Skip the Fluff and Get to the Point with Blog Articles

Blog readers come to your article with a purpose: they want answers, insights, or actionable advice, and they want it fast. Yet, many articles start with unnecessary preambles, establishing context the reader already knows or doesn't need.

Take this example:

Fluff-Heavy Opening:

"Maintaining a blog can be a lot of work. A single article can take weeks of research, drafting, and editing, collecting and producing included materials, etc. It’s not unusual to seek some form of compensation for it, and those rewards require initiative. With a good monetization strategy, it can become a fairly lucrative venture."

Cut the fluff—because no one enjoys a long, boring intro. Get straight to the point and keep your readers engaged.

Direct and To-the-Point Opening:"Let’s talk about monetizing a blog, starting with the most obvious and perhaps easiest avenue: display advertising."

Which version grabs your attention more? Most readers will favor the second. The first wastes time explaining what the audience already knows—blogging is work. By the time it gets to the core topic, the reader may have lost interest.

Why Fluff Fails

1. Redundant Information: If someone is reading an article about blog monetization, they likely already understand the effort involved in blogging. Restating the obvious adds no value.

2. Lost Attention: Online readers skim. If the critical information isn’t front and center, they may bounce before reaching it.

3. Decreased Trust: Fluff can feel like filler, which can erode the reader’s trust in your content. If they sense their time is being wasted, they’re less likely to return.

The Value of Direct Openings

Getting straight to the point has several benefits:

1. Captures Attention Immediately: A bold and focused opening signals that you value the reader’s time.

2. Delivers More Value: The faster you provide useful information, the more likely readers are to engage with the entire article.

3. Improves SEO Metrics: Articles that keep readers engaged longer tend to perform better in search rankings. Directness encourages readers to stay and explore further.

The Right-Brain Perspective

For readers who are analytical or results-driven, fluff-heavy introductions are a barrier to entry. They value efficiency and clarity over storytelling or context-building. To them, the faster they can access the information, the better.

Bottom Line

When writing blog articles, skip the fluff and dive straight into the topic. A direct approach respects your reader’s time, delivers value faster, and keeps them coming back for more. The era of the warm-up intro is over—embrace the age of instant insight.