{"id":9717,"date":"2015-07-09T15:05:55","date_gmt":"2015-07-09T22:05:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-crowdcontent.com\/?p=9717"},"modified":"2024-04-04T05:12:47","modified_gmt":"2024-04-04T12:12:47","slug":"opening-lines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/resources\/writer\/university\/blogging\/opening-lines\/","title":{"rendered":"Opening Lines"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Opening Lines<\/h2>\n<p>If your readers decide that your title is interesting, they might read your opening lines. Once again, you need to make a good impression. Just because they\u2019ve started reading your blog post, doesn\u2019t mean that your readers will continue.<\/p>\n<p>Some of the techniques for writing opening lines, like meeting a need and being shocking or controversial, are used in <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" title=\"Titles\" href=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/resources\/writer\/university\/blogging\/titles\/\">writing titles<\/a><\/span> too. Other techniques are unique, so let\u2019s look at those.<\/p>\n<h3>Ask Questions<\/h3>\n<p>Questions engage your readers by making them think about answers. Some questions help readers buy in to your post:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Do you want to write captivating opening lines?<\/li>\n<li>Do you love chocolate?<\/li>\n<li>Have you ever worried about paying off your mortgage?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Other questions leave readers wondering what the answer is:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What do karate and content marketing have in common?<\/li>\n<li>Is Seattle the best city in the US?<\/li>\n<li>How did I lose 30 pounds in 30 days?<\/li>\n<li>You can decide whether one question or a series of questions seems more effective for your particular post.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Share Stories<\/h3>\n<p>Readers are human and they love seeing the personal and human side of writers. Sharing a story, whether it\u2019s about you, someone else, or is completely fictional, <strong>creates a personal connection that attracts readers.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Example: I ran into a tree today. I\u2019m not usually so klutzy, but I was on the verge of a eureka moment\u2026.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> Example: \u201cYou will have an adventurous career\u201d, the fortune teller told me. While I wouldn\u2019t describe my office job as adventurous, today\u2019s guest certainly has an adventurous life.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In the first example, the story continues, while in the second example the story is a single line.<\/p>\n<h3>Empathize with Your Reader<\/h3>\n<p>Another way to create a personal connection with readers is by empathizing with them. Maybe you\u2019ve identified a need in your title and now you can sympathize about that need.<\/p>\n<p>Example: You\u2019ve just started content writing and you aren\u2019t getting any projects. Trust me, I know how depressing that time feels. But it get\u2019s better.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Empathy makes your readers feel valued.<\/strong> Follow your first empathizing sentences with sentences that promise and reassure your readers so that they know how they\u2019ll benefit from reading your article.<\/p>\n<h3>Engage Imaginations<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Instead of telling a story about yourself, tell one about your readers.<\/strong> Let them picture themselves in a certain situation, whether that scenario is something that they have experience with or not.<\/p>\n<p><em> Example: You\u2019ve just won the Nobel Prize for Physics. There\u2019s only one problem: you\u2019ve got lots of speeches and interviews scheduled, and you\u2019re terrified of public speaking.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> Example: You\u2019ve done everything right. Your blog is scannable, has plenty of content, and is written by experienced writers. But almost no one is reading it. Why? Oh, I think I know what your problem is! What\u2019s your SEO strategy?<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Follow Authorities<\/h3>\n<p>Remember how popular <a title=\"Titles\" href=\"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/resources\/writer\/university\/blogging\/titles\/\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">numbered lists in titles<\/span><\/a> are? Well, statistics are popular too.<\/p>\n<p><em>Example: 75% of households in the United States have internet in the home<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quotes are another way of establishing authority.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em> Example: \u201cThere is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.\u201d &#8212; Ernest Hemingway<\/em><\/p>\n<p>When you use a statistic or quote as an opening line, <strong>make sure that you\u2019re choosing it because it\u2019s a good fit and not because you\u2019re too lazy to think of your own opening line.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Learn More:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.copyblogger.com\/seductive-openings\/\">Copyblogger: Opening Lines<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.problogger.net\/archives\/2008\/08\/23\/11-ways-to-open-a-post-and-get-reader-engagement\/\">ProBlogger: Opening Lines<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Opening Lines If your readers decide that your title is interesting, they might read your opening lines. Once again, you need to make a good impression. Just because they\u2019ve started reading your blog post, doesn\u2019t mean that your readers will continue. Some of the techniques for writing opening lines, like meeting a need and being [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Opening Lines - Content Creation Advice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Opening Lines If your readers decide that your title is interesting, they might read your opening lines. 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