vague and could be about a few possible topics.
It is important to note that search engines favor headlines that clearly represent the article they head up. This is what you want since one of your goals in writing articles is to get the search results through SEO. (Search engine optimization.)
Crafting Engaging Blog Introductions: The Next Step
The topic has been decided upon, you have researched it, and the headline has been written. It is now time to begin writing your catchy, concise introduction.
As you begin writing your introduction, keep in mind that it should be only around three sentences long. Try to include important keywords from your headline within the first sentence. If it is not possible, the second sentence will suffice.
Your introduction needs to be exciting. It is the hook that will draw your reader’s attention to your article. Include hook-style words that are within your company’s style guide and feel free to use imagery to draw your reader closer as you explain what the article is about.
Be sure to stay on topic. This rule applies not only to your blog introduction but also to every section of your blog article.
Your blog introduction is a sneak peek into what lies ahead for the reader. It is their preview and way of knowing whether or not they should invest their time and energy in reading further.
As you craft your introduction, be sure to show them that it is worth their while to keep reading. By keeping a reader on your page, you may gain a loyal follower of your website and/or social media. Even better, you may gain a new client for your business.
Wrapping It Up
Crafting engaging blog introductions comes down to having a clear understanding of the topic you are writing about and why you want to share that particular information with your readers. As you write your introduction, stay on topic, keep it short, and include keywords from your headline in a non-invasive way to ensure the search engines know that your article is on topic.
As always, when writing, remember to infuse your pieces with an element of yourself. Allow the love of your work to filter through your blog posts, and let your introduction be the section of the post that magnifies that feeling for your target reader to connect with. May your business flourish and, as always, happy writing.
