How to write a standfirst people actually read

The standfirst is the short line under the headline. It has one job: tell the reader why this story is worth their next five minutes.

Promise one thing

Name the surprise, the stake or the person. Two sentences at most. Avoid words like amazing or must-read; let the story earn them.

Keep the promise in the first paragraph

If the standfirst says the story is about money, the first paragraph should be about money. Readers notice when the promise and the opening drift apart.

Test it on a stranger

Ask someone who has not read the piece to explain it back to you after reading only the headline and standfirst. If they can, you are done.