Top 10 Strategies For Introductions To Make Your Essay and Content Standout

Stop writing! Drive a taxi if you cannot create a great introduction. That sounds too harsh, but you cannot quantify the truth. A great article introduction is like the aroma and the appealing look of a scrumptious meal that invites you to take a taste. Admittedly, the article title welcomes you, but it doesn’t keep you. A great introduction does. Thus, you should know strategies for introductions just like a cooking skill.

According to Copyblogger, 8 out of 10 people read the title. But a great welcoming introduction keeps them. Unfortunately, many article introductions are weak and discourage readers from reading further. Knowing how to choose a blog idea, write unique content, beat plagiarism software, or generate traffic. Thus, getting to write an attention-grabbing introduction completes your journey in content marketing.

Sadly, many do not know how to grab their readers by the jaw. However, fortune has smiled on you as you will learn how to write a powerful introduction, including some powerful strategies for introductions that you will not see anywhere else.

What is an introduction?

An introduction is the opening paragraph of a blog post, essay, article, or journal. As a freelancer or blogger, the introduction is the first paragraph after the title of the post. Well, virtually everyone knows what an intro is, but how do you craft a powerful opening, or what element should your introduction have? Read on

The elements of an introduction – Strategies for Great Introductions

Your great blog post introduction achieves three things, which are the must-have elements in your article.

Hook

Your introduction should grab the audience by the collar and land them to read the entire content. A great introduction is concise and tailored to the topic, making it interesting. So, your hook can be a word, a phrase, or a sentence long.

Transition

After grabbing the audience’s attention, next are the few words that link the hook to the body of the content. It is like holding a visitor’s hand and leading them to the dining.    

Thesis

Your introduction should summarize the content for the readers. This enforces why the readers should continue beyond the introduction and read the entire content. Hence, your thesis should answer what is in for us.

Strategies for introductions to make them powerful

Lay bare the problem.

For anyone to open your blog post, the title must have promised to solve a particular problem, like this blog post is solving the introduction’s issues.

Believe it; nothing is more comforting than seeing that the writer understands your problem and is ready to solve it.

Hence, highlight the pain point your post is solving to glue readers to your post. When readers see their pains in the introduction, they believe they are in the right place, quickly grabbing their attention.

Here’s an example from Shopify:

Narrate a story

Memorable brand marketing stories touch the readers’ journey in a way that explains, ‘We once had your problem, we have solved ours, and this post will solve yours.’

Hence, a memorable story grabs readers’ attention and helps them relate to the content. LinkedIn Technology Marketing Community reported that compelling content is 57% storytelling.

 Check Wealthsimple’s interview with Kylie Jenner.

What is in for the readers?

Thanks to the digital era, our attention span is short. A way to arrest the reader’s attention is to highlight the gain of the article. Otherwise, they will lose attention and run.

Thus, one of the strategies for introductions is to let the introduction explain what the readers will benefit from and their expectations of the article. Your introduction should answer the question: Will this be worth my time?

When you explain what is in for the reader, you have covered what the article is for, what will be presented, and the take-home message.

Not every reader reads the entire content, but your introduction can make them consume it or ensure they click on the particular section that will help them.

Here’s an example from Backlinko:

Ask a question

A question in your introduction already sets the reader’s brain on fire and lets them ponder the answer before reading the post.

Provide the answer to the question in your post. Creating a question has been working for years, and it will continue to work. But be creative with it, as many new writers find it easy to use and may soon sound like a cliché to your audience.

Here is an example from Neil Patel

Choose a side of a debate.

If your title has two sides like a debate, choosing a side of a discussion from the onset makes you retain readers to understand your opinion. If you understand storytelling, you will realize that a confrontation helps in getting engagement.

For a post without two sides, challenge a popular myth or belief about the topic to create controversy, which your post will explain.

What happens when you are confrontational and choose a side in an article?

• Readers will accept your claim
• Readers will reject your claim
• Others will stick around to see why you are challenging such a myth

These three sets of readers will likely read on to see what you will come up with. In most cases, they will read up to your conclusion. As such, be controversial in your introduction.

Here’s an example from AllBusiness

Employ a quote

Another one from the strategies for introductions is a quote from thought leaders is ideal for opening a page and may compel readers to read more. A quote that backs up your main point is necessary.

