Four Tips for Magnetic Headlines

Want to attract readers to your blog and make them stick around? The first stage is to write magnetic headlines. In the olden days, when we used to take a morning paper rather than scanning Google Reader and importing newsfeeds with OPML, it was always the headline that caught your eye and made you read on.

Headline writers on newspapers are the bee’s knees, the cat’s whiskers, and, more to the point, the dog’s bollox, when it comes to writing magnetic headlines. Here are the top four tips for emulating their art:

1. Keep it simple. Avoid long words, punctuation, and complex phrases.
2. Make it sensational. Don’t resort to hype but make it juicy and entertaining.
3. Appeal to the heart. How will it affect the reader?
4. Do not lie. Be economical with the truth, but make sure the headline relates directly to the article.

So, there you have it. The fundamentals of headline writing that have worked from the very first penny newsletter to the latest online rag. Keep them in mind when you’re righting (sic) your next blog post and watch your readers stick.