You've got about three seconds. Maybe four if the reader is feeling generous or hasn't had their morning espresso yet. That’s the brutal reality of the digital attention span. If you’re looking for a sample of an introduction that actually works, you have to stop thinking about "writing" and start thinking about "hooking." Most people treat their intro like a formal greeting at a boring networking event. They clear their throat, state the obvious, and lose the reader before the first period.
Stop doing that.
The best introductions don't just summarize what's coming; they create an itch that only the rest of the article can scratch. Whether you're writing a white paper for a SaaS company or a blog post about the best way to ferment sourdough, the mechanics of the "hook" remain remarkably similar. It’s about psychological tension. You want to make them feel like they’re missing out if they click away. Honestly, the biggest mistake is being too academic. Nobody wants to read a textbook unless they’re being graded on it.
The Anatomy of a Sample of an Introduction That Actually Ranks
Search engines have changed. Back in the day, you could just stuff a keyword in the first twenty words and call it a day. In 2026, Google’s algorithms—especially with the evolution of SGE (Search Generative Experience)—are looking for "User Intent Satisfaction." This means if your introduction doesn't signal immediate relevance, your bounce rate will spike, and your rankings will tank.
Think about the "inverted pyramid" style used by journalists at places like the Associated Press or The New York Times. They put the most "vital" info at the top. But for the web, we add a twist: the Narrative Gap.
You start with a bold claim or a relatable pain point. Then, you offer a glimpse of the solution without giving away the whole farm.
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Why the "Dictionary Definition" Intro is Garbage
We've all seen it. "According to Merriam-Webster, an introduction is..." Please, just stop. Unless you are writing for a linguistics dissertation, this is the fastest way to tell a reader you have nothing original to say. It’s filler. It’s fluff. It tells the algorithm that your content is generic.
Instead of defining the topic, try demonstrating the stakes. If you're writing about business pivot strategies, don't define "pivot." Talk about the time Netflix almost died because they tried to split their DVD and streaming services into two different companies (remember Qwikster?). That’s a hook. It’s a real-world sample of an introduction concept that builds immediate authority.
Three Styles of Introductions for Different Goals
Not every piece of content serves the same master. A LinkedIn thought leadership piece needs a different vibe than a technical "how-to" guide.
The Bold Proclamation
This works wonders for opinion pieces or disruptive business takes. You start with something slightly controversial.
Example: "Most marketing budgets are just expensive ways to annoy your future customers."
It’s short. It’s punchy. It makes people want to argue or agree. Either way, they’re reading the next sentence.
The Relatable Failure
Humility is a superpower in content writing. When you share a mistake, you build instant "E-E-A-T" (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).
Example: "I spent $5,000 on Facebook ads last month and didn't get a single lead. Here is exactly where I screwed up."
You’ve just told the reader you have "Experience" and "Trustworthiness" because you're being honest about a failure.
The Data-Driven Start
If you're writing for a B2B audience, numbers are your best friends. But don't just throw a random stat out there. It has to be shocking.
Example: "82% of small businesses fail due to cash flow issues, yet only 15% of founders track their burn rate weekly."
This creates a sense of urgency. The reader thinks, "Am I in that 82%?"
Looking at a Real-World Sample of an Introduction: The "Problem-Agitate-Solve" Model
Marketing nerds love the PAS (Problem, Agitate, Solve) framework for a reason. It works. Let’s look at how you’d actually draft a sample of an introduction using this method for a piece about "Remote Work Productivity."
- Problem: Working from home was supposed to be a dream, but you're currently staring at a pile of laundry while your Slack notifications scream for attention.
- Agitate: The boundary between "home" and "office" has dissolved, leaving you perpetually tired but somehow less productive than when you had a hour-long commute. Your boss notices. Your family notices. You’re burning out, and the "productivity hacks" you found on TikTok aren't helping.
- Solve: It turns out, the secret isn't a new app or a standing desk. It's a physiological shift in how you schedule your deep work blocks.