You can use quotes to explain a belief on the topic, or you may challenge the quote everyone believes in your introduction.

However, avoid using quotes often as you will lose your originality and even become lazy to write without experts’ opinions. Use quotes sparingly.

Create your content. Avoid excessive use of quotes to write a great introduction.

Here’s an example from Forbes:

Do not dwell on what we all know.

You should not be writing about the types of Christmas shoes and explaining what Christmas is to us. Your readers want what is new in a very short period; give it to them – this is one of the beautiful strategies for introductions you must master.

The chances are that someone searching for ‘the types of laptops’ already knows what a laptop is. Therefore, don’t go about defining what a laptop is.

Give us what we don’t know, not the generic definition. Otherwise, readers will yawn right from the introduction and doze off before reading the content.

Use statistics

Numbers are great and inform readers how strong the opinion or solution you are bringing is. Incorporate it as one of the strategies for introductions.

If you are writing about internet users, let us know how many internet users are there to understand how strong your points are.

It is like mentioning a disease no one has ever had. You will not look serious. But what of HIV, cancer, or coronavirus; The statistic is high.

Give us numbers to capture the minds of your readers and understand how compelling the point you are writing is.

Explain the benefits of the post

It is rare to see someone reading an article without being interested in learning a thing or getting information that will improve their lives.

You may be writing on the importance of baking soda and cooking basmati or Nigerian jollof rice. Your readers want results; give it to them right from the introduction.

Grab your readers by the jaw by offering the benefits of your content in simple terms. Explain what the audience will get when they read the post.

Let the introduction come last.

You may wonder why you need to write the introduction last when it is the first thing you will read after the headline. But here are reasons why it should be the last

• It is the most important paragraph of the article and you may waste time trying to perfect it.
• Your article became clearer to you once you were done writing the content. In fact, the first introduction you write may not befit the article anymore. Thus, you will waste the first effort if you start with it.

As such, you can leave till you finish the content. Learn to use this, it is one of the powerful strategies for introductions.

Understanding the Distinction: Introduction versus Abstract

The introduction is an essential component of any written work, providing context and setting the stage for the reader. It serves several crucial functions:

• Contextualization: Introduces the topic and provides background information.
• Thesis Statement: Presents the main argument or purpose of the work.
• Scope and Objectives: Outlines what the reader can expect to find in the subsequent sections.
• Engagement: Aim to capture the reader’s interest and motivate them to continue reading.
• Establishes Relevance: Explains why the topic is important and why the reader should care.
• Provides a Roadmap: Offers a brief overview of the structure and organization of the paper.

In essence, the introduction acts as a bridge between the reader’s existing knowledge and the specific subject matter of the work. It is where the author lays the foundation for the reader’s understanding and prepares them for the in-depth discussion that follows.

Abstract:

The abstract is a concise summary that encapsulates the essence of a work, providing a snapshot of its content and key findings. It serves the following purposes:

• Brevity: Typically a condensed version, often limited to a few hundred words.
• Summarization: Offers a succinct overview of the entire work, including its purpose, methodology, results, and conclusion.
• Stand-Alone Document: This can be read independently of the full work to give a quick overview.
• Keywords and Phrases: Includes specific terms that are vital for searchability and indexing.
• No Citations or References: Generally does not include citations or detailed references.

Unlike the introduction, which is integrated into the body of the work, the abstract is usually presented as a separate section at the beginning, allowing readers to quickly assess whether the full work is of interest to them.

Key Notes:

• Introduction:
  • Provides context, background, and relevance.
  • Contains a thesis statement and roadmap.
  • Engages and prepares the reader for the main content.
  • Located within the main body of the work.
• Abstract:
  • Offers a condensed summary of the entire work.
  • Is a standalone document for quick assessment.
  • Includes essential keywords for indexing.
  • Appears at the beginning, separate from the main text.

This breakdown should provide a clear understanding of the distinctions between an introduction and an abstract in academic or written works.

Conclusion

Making a great introduction requires tactics and strategies to grab readers’ attention. Although it comes after the title, you don’t need to start with it. Be creative in your intro; do not appear boring.