You may want to use exaggeration or mystery for a click. It can be tempting to appeal to base instincts to get clicks. These are part of the curation guidelines. What to avoid in writing a headlineĪ few simple qualities to check at the start: don’t use all caps, avoid typos, don’t make the headlines links, and avoid profanity. Use title case in your headlines and sentence case in your subheadlines. You should use both a headline and a subheadline. Is the headline clear and honest about what the story offers the reader?. How might the headline convey what is unique about the story?.Does the tone reflect the voice or point of view of the article?.Guiding questions to consider in writing your headline The headline sets the expectations, and the story must deliver on that. You’re building a relationship with your readers. Be straightforward about why a reader should read the article. Know the language that your audience is familiar with. Avoid jargon, and think of what makes sense in casual conversation. Your story is among many a reader is browsing. Principles to consider in writing your headline “Make sure that what’s clear to you about the story you wanted to tell and why it matters comes through clearly in the headline.” It can be helpful to share the headline with a few writing peers and see what they think the story is about. “When you’re writing headlines, step outside yourself to imagine seeing the headline with none of that context,” Rawls highlights. Remember that the reader has not yet read the story. You want the headline itself to be so clear that the only thing they need to ask themselves is: Am I interested in this story? Make sure your headline addresses these questions. To make this decision, the reader needs to know what the story is about, and why it matters now. Give the reader context about the story, and help them decide if it is worth reading. The job of a headline is to merchandise your story and clearly convey what the story is about. We end with a few examples to help make this all more clear. In this guide, we’ll cover common mistakes and the best practices to strive for. “You want the headline itself to be so clear that the only thing they need to ask themselves is: Am I interested in this story?” “When someone is trying to decide if they want to read a story, you don’t want them asking themselves: What does this headline mean? What is this story about? Why is this relevant? What will I learn?” shares Nadia Rawls, editorial director of growth at Medium. Your job is to convince the reader to dive into your story, and then you must deliver. It can mean the difference between reliably growing an audience or losing integrity. Writing a great headline can be the difference between a handful of reads or orders of magnitude more. Your headline is the first impression of your story.
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