You could know the best way to write the most helpful and entertaining article in the world, but it will do no good unless large numbers of people read it. Nobody will ever read the call to action in your resource box if they do not read the article first. The very first the first thing you need to get people to read your article is to seize the reader's curiosity with a very good headline. Here are 5 ingredients to an excellent, attention grabbing title.
1) Give something to the reader up front. Tell the reader that he or she will get something useful from your article. If you are writing about how to keep their dog from barking, tell them precisely what they will learn inside your article that will enable them to do it. Your potential reader wants to know for certain that the facts in the article is definitely worth the time they will invest reading it.
2) Keep it simple. Your title must be very simple and straight forward. Be clear and concise. Do not use a lot of flowery language and do not attempt to be too cute. The humorous or witty headline that you feel is so cute could be a huge turn-off to your prospective reader. Just tell them what it really is.
3) Use numbers when it's possible. Compare "How to stop Gophers from Eating Your Vegetables" and "Three Idiot-proof Approaches to Kill Gophers!" Do you see how the "three methods" term explains to your reader exactly he should expect in your article and how it will benefit them to read it?
4) Generate a sense of urgency. If what you are offering has a limited time, say so. Let the reader know he should read your article or it might be too late. If you do not have an offer with a time limit, you can still generate urgency by inserting a phrase like, "right now" or "now" or "today." Let the reader know he'll benefit from reading your article right now.
5) Revise if necessary. Write down your headline and then leave it alone for a bit. Go back and review it. Could you make it sharper, snappier, better? Start with your headline and then finish your article. As soon as the article is completed, go back and punch up the headline. Possibly it is perfect already. Perhaps you are able to improve on it.
Once you get the basic formula, writing titles is going to be easy and enjoyable. Do not spend an excessive amount of time worrying over your titles, just follow these simple steps and you should see an increase in how many people are reading your articles.
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