How to Write Magical Headlines that Invite Reader Attention

About 80% of the success of a news story or an article depends on the headline it has. Headlines can come with seductive power or as plain boring. The key skill of an article writer or news writer is to come up with a headline that captures the imagination of readers and to pull them to the story.

There are different styles used in headline writing. In modern times, the factual headlines attract more readers than headlines that come with qualifiers. This is true for news stories.
For example:

‘A doctor from Hyderabad injects HIV virus to 617 persons’

Or

‘Hyderabad Doctor Injects HIV Virus to His Patients’

Performs better than

‘Rowdy Doctor plays with life of his patients’

The first two headlines are more factual and specific about the activity of a Hyderabad doctor. Anyone who knows what HIV is likely to read the story. The story sells better to people who have related to Hyderabad in any way.

Article writers have to notch up a bit on factual headlines to attract article readership. News writers have the option to capture the attention by simply telling the facts. It is not the case with article writers. Article writers have to appeal to the emotion of the readers. There are few techniques that article writers use to pull the eyeballs of their readers to their articles.

Article Headline Writing Technique No 1 – Make Your Readers Feel that Something is Too Easy to Achieve

This type of titles appeals to readers because the readers quickly think they can achieve something without any pains. The following titles have been used by Article Writers and Copy Writers on a regular basis to woo customers.

E.g.

How to earn $ 127 a Day Starting Today

How to Lose Four Pounds a Week While Eating All the Chocolates and Ice Creams

Cure Obesity without Dieting or Exercise

Article Headline Writing Technique No 2 – Promise Your Readers to Teach Something New, Use ‘How to’ or ‘Seven Tips to’ Title

Write a title that starts with a phrase ‘How to’ or ‘Seven Tips to’. People always like to learn something new. The ‘How to’ and ‘Seven Tips to’ title ignites the imagination of your readers and will be attracted to your article. See ‘How to’ title at work, read the title of this article.

E.g.
“How to Win Friends and Influence People”

Seven Tips to Take Stunning Photographs with Your Digital Camera

Seven Tips to Enhance Your Digital Photographs with Photoshop

The number seven produces a special effect on human minds. ‘Seven Tips’ formula works better than ‘three tips’, ’11 tips’, ‘9 tips’ or ‘five tips’. I don’t know the exact reason, but it is the way things are.

Article Headline Writing Technique No 3 – Create Curiosity in Reader’s Mind with a Targeted Question

“Do You Make These Simple Mistakes in English Grammar?” was the title question that made Max Sackheim, a Russian immigrant to America richer than his wildest imaginations. That was the title of his advertising campaign to attract customers for his grammar lessons.

A question that creates curiosity or confusion in the minds of readers always attracts the attention of readers of all types.

The question must be specific (mistakes in English grammar), targeted (you) and should create curiosity (simple mistakes).

E.g.
Are You Aware You Are Losing $ 1327 a Year in Mortgage?

Do You Know Why You Can’t Keep Friends to Your Side?

Article Headline Writing Technique No 4 – Promise to Reveal Some Secret, Use ‘Secret Revealed’ Phrase in Your Article Title

People always want to know what is kept a secret. If you can tell your readers that there is some secret that you know, but your readers don’t, make it a point in your article title.

E.g.
The Secrets of Millionaire Brains Revealed

Key to Adsense Riches: Insider Secrets Revealed

These four article headline writing techniques will teach you how to write attention grabbing headlines for your articles.

Are you a newbie article writer? Do you want specific guidance on writing article headlines on any specific issues? Do leave a comment below or send me an email (email ID at ‘VIEW MY COMPLETE PROFILE’ on the sidebar.

Article Writing Basics – How to Write a Telling Intro that Captures the Attention of Readers

A hard hitting intro quickly captures the attention of your readers and attracts them to read your article till the end.

A hard hitting intro captures the essence of the story in one telling sentence. I saw the following intro on April 18.

“Virginia student kills 32 before shooting himself on his face.”

Needless to say, I was shocked and was pulled into the ‘story’ and could not take my eyes off the screen till I reached halfway down the story.

Such shocking intros are not needed in article writing. In 99% of the case, it is not possible either. However, you can capture the essence of your article in a small sentence. That sentence needs to sell the article. That is, the reader must feel like reading the whole article after reading that first sentence.

The first sentence of the letter can cover up a weak headline to a small extent.

It is not really an easy task. But our teacher, John Mary, who is also a long term press reporter once has shown us how simple it is to write ‘leads’ or ‘intros’ to write stories that sell.

It is really simple to write an intro that captures the attention of readers. All you have to do is to imagine yourself in a specific situation.

Imagine you have some news that you want to pass to your friend. Your friend is travelling on a bus and you wait at the bus stop. You see the bus stop is not busy and the bus would wait for only a few seconds. How will you pass the news to your friend? Will you describe all the details or tell him? No way. You will just single out one or two elements of the ‘news’ you have and shout them to your friend, before the bus is gone.

Similar is the case of intro writing. You bring the most important aspects of the story to a single sentence and that sentence is the intro (or lead as most journalists like to call it).

Yet Another Approach to Intro Writing for Article Writing

Open an article in a conversational note. That is, write the sentences as if you are talking to your friend. More than 90% of article writing falls in this category.

There are no special efforts to bring in any effects. Just tell the readers what you have to say in your own style.

Article Writing Basics -the Basic Elements of Article Writing

Quite a few of my friends ask me to teach them to write.’ Hey, how can I teach you to write, you are no primary school child’ or ‘Any one who can talk well and can communicate well with fellow beings can write well’ used to be my response to their requests to teach them the techniques of writing.

My response stems from the fact that I honestly believe there are no special techniques in writing. But, reviewing a few written pieces, I find out I can help them out with some guidelines, tips and techniques. I also put those techniques in my blog, for the benefit of everyone who wants to be an article writer.

In the coming days I will cover topics like

How to write a headline that quickly captures the attention of readers

How to write attention grabbing intros that pull readers to your article

How to develop an article

The importance of adding details to make an article worthy for the readers

The ideal word count of an article

And other topics and issues that I find are outstanding issues with writers who are just starting out. If you have any specific query, leave your comment as a query below as well. I shall answer you as quickly as I can.
Watch out for article writing basics tutorials in the coming days.