Hey, let’s give some love to our first and last sentences, that is… your opening and closing. The opening sets the approach for your writing, and the closing lures the reader into wanting more information.
You found a blog post you thought would be interesting, you read the first line but it wasn’t intriguing.. you stopped reading! Perhaps it didn’t make sense… how many times has this happened to you? For the writer, imagine what you just lost… yes, a sale!
Here are some great sentence starters and finisher tips! Let’s get our readers interested!
First Sentences:
1) Describe the reader’s problem.
When thinking about your customer perspectives, it’s important to think about their problems. You need to know what they will be satisfied with in order to achieve their outcome.
The problems should be something the reader can relate to based on your niche. Let’s say your niche is about exercising to stay healthy. Some of the problems of not exercising can be.
- low self-esteem
- feeling of being tired
- high blood pressure
- flabby body
- overweight
- stiff joints
2) Ask a question.
This method can get tiresome, so you don’t want to use this too often. Don’t use mundane, tiresome questions like ‘have you ever wondered…?’
When you add a question, ask in a way that will raise their eyebrows… something like:
- What if you can work at home or anywhere in the world, set your own work hours and spend more time with your family? Wealthy Affiliate has figured it out and made it possible for you to…
3) Put your reader into your content.
The first lines are extremely crucial and the first 5 – 10 seconds of your reader’s time can be nail biting… You want to instantly capture the reader’s mind. Include only relevant information, like:
- Examples for your readers to sense recall memory, give notice to.
- A very short story or reminisce about the struggles of someone’s problems that your product can solve.
Example:
You worked all week outside, it’s winter and you’re chilled to the bone, it’s almost 5pm, and you can’t wait to see your family. Your boss approaches you and tells you he needs you to put in a few more hours.
Relatable right? Many of us have been here.
Example:
You can see and breathe the smell of the ocean. The crushing waves rushing onto the white beaches…
4) Place a crazy stat or quote.
Put your readers in shock by placing some kind of crazy statistical data. Get them wondering and sitting up in their chair…’wait a minute, what?’ This a great way to get them paying attention.
Example:
“I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.” Steve Jobs
Last Sentence
The last sentence, is hugely important next to the opening, the first sentence. You don’t want to leave your readers with a feeling of disatification. Leaving them unsettled is fine as long as you have a strong call to action to get them feeling fullfilled. Make your last line count by doing the following:
- Call to action
- Strong finish
- Ask question
- Don’t run out of steam… pump it up and give yourself a great sense of completion
- What do you want your readers to do after they finish reading
- Present a challenge to your readers
Avoid the easy way out like:
- What do you think
Put the Most Important Words or ideas at the Start of Each Sentence
Many of us elaborate our thoughts with too many words and not getting to the point. The reader has to work harder to understand what we’re saying
The first words of every sentence should present a friendly initial impression. This motivates the reader to keep going.
Example:
10 million seniors struggle with lack of mobility according to …
The main focus or idea (the important words) in this sentence is that millions of senior are not physically active. The most important words, that is, the main focus, needs to be placed at the beginning, like:
Some phrases to avoid at the beginning of a sentence:
- In my opinion
- According to
- The purpose of this
- There is a
- In (any year)
- I believe/I think
You can stick these words in the middle, at the end – if you need to use them.