Clients are constantly asking me “does content writing work for small businesses?” I always give a resounding YES!! When done correctly, content writing can be one of the best ways to grab the attention of your audience. Blogs, in particular, can significantly improve your organic website traffic.
In order to grab your readers’ attention, you have to start your blog post off strong. So, skip the industry jargon. From the very first sentence, your audience should understand the tone and the message of your post. They should know that this blog post is going to provide them with information on a topic they’re interested in or answer a question that they have.
A strong start to your blog post will determine whether your readers stay or leave. If you want them to say, here are five effective ways to start your next blog post!
A Powerful Quote
Grab attention with the help of a stop-you-in-your-tracks quote. This could be a quote from you personally or someone famous in your industry.
No matter what quote you use, make sure it is something that will resonate with your readers and encourage them to stop and read your next thought.
A Thought-Provoking Question
Most of the time, your audience is coming to your blog because they have a problem they need solved. Start getting those ideas flowing by asking them a thought-provoking question right off the bat.
This will pique your readers’ interest and inspire them to stick around to find out the answer to this newly presented question.
A Personal Story
One of the reasons why social media is such a powerful tool is because it feels so personal. Even if we don’t necessarily know the person posting, if they give us tidbits about their lives, we feel like we do.
The same works for your blog posts. If you have a personal story that relates to the topic you want to write about, tell it! These stories can go a long way in connecting the writer with the reader and, in turn, the brand with the consumer.
A Shocking Statistic
People might not like math, but they love numbers! Start your next blog post off with a statistic that will shock them, and then continue to provide data to back up your statistic in the content of your blog.
For example, if you say something like “99% of people LOVE this blog,” you can then go into what that statistic tells you, how it relates to your message, and how it impacts your reader.
A Vivid Picture
No one likes dry content. Spice it up a bit by painting a vivid picture of your topic from the very first word.
When you describe a scene, scenario, or setting relating to the topic, it will make the reader feel as though they are a part of the story you’re telling. So set the scene by creating a sensory-rich story that will captivate your readers’ minds.
Start Strong to End Strong
Now that you know how to get your blog off to a strong start, don’t forget to end it the same way. And make sure you download my free resource – 99 Snappy CTAs to Drive Website Conversions – and turn all of those blog clicks into conversions!
If you need other tips or tricks on how content writing works for small businesses, schedule a no-strings-attached consultation call today!