How to Hook Readers in the First 5 Seconds (Before They Click Away)
You have 5 seconds. Maybe less.
That's how long readers give you before they decide to stay or leave your page. And it all comes down to your opening lines.
Why Most Intros Fail
Here's what kills reader interest fast:
"In today's digital world..."
"Have you ever wondered..."
"Welcome to my blog post about..."
These boring starts make readers think "not again" and hit the back button. Your great content never gets a chance.
3 Proven Ways to Start Strong
1. Lead with a Bold Claim
Instead of: "Social media can be useful for businesses."
Try: "One tweet made us $50,000 last month."
2. Ask a Question That Hits Home
Instead of: "Do you want better results?"
Try: "Why did your last blog post get 12 views while your competitor's got 5,000?"
3. Start with a Quick Story
Instead of: "Content marketing is important."
Try: "Sarah spent 6 hours writing a blog post. It got 3 views. Here's what she did wrong."
The 5-Second Rule
Test your intro by asking:
Would I keep reading this?
Does it make me curious?
Is it clear what's in it for me?
If you answer "no" to any of these, rewrite it.
Your Next Step
Great intros are just the start. Every part of your web content needs to work together to keep readers engaged.
Get my free 5-Minute Web Writing Audit - the same checklist I use to optimize content for my 10,000+ newsletter subscribers. It covers the 7 things I check in every piece I write before hitting publish.