Coming up with great headlines is not an easy thing to do. In fact, there are people who find this endeavor one of the hardest parts of writing. I think it’s time to make a confession – I am one of those people. That is why I continuously do research on how to come up with titles that would be better each time.
I ran across a very inspiring and useful post at Instigator Blog titled “How to Write Eye-Popping Headlines while Exhausted.†Ben Yoskovitz outlined several tips that I find really useful. Take a look at a few of them yourself:
From Top 10 to Top 5. We all know how powerful the “Top 10″ post can be, and the resulting headline. But you’re presently propping your eyelids open with toothpicks to stay awake, so feel free to cut your Top 10 down to Top 5.
This one sounds good. The only problem is that if you are already tired, it might be a bit hard to come up with 5 items to write about. Then again, if you are not THAT tired and you just need some inspiration for a great headline, then this one would work very well.
Be Braver. Some of your normal behavioral and judgment filters are likely shot. You’re too tired to care if you’re being politically correct or completely covering your arse. And that’s the perfect time to write a great headline. Go for a little more controversy. Pick more actionable, aggressive words that will inspire people to read and comment on your blog post.
This is perhaps the block to many bloggers. The fact is, some people are afraid of offending their readers. As such, they play it safe. However, sometimes, you have to go out on a limb in order to get more results.
(to be continued)
Originally posted on August 4, 2008 @ 4:03 pm
