What Makes for Good Headlines (Infographic)

 

We all spend our precious time creating great content that educates and entertains our readers. But your content may not be getting read! The first thing people see and read is your headline or title. But is your title drawing people into your article?

What are the secrets to crafting a title that gets your article read? I’ll outline a few from the infographic.

1. Length – 65 characters and 6 words. Mobile devices are forcing our headlines to be more eloquent (short and sweet).

2. Use negative words – This goes against the grain for me. I, personally like to come from a positive place in my articles. But you want people to feel the pain of their problem so they will click through. Titles with “no”, “without”, and “stop” get more shares.

3. Be specific – Clearly state what your article is about. Titles like “Living on the edge” or “The best Fred of all time” are too general. I don’t really know what the article is about just by reading the title.

Bonus: The formula for creating headlines is priceless! A word of caution it will take some time to come up with a title that fits inside of all the criteria for a good headline.

Again our friends at QuickSprout have hit a home run with this timely infographic.