See what happened there? We didn't just say "here are some tips." We painted a picture of the reader's messy reality. We "agitated" the pain by mentioning the boss and the burnout. Then we promised a solution that sounds different from the usual fluff.
The "Lead-In" Length Mystery
How long should it be? People ask this constantly.
Honestly? As long as it needs to be, but as short as possible.
Some of the highest-ranking pages on the web have intros that are 50 words long. Others, like the deep-dive essays on Wait But Why by Tim Urban, might spend 500 words just setting the stage with a funny story.
If you're writing for Discover, you want "punchy." Discover is a visual and headline-driven feed. Your intro needs to be "scannable." This means short paragraphs. One or two sentences max. It creates white space. White space makes people feel like the reading is "easy," even if the topic is complex.
Technical Considerations: Keywords and SEO Meta-Data
Your introduction isn't just for humans; it's the "welcome mat" for search crawlers. You want your primary keyword—in this case, sample of an introduction—to appear naturally within the first 100 words.
But don't force it.
If it feels like a robot wrote it, a human will bounce. And if a human bounces, Google notices. They track "Dwell Time." If someone clicks your link and hits the "back" button in five seconds because your intro was a wall of keyword-stuffed text, your ranking will drop faster than a lead balloon.
Semantic Variation
Instead of saying the same keyword over and over, use related terms.
- "Opening paragraph"
- "Hook"
- "Lead-in"
- "Article start"
- "Preface"
These tell the search engine the "context" of your page. It shows you're covering the topic deeply, not just trying to game the system.
Common Pitfalls That Make You Look Like an Amateur
I've edited thousands of articles. Kinda soul-crushing sometimes. You see the same mistakes over and over.
One big one is the "Preamble." This is when the writer spends three paragraphs talking about why they are going to talk about the thing. "In this article, I will explore the various ways that one might consider when looking for a sample of an introduction..."
Just do it. Don't tell me you're going to do it.
Another is the "False Hype." Don't promise "life-changing secrets" if you're just giving basic advice. If your intro promises a Ferrari and your body text delivers a bicycle, you've lost that reader's trust forever.
Actionable Steps to Fix Your Current Introductions
Go back to your last three blog posts or reports. Read the first three sentences out loud. Do they sound like a person talking? Or do they sound like a corporate brochure?
- Delete the first paragraph. Often, we use the first paragraph just to warm up. Usually, the "real" intro starts at paragraph two.
- Ask a "Yes" question. "Have you ever felt like your writing is disappearing into a void?" Starting with a question the reader answers "yes" to creates an immediate bond.
- Use the "1-3-1" structure. One short sentence. Three medium sentences. One short sentence. This rhythm is pleasing to the brain. It’s basically music for people who read.
- Cut the adverbs. "Extremely," "really," "very." They weaken your hook. "This is a very good intro" is weak. "This intro kills" is strong.
The goal isn't to be perfect. The goal is to be "unstoppable." You want the reader to feel like they are on a slide. Once they sit down at the top (the intro), they shouldn't be able to stop until they hit the bottom.
Start your next piece by identifying the single most "painful" or "surprising" fact about your topic. Put that in the very first sentence. No "Hello." No "Welcome to my blog." Just the raw, interesting truth. That’s how you write a sample of an introduction that people actually finish reading.
If you want to master this, start practicing the "Micro-Hook" on social media. Try to get someone to click "see more" on a LinkedIn post using only the first 10 words. Once you can do that, writing long-form intros becomes easy. Focus on the tension. Give the reader a reason to care within the first ten seconds, or accept that they're going back to their endless scroll.
Check your analytics. Look at the "Average Session Duration" for pages where you've revamped the intro versus the old ones. The data usually speaks for itself. Better hooks equal more time on page, which eventually leads to more conversions and better search visibility. Stop overthinking the "rules" and start thinking about the person on the other side of the screen. Are they bored? If the answer is "maybe," rewrite it.