Did you know the average blog reader only spends 45 to 54 seconds reading the page?

To keep your audience from clicking away, you need to avoid these 5 common blog intro mistakes when writing your blog posts.

Top Five Blog Intro Mistakes to Avoid

Watch out for these five pitfalls to set your intros up for success.

1. Lacking a Clear Thesis Statement

Most readers are motivated by a need for more information, and that’s why they come to your site. A lack of a thesis statement makes your blog seem like it lacks focus or the article isn’t a match for what they’re looking for.

Solution

Show your readers you’re giving them the information they need with a clear thesis statement addressing your reader’s pain point, a specific statistic, or your high-level answer to their question.

2. Too Much Information

One of the most common blog intro mistakes is too much info. Too much info in your intro can lead to a fast outro, primarily because it can overwhelm your reader.

Solution

Instead, keep your intro to one or two sentences using the thesis to showcase your most important points. Once your audience has a concise preview of what’s to come, it’s best to move into the meat of the article, where you can start delivering those details.

3. Forgetting About Your Target Audience

It can be easy to focus your intro on what you’re passionate about instead of addressing your audience’s problem. If you forget about your target audience, your readers may feel the blog is meant to solve someone else’s problem, not theirs.

Solution

Make sure your intro resonates with your target audience by imagining when, where, and why they might be reading your content. The more specific you are with who you are talking to, the more likely you are to establish a deeper positive connection to your products or services.

4. Starting with Long, Dense Paragraphs

A long intro comes across as a wall of text which feels like too much work and may send your reader packing.

Solution

You’ll want to keep your intro to one or two short paragraphs. To do this, focus on giving our readers the minimum. This could be just a hook, a connection to their pain point, and a thesis.

5. Not Including a Hook

Some writers jump right into the meat of the discussion without taking a moment to grab their readers, and they may just hit the back button before you even have a chance to convey your key points.

Solution

Remember, online writing is a lot like fishing. Blog hooks get your reader to bite—or at least take a nibble—on your content.

How to Grab Your Readers

Here are some ways to grab readers with your blog hooks:

  • Ask an interesting question
  • Present a surprising statistic
  • Introduce a story that parallels their situation
  • Use a quote from someone your target audience is likely to respect or take advice from
  • Use a contrarian statement, such as “Forget everything you learned in business school about…”

And don’t be afraid to combine any of these techniques.

Looking For Top-Tier Blog Writers?

Avoid these five mistakes, and you might just reel in a nice big lead. But sometimes, the best solution is to outsource to proven, experienced blog writers who can help you produce high-quality content when you need it.

That’s where ClearVoice comes in. We have a wide range of blog writers across hundreds of industries who are ready to help drive your success.

Connect with us for a personal content strategy session today.