Wednesday, March 4, 2009

How to Write Web Articles that Get Read, Part 2: Create Irresistible Headlines.

If you want people to see your article, you need a title that entices them to keep reading. Online, readers skim for essential information: they’re short on time and want answers to their questions. You only have a few seconds to capture potential readers. A great headline is a must.

To create a great title, keep your audience in mind. Remember the keywords you brainstormed? Use them in your headline. For instance: “How to Groom Your Golden Retriever in Less than 10 Minutes.”

There are a few types of headlines that traditionally capture reader’s interest:

· A question: Asking your readers a question will get them to pause and think. Even better, they will want to know the answer and be compelled to continue reading. For instance, if you’re a success coach, an effective question-headline might be: “Are you sabotaging your own success?”

· How-to: Because your audience is looking for answers, a how-to title is sure to meet their needs. When you can show readers how to meet their goals, they’re going to keep reading. How-to titles might include: “How to Double Your Website Traffic in Five Days,” or “How to Keep Loyal Customers.”

· Commands: The title I used for this article is a command--“Write Articles for the Web That Get Read.” In this case, you’re taking the most important result from your article and turning it into a title. From this article, I hope you’ll be able to write articles for the web that will get readers. Other command titles: “Lose weight today,” “Stop smoking in two weeks,” and “Get 15 More Referrals this Month.”

A great title will get people to read your article. Part three of this article will show you how content and format will keep your audience interested. 

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