Five Flawless Ways to Start a Blog Post (with a Surprise!)

It’s a problem we all face. Unless you’re a super confident writer with an endless coffee pot full of creativity, you might face it quite often.

Starting blog posts is challenging.

You’ve got that idea in your head – it pops in on your way home or at the gym doing yoga – then once you sit down, you can’t put it down in any form that looks good, let alone up to your standards!

I present you with my secrets for killer introductions that sparked the initial discussions here 1 year ago! This is all simple, yet often forgotten stuff.

Note: I’d love to hear how you start your blog posts. Do you just write furiously? Plan on a whiteboard? Drop in your comments for the community, and make sure to see the surprise at the very end!

1) The creative quote

[pullquote]First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you! – F. Scott Fitzgerald (Random quote, but I find it funny!)[/pullquote]

First on our list is a quote. A relevant quote works great at the top of a post, because it shows the reader a few things:

• A new way to “get” your blog post
• A touch of inspiration
• An argument which likely supports your point.
• It shows that it’s not just you in your little corner with the idea at hand.

A quote is thus a way you can both add to the strength of your argument while being creative.

There are of course better ways to use a quote than just writing it all boring-like in your text editor. You could try the simple pull quote plugin for WordPress, which displays nicely like my quote above. Like any plugin you can edit the dimensions and colors, though the default mode is quite nice.

You could create your quote in Adobe Photoshop, as I’ve done before, which gives you pretty much unlimited styling.

Or, maybe even hand write your quote on your tablet, then convert it to an image. That’d be super old-school!

Either way, this shows readers a bit of extra flare that can keep them around on your post.

2) The conversation

Whether it’s on Twitter or in a Google+ hangout, kicking off a blog post by referencing a conversation is a fun technique. It shows readers you’re involved off the blog.

Remember, you want to be omnipresent.

And, if it’s an interaction with someone your readers see as important, all the better.

I centered my recent post on eBook strategy over at ProBlogger around a Twitter interaction between Pat Flynn, myself, and anyone who wanted to join.

Turns out, a lot of folks did. The post did pretty well, with 30+ comments. It now ranks in the top 10 for “eBook competition” too 🙂

Overall, launching your blog posts with a conversation is a smooth way to basically hit the ground running in terms of the discussion.

3) The urgent problem + solution

This is at least IMHO the most used method, and it basically works like this.

You could just start writing a post, lecturing your readers, tell them how to do whatever is at hand for that specific post.

But, it makes a lot more sense if you are writing to address a problem. Good news is, the problem can be anything you are aware of!

Maybe a blog post on pumpkin spice french toast doesn’t exist, or someone botched the recipe previously. Maybe you see lots of blogs with crummy sidebars. It can really be anything.

Structuring your blog post around a problem is a surefire way to hit on your reader’s general love for conflict. Unless you’re Seth Godin (and even he makes sure to address problems) you really shouldn’t just be pitching out advice and hoping people listen.

There has to be a motive.

4) The random story

This one is a bit trickier, but perhaps more captivating than the rest.

The idea is this: You start off with a clear and powerful title. That’s a must.

Then, right away, you start talking about a gripping yet unrelated story. Here’s what happens at that point:

The reader experiences a few emotions. They are confused you didn’t jump right in, intrigued by your weird story and probably a bit left out that they don’t “get it”.

Either way, you’ve got them

By far my favorite example to date is how Glen and Ramsay kicked off their Unmasking of the Blog Tyrant. It’s really a random, meaningless story but check it out, I bet you’ll have to read it one you land on the page.

5) The featured video

It doesn’t hurt to give people exactly what they want, and many times it’s a video.

Many blog posts feature a video you’ve made, or one you found that’s super current or helpful. Think about the Huffington Post or any popular news site.

So, why would you bury the video underneath lots of content and risk that someone doesn’t play it?

Here are some reasons video first works:

• If we’re talking about your About Me page, it’s a great way to say hi. I’ve always loved what Bob Lotich does at ChrisianPF, and what Glen does at ViperChill. Talk about cornerstone video content.
• If your blog post is featuring a video, it’s good to show it above the fold, or at least link to it. You many not think so, but this can result in a LOT more views…and comments, thumbs ups, etc.

Showing a video up top is just another way to deliver what your readers want, which as a blogger, is a major goal of yours.

Now, I got a carried away, so here is a sixth technique you’ll need to try (trust me)…

6) The bye-bye bounce rate link

Lastly, great trick for reducing bounce rate because sometimes we all have a little touch of ADD.

Let’s say I’m on this great post you’ve written. The title got me, I’m amped up about what you’re saying, and most of the time I’m so excited that I want more “great post you’ve written.”

By inserting a link at the top of your post you can:

• Reduce a bounce, because you get a click to another post or page
• Brag about another great post you’ve written
• Amplify your presence

If you notice, I used this little one more than probably any other trick. But, like the quotes, there are some best practices.

You want your to create an seo friendly link, and you want to write it out with some authority. So, instead of just interjecting it into a sentence, talking about how you were researching, or proclaiming something.

Even just writing, “as I mentioned over at so and so’s blog” is a great technique. You want people to know you have voice, a voice that’s heard.

So, what’s the SURPRISE?

Update: Application period closed, time for me to brew a pot and review applicants. Thanks to all who applied!

The surprise is that finally, after a year and some weeks, Dear Blogger is hiring!

We have three positions open, all are Social Media Managers of varying responsibility levels, and you can expect job postings here soon!

Honestly, I’ll probably send this out to the email club first, so make sure to join, and keep on checking your mail!

So, if you’ve enjoyed Dear Blogger so far (our eBooks, lengthily comment chats, email newsletters, and more) you might want to follow this opportunity. More very soon on this.

Sidenote: It’s all fun stuff like Tweeting and writing that we bloggers thrive on, and again, it is paid.

Conclusion

In the end, how to start blog posts really comes down to your style. I would recommend mixing these techniques, then tracking which posts do the best.

What do you think? Will you use these techniques, or do you have your own?

Post a comment and to help the community know the best ways to kick off blog posts! Cheers, and thanks for stopping by!