News articles move quickly, and you have a short window of opportunity to capture reader attention. That’s why it’s essential to have a headline that is accurate, concise, and able to convey the tone of the story. Here are a few tips to help you create headlines that are sure to grab readers’ attention and entice them to keep reading.
The headline is the first thing a reader sees, and it’s your only chance to draw them in. According to Copyblogger, 8 out of 10 people will read a headline before they decide whether or not to read an article. If your headline doesn’t make sense or is unclear, you will lose reader interest as soon as they realize they don’t understand what the article is about.
It’s also important to remember that the headline is not the place to be circumspect or obscure. The headline should be clear and able to explain what the article is about, in an exciting way. It should also be relevant to the topic and able to appeal to the interests of your audience. For example, the headline “Violinist linked to JAL crash blossoms” is an interesting hook, but it doesn’t give enough information about what happened in the article.
Finally, you should always follow AP Style when writing your headlines. This will ensure that your headlines are formatted correctly and readable by the majority of journalists who read them. This is especially important if you are using your headlines to promote an article.
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