The beginning of the article is what grabs the reader. The first sentence should make you want to read the second, the second - the third, and so on, until the very end of the article. At the same time, from the very beginning you must decide on the topic and idea of the article, and also answer the question: "What does my article call for?" Yes, we are all copywriters and we have to think about what we are writing for. Articles can encourage the reader to take one action or another - to purchase a product, follow a link, download a file. Then all your strength from the first word should be thrown into this action. And if your article is informational or entertaining, but the task of the beginning is somewhat different.
Never start with platitudes. Do not repeat what everyone already knows. For example, there is nothing worse when an article begins with the words: "Everyone has known for a long time …". If something has been known to everyone for a long time, then why repeat it again? Take right off the bat. The beginning should be intriguing, not "slowly immersing" the reader into your article.
Avoid generalizations. "All women love cosmetics …" is a rather silly beginning for an article. How do you know that all women are crazy about cosmetics? Or maybe someone has an allergy, but someone fundamentally does not use make-up? Your statement may hurt someone. “Every man is interested in cars …” - before stating this, walk down the street and find out how many men are interested in cars in reality. You will be convinced that not everyone. If generalizations cannot be avoided, then write: "Most, many, practically everything" or simply: "Men are carried away, women love, children will be delighted."
Start with an interesting story. It can be an anecdote, an incident from life, or even an extensive quote. The main thing is to be in the subject and not beaten. If your article begins with the words: "As they say in a famous anecdote …", this beginning is no better than another, starting with banal words.
Give only fresh and verified information. Especially if you are writing an article with a claim to analytics. Agree, it will be strange if you write an article on the state of the housing market in Moscow in 2014, and cite statistics from, say, 2010.
A good start can be a paradoxical question, for example: "Why is the water wet?", "Why was a wandering forest found in the steppes of Kazakhstan?" etc. Any question, even the most delusional one. The main thing is to answer it, otherwise the reader will feel deceived - he swallowed the bait, and instead of an interesting story - a dummy.
Another interesting start is provocation. The "yellow press" often "sins" with this: "A pyramid was discovered on Mars" - but according to the text it turns out that it is not a pyramid, but a play of light and shadow. "A famous actor crashed in a car accident" - and it turns out that on the set of the film the actor's character crashed, and the actor himself calmly gives interviews. It's up to you whether to use this method.
Information can be submitted in the format “Did you know that …”: “Do you know that Abramovich earns the minimum monthly salary of most Russians per minute?”, “Do you know that a fugitive stone was found on Mars?”, “And you do you know that the elder is still in the garden, and the uncle has left Kiev? " etc. Surprisingly, such beginnings "catch" no less than paradoxical questions. Did you know that such principles are almost never used in practice, and this is your chance to "develop" a gold mine?
