Wait! Here Is An Intro Formula To Help You Cut Through

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• Shooting conspiracies trend on X moments after the attempted assassination of Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

• TikTok ads can no longer target teens in the US. The platform has 25% of users who are under 20.

• A U.S. House committee voted to release a transcript from a secret hearing on TikTok's security risks. This comes as ByteDance and TikTok creators are suing against a law requiring them to sell TikTok's U.S. assets by January 2025, with concerns that China could misuse American users' data.

• Instagram is doubling down on short-form video says the platform’s boss, Adam Mosseri.

• Here’s how you can avoid paying Apple’s 30% service fee on Meta ads.

Here are 5 steps to formulating an intro that can be applied to any context:

1. Deliver on Your Headline's Promise: Your title or headline sets an expectation—make sure your intro confirms it. Whether through visuals or words, reassure your audience they’ve come to the right place. Never leave them guessing.

2. Keep Context Concise: Don’t overload your audience with too much background info. Provide only the essentials upfront and weave in additional context as needed. This approach keeps your audience engaged without overwhelming them.

3. Spark Curiosity: Use intriguing language to pique your audience's interest. Introduce elements that create curiosity and encourage them to keep watching or reading.

4. Outline the Journey: Clearly indicate where your content is headed. People appreciate knowing what to expect. I always ensure my intros outline a clear path forward. Pause and check if your audience can easily understand what’s coming next. While some mystery can be engaging, clarity is key to keeping your audience on board.

5. Smooth Transition to Main Content: Great intros blend seamlessly into the main content. Avoid obvious transitions, unnecessary fluff, or overused intro reels. Use transitional phrases like "let's dive into" to smoothly lead into your content's core.

If you have another way of doing this, let me know!

Facebook 

• is testing a ‘Clear Mode’ for uncluttered Reels viewing ☝️☝️

• now gives you the option to invite a collaborator to a new post on desktop.

Instagram

• is working on a new sticker for stories called ‘Pics Please’. You can collect photos from viewers that you can share to your story.

• may expand ‘add collaborators after publishing’ to cover posts and carousels, not just Reels.

• now lets you pause/stop a Reel, without having to hold down your finger, and then play it again.

TikTok

• now lists videos by Latest or Popular when you visit a profile page on desktop.

• Partners with Estee Lauder to support the Catalysts, a program that awards $500K to creator-entrepreneurs looking to launch a beauty business in makeup, skincare, body care, hair care, fragrance, or a home fragrance.

YouTube

• is testing its own version of Instagram’s ‘Add Yours’ sticker for Shorts.

• Shorts has added TikTok-style artificial voiceovers along with more features.

LinkedIn

• has added a recording feature for audio events.

• is now prompting users to share a post when they take a screenshot.

READ: Alex Cooper Has Gen Z’s Attention. Can She Keep It? Father Cooper is aiming higher as her contract nears its end with Spotify. Now, co-founder of Trending, a media company targeting Gen Z, Cooper is seeking new podcast hosts, developing reality shows, and pursuing a $100 million podcast deal.

LISTEN: Casey Neistat: “Today's YouTube makes me sad.” I’ve been consuming a lot of Casey Neistat-based content this week, and this is the most in-depth interview I’ve heard about his creative approach and how it’s shaped his career. Blows my mind the guy got a chick pregnant at 15 years old. He’s very OBSESSED by NYC.

WATCH: This week, Mark Zuckerberg’s 2017 Harvard Commencement Speech has resurfaced online. If you’re overwhelmed about starting something new, watch this.