I was editing a piece for a new client today and it really hit me just how important intros are.

While the other sections probably only took me 10-20 minutes to comb through, the introduction seemed to drag on forever between my choosing the right words, getting the fact straight, and making sure I wasn’t over promising but still keeping things interesting.

When you think about it though, that makes sense. The introduction is where you set up your ideas, start your conversation, and let your readers know whether it’s worth their time to keep reading the other words you’ve laid out for them.

So next time you’re kicking off a post, whitepaper, or even a long email, sit with the intro a little longer than normal. It matters more than you probably think.

Megan