Get More Reader Engagement With the Inverted Pyramid

You have 15 seconds or less to engage a reader before they leave your website, which makes the headline and first few sentences of every page on your deathcare site critically important.

That’s why the inverted pyramid format is important to learn and integrate into your funeral home content marketing efforts. This format, which served newspapers and magazines well for centuries, is equally valuable for online content. Here’s a quick course in the three parts of the inverted pyramid for content writing:

1. The Lead
This is the hook; the thing that captures the reader’s attention; the most important, interesting, or eye-catching detail. The best leads make a reader stop scrolling or clicking and commit to your page by hinting at the important or entertaining information to come.

(Note: Many old-school reporters and writers still use the traditional journalistic spelling of lede for this term. This variant spelling was used to distinguish it from “lead,” as in the word that rhymes with “head.” Either spelling is considered acceptable in modern dictionaries.)

2. The Major Details
Follow through on the promise of the lead by offering the major details. What are the most important things the reader needs to know about this story or topic?

For example, if your lead told people that prearranging funeral arrangements could save them money, the details provide information on how this works or why it’s true.

Remember to keep the online reader in mind when delivering these details. Break content up into small subsections, use bulleted lists, and integrate images and videos when possible.

3. Further Context
Expand on the topic with further information or by adding additional value through FAQs, how-to content, or extra details that might be of interest.

Practical Example
On a page about how to select an urn, the inverted pyramid might take the following structure.

• Lead/lede: Choosing the right urn lets you keep your loved one’s memory close long-term
• Details: Explanations of types of urns and how to buy one for long-term display
• Further context: A gallery of available urns or a categorical list of urns with short descriptions, so people can narrow down style options