Another article in the series about digital writing.
Previous articles can be found at:
https://www.publish0x.com/real-world-assets/adopting-the-mindset-of-a-digital-writer-xjrndrw
https://www.publish0x.com/real-world-assets/mindset-of-a-digital-writer-the-endless-idea-generator-xmyzgox
Writing attractive headlines is an important part of good digital writing. Your article titles should answer three questions:
- Who (is your audience?) Who is this for?
- What (are you writing about?)
- Why (they should read it?)
Great headlines create a “curiosity gap”. They provide the reader with information on what this article is about, who it is intended for, and why he / she (your reader) should read it. As Bush and Cole put it, good headlines tell the readers the beginning and the end of your story, but not the middle.
One important rule of thumb in the art of writing headlines is that clear is much better than clever. If readers do not get jokes and puns in the title, then they’ll lose interest in the article itself. Try to be as clear and specific as possible while creating headlines.
You can use following proven headline tricks to practice:
- Large numbers. “10 million people use this app. Here is why you should also consider it”.
- Dollar signs. “Warren Buffett tells shareholders about spending $51 billion”
- Credible names. “How Elon Musk manages to arrange successful meetings”
- Question / answer. “Don’t know how to overcome procrastination and get started doing things? Then read this book”
- The success story. “How a group of 9 British commodity traders earned $660 million in one day”
- Things That Shouldn't Go Together. What Do University Professors And Poker Players Have In Common?
- X Number. “9 Best Prop Trading Firms In 2022 that can help you launch a successful currency trading career”
- "This Just Happened". “OPEC+ just announced to cut oil supply. What it means for oil prices and global economy”
