Think back to the last time you sat through a string of presentations, a conference, a webinar, an all-hands meeting where the agenda ran long and the coffee ran out.
Some sessions flew by. Others immediately triggered the thought: “Now’s a good time to go to the bathroom and get a snack.”
You know the feeling. We all do.
The difference between the sessions that flew and the ones that made you fantasize about the snack table? The speaker didn’t make their presentation audience-focused. They were delivering information, relevant information, even useful information, but it wasn’t stirring up the desire to keep listening.
This scenario is your writing life in miniature. The question isn’t whether your content is informative. The question is whether it’s irresistible.
How to persuade someone to keep reading
Content editors structure writing the way great presenters structure talks, with a single-minded focus on the audience’s experience.
When I say “action” in writing introductions, I don’t mean verbs for the sake of verbs. I mean Attention Activators, the specific techniques that transform a reader’s experience from passive consumption to active engagement. When a reader has an “active” experience, you stir up the desire to keep reading. When they have a “passive” experience, they’re one click away from leaving.
Let me show you three of these Attention Activators. Each one places your reader at the center of the presentation you’ve crafted for them.
Attention Activator #1: An unusual point of view
“Being outrageous for the sake of being outrageous” is exhausting, for you and your audience. It’s not sustainable. You’ll either run out of “shocking” things to say or earn a reputation as a cheap click-bait operation.
The unusual point of view I’m talking about is genuine, rooted in your real creativity and research, not a manufactured hot take. It’s the perspective that makes someone think, “Huh. I never thought about it that way.”
In an introduction, this could look like:
- A comparison your reader hasn’t encountered before
- A little-known statistic you’re going to unpack and analyze
- An unpopular stance you’re prepared to defend with a real argument
It’s about being bold in a way that’s earned, demonstrating why subscribing to your site is a smart bet. Curiosity follows naturally.
Attention Activator #2: Next-level benefits
Your article might cover the same general topic as dozens of others. This fact paralyzes a lot of writers. Why bother if everything’s already been said?
But if writing is truly your calling, and if you’re reading this, it probably is, you know that’s the wrong response. The right response is to sharpen the skills that make someone choose your piece over all the others.
One powerful method: tell your ideal reader exactly what they want and need to hear, right from the headline and introduction. No room for generic writing. Ultra-specific choices only.
I call this technique Extreme Brainstorming, challenging yourself to get clearer about who you’re talking to and the transformation they’re hoping for. Write down every possible way to state your article’s most compelling benefit. Narrow to your top choices. Select the strongest.
Your headline won’t be a bare-bones:
How to Wake Up at 5AM
It’ll carry more specificity:
How to Wake Up at 5AM Every Day, Even When You’re Not a Morning Person
Readers choose articles that speak to their specific struggles. Your content must deliver on that headline’s promise, so keep these next-level benefits in mind through every stage of creation. The first draft might look generic. Careful editing refines it into something readers won’t find elsewhere.
Attention Activator #3: Participation
I used this technique in the very first sentence of this article.
“Think back to the last time…”, three words that invite you into the exploration rather than merely presenting information at you. When your introduction only explains, you don’t show your reader that you have something unique to offer. You need to engage while you explain.
Encourage your reader to:
- Imagine
- Remember
- Consider
- Forget a popular notion
- Set a timer and do an exercise
Combine this Activator with the others to introduce your unusual perspective or next-level benefits right away. Readers should feel confident about choosing your article, which increases the chances they’ll keep reading and return for more.
There’s a lot of good content out there that never gains traction because the writer focused too heavily on speaking to an audience, an abstract, amorphous mass, rather than speaking with individuals.
Great content understands that the writer and reader aren’t so different. They’re on a journey together, mutually beneficial, each bringing something the other needs. This philosophy isn’t just for blog posts. It’s the foundation of great newsletter writing, great podcasting, great everything.
Great first impressions grow your audience
We all love something new. Something we haven’t seen before. Something that makes us think, “Damn. I wish I wrote that.”
That’s why compelling introductions are directly tied to audience growth. The first impression is your opportunity to persuade. Convince someone to keep reading, and you’ve done something most writers never manage: you’ve made them choose to stay.
Not because they have to. Because they want to.
The difference between content that informs and content that irresists (yes, I made that word up, and you understood it instantly, which proves the point) lives in those first few sentences. Three Attention Activators. One reader, leaning forward, glad they clicked.
Your move.