Quick
Reference: How to Implement an Effective Expert
Statement
Structure
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This page and the next page will explain all you need to know about implementing an effective expert statement structure.
The lead should capture the reader's attention and persuade him or her to keep reading. It should also introduce the subject of your HelpGram and convey relevance. In other words, the lead should explain why your HelpGram ought to be read. Expert statement leads are typically 1-3 sentences.
Below are some examples of the types
of leads above. They will help you generate ideas for leads. But don't limit
yourself to these ideas. As long as your lead captures and keeps the reader's
attention, it serves its purpose. So be creative!
Question
Questions are excellent leads for expert statements. They instantly capture the reader's attention, validate the reader's concern, and engage the reader. The examples below come from HelpGrams:
Examples
of Question Leads from HelpGram Expert Statements
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Are you feeling a little stuck when it comes to choosing the right career path? Well, you're not alone -- there are millions of others out there going through the very same thing. |
When someone mentions summer or spring, do you automatically think of miserable days filled with sneezing, runny noses and itchy, watery eyes? If so, you're not alone. |
Paradox
Paradoxes are excellent for grabbing the reader's attention by introducing ironic truths. The example below comes from a HelpGram:
Example
of a Paradox Lead
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Many experts agree that nowadays, a degree won't get you very far unless you've got relevant, hands-on work experience as well. In an age when bachelor's degrees have become commonplace, it's true that you might need more than a college education if you want to land that dream job after graduation. You know the drill: you can't get a job without experience, and you can't get experience without a job. What an age-old drag. But believe it or not, there is a solution: Internships! |
Humor
If you can make your readers smile, you'll likely hold their attention for at least a few more sentences. So use a little humor every now and then. But don't get carried away. Humor has various shades. So never write anything that could be misinterpreted or viewed as offensive. The example below comes from a HelpGram:
Example
of a Lead That Uses Humor
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Let's be honest. Everyone fights. Even those blissfully in love couples who are always holding hands and smooching at the movies. |
Clever idea
Clever leads can result from the ideas you convey, the logic of your ideas, your clarity of thought, or your arrangement of words. But be careful when creating your leads. Avoid cocky or patronizing comments. The example below comes from a HelpGram:
Example
of a Clever Lead
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Actions really do speak louder than words, whether you want them to or not. The way you act at a job interview says a lot about you, and it may say too much if you're not careful. |
Interesting or powerful fact
Interesting or powerful facts instantly grab the reader's attention because they typically communicate something that the reader is unaware of. So always jot down interesting facts that you discover in your research. If you were previously unaware of such facts and if you find them interesting, chances are your readers will too. The examples below come from HelpGrams:
Examples
of Leads That Use Interesting or Powerful Facts
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Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone that converts sugar, starches, and other food into energy needed in daily life. Diabetes disproportionately affects African Americans at a rate nearly double that of White Americans. In addition, diabetes death rates for African Americans are 2.5 times higher than their White counterparts |
Lower back pain is a significant health problem in the United States today. About 70-85% of all people experience lower back pain at some point in their lives, and it is estimated that over $80 billion is spent annually to alleviate it. |
The best way to organize your expert statement is chronologically. Do this by following the sequence below:
Be sure to let your topic govern whether all the types of supporting sentences listed above are necessary.
The inverted pyramid is a common way to organize your writing from its most to least important details. It entails answering the who, what, when, where, why, and how up front. Then elaborating on each of these details later in your article. An outline is useful for achieving an inverted pyramid format. Remember, you want to capture the reader's attention by stating your purpose for writing and the topic's relevance up front. Web readers don't have the patience for suspense.
Also, you may have read books that instruct you to save the most emphatic words or the most important details for the end of your sentence or paragraph. Well, break this rule! Since Web readers are impatient scanners, place your most emphatic words and important details at the beginnings of your sentences. This will maintain your readers' attention.
In addition, arrange each data point from most to least important (unless you're writing how-to data points or other types of data points that warrant a chronological structure) as well as the sentences within each data point. Follow the inverted pyramid structure with your links and books as well.
In sum, the inverted pyramid structure applies to the following:
Pay careful attention to the closing sentence of your expert statement. It should always include one or more of the following details:
Examples
of Closing Sentences That Reference the Data Points and the Links Below
the Expert Statement
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Examples
of Motivational Closing Sentences
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