The Most Shared Articles… What Makes Them Tick? [Introduction Reviews]

“The best way to learn is to learn from the best”

You’re sure to learn a few tricks of the trade from this analysis of the most shared articles online, within the past three days.

Here, we’ll focus only on the introduction:

1.   The Wall Street Journal’s Article on the Mystery of Americans Eating 554 Million Jack in the Box Tacos Annually

“How you present stats can make a huge difference… Don’t just say 554 million per year – say 1,000 times per minute.”

The introduction to this Wall Street Journal article is certainly captivating from the start. It commences with a surprising statistic that Jack in the Box Taco’s are being eaten at a rate of 1,000 times per minute (that gives an even more visceral image compared to saying 554 million Jack in the Box Tacos are being eaten by Americans, yearly).

“Bring in the stats, but don’t lose the conversation.”

Most of all, the conversational/ informal/ casual manner in which this stat is presented makes the content reader-friendly; apart from establishing the authoritative nature of the article.

“Simply mentioning an unusual aspect in the introduction could be enough to make people want to read more.”

The introduction features a cliff-hanger, to an extent, as the reader would be left wondering why would people bite into and keep eating something that’s described as “a wet envelope of cat food”? This unusual/ surprising aspect is sure to make readers inquisitive and draw them on to read the content.

“Aim for a short and sweet introduction.”

All in all, it’s a short and sweet introduction that piques’ the reader’s interest just enough to read on.

2.   The New York Times’ Article on Obama’s Envoys Denied Post-Inauguration Day Extensions

“Figure out your reader’s emotional state and press the right buttons.”

Perhaps mentioning Donald J. Trump at the very start of the article is designed to elicit some deep emotional reaction, based on political allegiances. You would certainly want to find out whether there’s any undue political bias in such a decision to disallow post-inauguration day extensions for Obama’s envoys.

“Don’t just mention a surprising aspect – mention something that makes it even more out-of-the-ordinary.”

Simply mentioning the out-of-the-ordinary circumstance of American diplomats being denied even brief grace periods, after inauguration, is enough to startle the reader. Adding in the aspect of this being unlike “decades of precedent” is sure to make things even more interesting.

“Let the reader know, from the start, that you’ve done your homework.”

On the other hand, the simple mention of “decades of precedent” (referring to politically appointed ambassadors being allowed extensions past inauguration) somehow shows that the writer has done her homework. You would then be expecting a well-researched piece.

3.   CNN’s Article on Hate Crime Charges Against 4 Suspects in a Chicago Torture Video

“Don’t waste time, and words, on well-known facts.”

Since the Chicago torture video was already well-known, the article introduction doesn’t waste time on repetitive details concerning the incident. It goes straight to the point.

“Being brief doesn’t mean leaving out valuable information.”

Despite leaving out unnecessary details, the aspect of the victim being a special needs teen isn’t left out… for emotional effect, perhaps.

“An introduction is a brief description of the content.”

Basically, it’s a simple introduction that gives a brief description of the content.