Did that headline get your attention? It was intentional. There are two key words in it, act and now, that are trigger words to make you read what I have written. When the words revolutionary and success are added, it targets the readers of this blog. And to top it off, it was made personal by using the word your.
It is possible to make this “revolutionary” keyword work in several ways:
Revolutionary Secrets for Your Cooking Success
Revolutionary Tips for Making You Wealthy
Revolutionary Hair Products to Solve Your Hair Loss
Revolutionary Techniques to Improve Your Writing
Revolutionary Headlines to Make Your Ideas Sell
Some call this “click bait,” meaning a way to hook your mind into wanting to click on that headline to read the content. There is a science to copywriting. See this article for an example, “Six Characteristics of Top-Notch Copy.”
Yes, it feels like cheating to write “Read This and Make a Million Dollars!” instead of “Ten Ways to Make Some Money.” It feels like manipulation. And it is. We can discuss the merits or lack thereof, but there is a nugget of truth here.
If you don’t have a good title for your book, article, or blog post, it reduces the chances of someone reading it. And isn’t that the point? Like the adage, if a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there to hear it … If no one reads your words, were they ever written? Well, of course they were. And we know that the writing experience can be an extraordinary thing for the writer. But the point I’m trying to make is that we should be thinking all the time about how we present our ideas and materials to the reading marketplace.
Publishers will often have titling meetings where variations are batted around for hours. And not only the title. The subtitle and even the back cover copy and online catalog copy can be debated.
A great title is often the first step to a well-published project.
I have a question: “What was the last book title that grabbed your attention?”
“Alone At Dawn”
It’s the story of Air Force Combat Controller John Chapman, of the life and family he loved, and of his death on Takur Ghar during Operation Anaconda.
Fatally wounded, he was left for dead, but recovered sufficiently to provide cover for a QRF subsequently sent in, before being finally killed.
The action was caught on Predator drone feed, and was released by the Pentagon.
I hope it’s ok to post the YouTube link, and I hope some of you might take nine minutes to watch, and honour this man’s memory.
https://youtu.be/Swp6k6o9gy8?si=yhVcRrvZkEIX7TRn
Didn’t know if I should even try to write a sonnet on this, but the first quatrain came to mind, so here goes. It’s the best I can do, and it’s not nearly enough.
Some men die for the glory
of a flag that waves above,
but that’s not John Chapman’s story;
he chose to die for love.
Gut-shot, left for dead, alone
on a foreign snowy ridge,
perhaps, like Christ, he did atone
for us, and dying built a bridge
between the decent men we send
into a heathen land as token
for those who will only understand
when their hearts are rent, then broken
by freshly opened eyes that see
death-offering for you and me.
Andrew, thank you for allowing God to use your gifts so well. That sonnet stands in a class by itself..
Roberta, thank you so much. I’m honoured by your words, and grateful for your taking the time to write them.
I am reading Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. I was intrigued that the words power and introvert were used in the same title because as an introvert I have never felt very powerful.
Joyce, introverts ARE powerful. My wife is one; I’m the opposite, everyone’s best mate within three seconds.
But people listen to Barb; she has a gravitas that I lack.
Makes for an interesting marriage, gotta say.
I cannot recall. Too many outstanding graphic designers and copywriters–whose skills far exceeded those of the content producer–have wasted my time.
A career in R&D and analytics inured me to titles, copywriting, and graphics. Content quality motivates me now.
Figuring out what grabs people’s attention is a rat race. Experts current in attention fads are the main winners. There do seem to be some timeless principles for good ad campaigns though. This older paper is a nice intro to the type of research experts do. “The Fundamental Templates of Quality Ads” by Jacob Goldenberg, David Mazursky, and Sorin Solomon — published in Marketing Science (Vol. 18, No. 3, 1999) They identified patterns in good ads. Limited experimentation showed people using those patterns produced better ads than those not using a pattern.
Old Soul, New Creation by Jake Weidmann. He’s one of twelve in the world who has earned the title Master Penman, and although his prominent gifting is artist, the opening words of his book immediately captured my attention as a Master Writer. And he gives all glory to God, which is a refreshing combination.
Steve, you made some great points here. I changed the name of my first novel from “Victoria Susan,” which meant nothing to anyone to the title “Though I Walk,” which caught folks’ attention much better. I love the idea of including “you” and the like with blogs. That is a suggestion I will take immediately. Thanks so much!