Motivate Your Audience To Read Your Article

The copywriting advice nobody wants to share.

Copywriters call the first paragraph that appears right after the headline or sub-headline the “opening.” It’s sometimes called a hook because that’s what it does: it hooks readers and motivates them to stay on the page.

Your opening might be

… a startling fact: “The rules of managing money have changed in the last six months.”

… a question: “Are you ready for …”

… the first sentence of a story: “It wasn’t so long ago. I was working as a productivity coach. As part of my coaching, I would ask my clients, ‘What’s your morning ritual?’”

There’s one opening that can be especially tricky.

“If you’re on this page, you’re probably searching for a …”

Or, “You’re probably looking for someone to show you the best way to save for retirement…”

Or we might see a variation without the “probably:”

“You’re looking for someone to dig deeply for the real reason people choose your brand.”

This “we assume” opening needs to be used with care because you’re telling your reader’s story.