How Do You Start and End an Article?
Did you know that 10% of readers who landed in this article would never scroll down? It is quite a frustrating experience. You have the best idea about something, and you want to share it with the world! But no one would click or scroll down on your content. In this case, you might need to level up your article introduction and conclusion!
To create a compelling and convincing article, you must pay attention to your introduction and conclusion. A catchy and interesting introduction is a must if you want to hook readers to your article. Meanwhile, an inspiring and exciting paragraph ending can spur the reader into action.
There are billions of content available on the internet right now. You can’t even compare the scale to a “needle on a haystack.” A needle on a vast ocean would be a more fitting description due to the massive amount of content online. To reach more audiences, content creators should master the art of making compelling content.
Writing a compelling article is challenging, even to seasoned content creators out there. You need to know how to catch the reader’s attention and make them stay throughout the content. Besides, you need to create a connection to your readers to help them stay until the last sentence.
To do so, content creators should be able to whip up a strong introduction. In tandem with this, the writer should also make a memorable and useful ending to their work.
How Do You Start An Article?
The introduction is just a small part of the overall content. It doesn’t reveal the juiciest details of the article. However, this little piece of writing can decide whether you get the views or not. It doesn’t matter if you put hours and hours of thought and research into your paper. It’s game over if you can’t grab your reader’s attention using a line or two of text.
Readers on the internet have a short attention span. If they find the content boring, they will move on to something more interesting. According to Media Shower, the percentage of someone leaving the page within the first ten seconds of engagement is very high. You only have ten seconds to give your very best impression. These ten seconds are crucial, so make the most out of it by polishing your title and first sentence.
How Do You Do An Introduction?
A good introduction doesn’t start with the content itself; it begins with the headline. Before anyone can even read the introduction, readers will make firsthand decisions by reading the headline. If the title is lackluster, the reader won’t bother taking a second glance at your article.
Hence, you need to add catchy yet useful headlines to your content. Adding intriguing and “question” elements can spark curiosity and prompt the user to click on your article.
Here’s an example. Which one is more compelling?
- “Protein-Rich Food Can Help In Improving Hair Growth”
- “These 12 Super Foods Can Prevent Hair Loss”
The second one will likely get the attention of the readers. The reason behind this is because readers will probably get intrigued by the reveal of the 12 superfoods mentioned. Additionally, people who search for these terms are more likely interested in preventing hair loss than promoting hair growth. Yep, it’s the same thing in hindsight, but preventing hair loss would be a more popular and relatable term.
After creating an eye-catching title, your next focus would be the opening line. The first line of your introduction needs to be relatable to your reader. Writing a powerful introduction can be achieved in different ways.
How Do You Write A Powerful Introduction?
In its most formal definition and usage, the introduction is usually where the writer establishes the content’s purpose. Making the first sentence stick is an integral part of the introduction building. Your opening sentence will create an impression that will stick until the end of the article. There are four ways to make your first sentence eye-catching and appealing to the reader while not alienating the whole introduction.
- Ask a question – Ask a “not too easy, but not too difficult” question related to the topic. This will help your reader get intrigued to continue reading.
E.g. “Do you always find clumps of hair after combing? Are you having a hard time styling your hair because of hair loss?”
- Address a problem – Address the main reason why your audience clicked on your article. Let your readers take a glimpse of a potential solution to keep them reading. Explain why the article is important and why the reader should care about it.
E.g., “Hair loss is one of the biggest and most frustrating hair problems. But we can prevent this from happening with proper hair care and diet. ”
- Tell a related story – Another way of connecting to your reader is telling a related story. Reach out and make them feel that they’re not the only ones experiencing their specific dilemma.
E.g., “We know the struggle of preventing hair loss, and how it affects confidence. ”
How Do You End An Introduction?
To complete your introductory paragraph, explain what the article is all about in the simplest way possible. It’s in this part where you need to excite your readers for what’s about to come. Make sure to use a helpful tone when addressing the problem or purpose of your content. That willingness to help alone can make the reader consider reading other pages on your website.
E.g., “In this article, we made a list of 12 superfoods to help you prevent hair loss.”
How Do You End An Article?
Finally, you’ve reached the end of the article. But how would you wrap things up? Writing a conclusion can be challenging, especially if the topic is quite complex. An article is only considered successful if it manages to evoke an emotion, bring change to the reader’s values, inspire the reader to take some action, or all of these.
How Do You Start An Article Conclusion?
Start your concluding paragraph by reiterating your main point from your introduction. It might seem like a redundant move, but it’s actually a logical one. The main point of your text should be laid out perfectly and is supported by facts and data.
The facts and interesting data now support the main point from your first paragraph. This makes your main point even more convincing to the reader because the facts and ideas from your text body support it.
Make sure that you tied all the loose ends by addressing all the other points presented in the text. This applies to all the points made across all paragraphs, and not just in the introduction. Additionally, this is the part where you write a quick summary. Don’t forget to address the reader’s questions that might only become apparent at the end of the article.
If you used a story as an example throughout your piece, revisit the most important parts of the story and reiterate the scenes to your main point. Share your best insight into the story, but make it as simple and concise as possible.
For continuing stories, you can share what you think would happen in the future instead. And yes, even properly-supported speculation is a good ending, as long as it fits the story and it makes sense to be included.
How Do You End An Article Conclusion?
One of the widely used methods of ending an article is to give the reader something to ponder. You can suggest a change in behavior that aligns with your points made throughout the piece. It’s up to the reader if they want to take up the challenge and change their behavior.
That’s why a good introduction and a reasonable conclusion is a must in an article: it helps significantly in the convincing department. For articles that tackle a certain problem, suggesting a solution is a good chance to share an idea-changer. But you need to supply a convincing fact on why your solution can help the readers in their problems.
Another great way to end an article’s conclusion is to send the reader somewhere. You can direct them to the other parts of your website, which adds up to your overall views. Or give supplemental materials for people who want to do more research about the topic.
This does not mean that you can give them any links, however. Only redirect your users to a significantly related website for additional reading, videos, and more. Readers will not appreciate spammy links, which doesn’t contribute to the article.
And last but not least, if you want to appeal to the readers’ emotions or leave a strong impact, adding a quote at the end is a trick that never gets old. As always, only add quotes relevant to the topic at hand. Don’t forget to attribute the quote to the proper person. This mistake can give you copyright troubles if the quote itself is copyrighted.
