How to Implement an Effective Expert Statement Structure

 

The expert statement should consist of the following:

Quick Reference: How to Implement an Effective Expert Statement Structure

  • Write a lead that will grab the reader's attention.
  • Follow the chronological six-step sequence to organize your expert statement, but let your topic guide whether all the supporting sentences are necessary.
  • To use an inverted pyramid style, arrange each sentence in your expert statement and data points from most to least important, and organize the words within your sentences from most to least important. Also, arrange your recommended links and books from most to least important/relevant.
  • Write a closing sentence that references the data points and the links below the expert statement, and/or motivates the reader to check out the the data points and the links below.

This page and the next page will explain all you need to know about implementing an effective expert statement structure.

Expert statement leads

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.

Some effective formats for expert statement leads include the following:

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
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
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
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
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
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.

Using a chronological structure to arrange your expert statement

The best way to organize your expert statement is chronologically. Do this by following the sequence below:

  1. Lead.

  2. Supporting sentence(s) that introduces and defines the issue.

  3. Supporting sentence(s) that explains the relevance of the issue to the user.

  4. Supporting sentence(s) that increases the reader's motivation to do something about the issue.

  5. Supporting sentence(s) that reassures the reader that a positive outcome is possible.

  6. Closing sentence(s) that introduces the data points and the links.

Be sure to let your topic govern whether all the types of supporting sentences listed above are necessary.

The inverted pyramid

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:

Closing sentence for expert statement

Pay careful attention to the closing sentence of your expert statement. It should always include one or more of the following details:

  1. The closing sentence should reference the data points and the links below the expert statement.
Examples of Closing Sentences That Reference the Data Points and the Links Below the Expert Statement
  • Read the information and follow the links below
  • Check out the information and the links below for some tips
  • Read the information and the references below for some tips.
  • Read the tips and click the links below to learn more.
  1. The closing sentence should motivate the user to read the information and to follow the links below.
Examples of Motivational Closing Sentences
  • So what are you waiting for? Check out the information and the links below to transform your trial into triumph. You can do it!
  • To make your struggle with homesickness as pain-free as possible (and your adjustment period as brief as possible) follow the tips listed below.
  • There are ways of dealing with your conflicts that will ease the tension and make your working relationship a lot more bearable for you both, but most importantly, for you. Read the information and follow the links below to learn more

 

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