Write upside down.
When I’m rewriting a piece of content for a client, I often flip what they’ve written upside down because they’ve buried the lead.
Too many content creators save the most noteworthy, interesting, or important core of their idea for the middle or end of their post.
Common mistakes I see in content introductions:
1. “Throat clearing” – telling the reader over and over what you’re about to tell them.
2. Gimmicky, overused “hooks” some LinkedIn guru taught you.
3. Undercutting your own main point because you’re scared of being criticized when you make it.
4. Leading with the story of your life which barely has any relevance to the point of the content – your personal stories are usually best used as supporting points, not leading ones.
All that stuff can usually be deleted or at least moved down in the content to come after your true key point.
When you bury your main point behind a bunch of fluff, most readers never get to it.
The best way to grab attention is to lead with your most powerful concept.
And once you have attention, readers are more likely to keep paying attention to the rest of what you have to say.
There’s a reason “Write upside down” is the opening line of this post and not the last one.
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