Give them a good lead
Standfirsts need to let the readers know what they will get from reading an article, says HUMPHREY EVANS
GLANCING through back numbers of Anglican Episcopal World, the must-have glossy that keeps you up to speed with what the bishops are up to, I found myself dismayed by the take-it-or-leave-it presentation, specifically by the lack of standfirsts designed to lure the reader in.
In my world, any standfirst is better than none.
One feature was headlined: “Archbishop of Canterbury’s visit to China”, with just a tagline: “Bishop David Urquhart’s Diary 7th-23rd October”. It’s hardly seductive.
Imagine a more active headline: “Canterbury goes to Beijing”. An enticing standfirst could make even more difference: “Join Rowan Williams, archbishop of Canterbury, as he meets religious and political leaders on his journey through China. Bishop David Urquhart shares the diary he kept during the trip.”
This takes ditches the notion that the stuff is so momentous that the readers will apply themselves to reading it regardless. We want them to feel that they can share the experiences, rather than just being blankly told that they happened
Drawing the reader in makes a difference when writing any standfirst. Here’s one from Source, the free magazine given to John Lewis customers: “Executive chef Jason Atherton likes to add a little Michelin-starred magic to his dinner parties.” Well, good for him, was my reaction.
Rejig it a little and you can show the readers what’s on offer, rather than making them work it out for themselves: “Executive chef Jason Atherton explains how he adds a little Michelin-starred magic to his dinner parties.” That “explains how” means we’ve now got Chef Atherton actively engaging with the readers, providing them with something that might make a difference to their lives, rather than just inviting stunned admiration.
Cling on to this principle. Standfirsts work best when they pay attention to the readers’ concerns.
Two other things: Readers are nearly always more interested in the topic addressed than they are by who wrote a piece. So, bury the writer’s name away towards the end of any standfirst — unless, of course, they really are famous.
And keep them short, like the one on this column. Couple of sentences at the most, no need to tell the whole story.