As a web editor, one of the most important parts of my job is writing headlines for RedPoint’s magazine websites, including avenuecalgary.com.
Most people end up on our content through web search or social media. As a result, our stories need to have headlines that are highly clickable — headlines that make readers understand what the story is about, and make them want to read it.
I think of web headlines as the new-media equivalent of magazines’ cover lines. The tactics that magazine editors use to distinguish their product on newsstands are really not that different from the ones web editors use online. Really, Helen Gurley Brown was the original web headline writer when she pioneered top-10 lists and racy cover lines for Cosmopolitan in the 1970s.
Here are 7 questions I ask myself when I’m writing headlines for the web:
1. Is this clear?
At a glance (a glance in a Twitter or Facebook stream), would the reader know what this story is about? The headline should be comprehensible to a wide variety of people. Avoid wordplay, puns, mystery or anything that would confuse the reader.
A clear headline: Fashion experts say floral is hot for spring
2. Why would the reader care about this story?
You should always be able to identify the sexiest, newsiest or most interesting part of a web story. If you can’t, the story isn’t ready for publication. Once you know what the sexiest part is, make sure you work it into the headline.
An interesting headline: Scientists discover wine can help you live longer
3. Did I use a numeral?
As Ms. Brown discovered decades ago, packaging ideas into easily digestible pieces makes them more attractive to readers.
A numeric headline: 10 ways to save money at the grocery store
4. Could I ask a question?
I am guilty of overusing questions in headlines and ledes (see above for an example), but I find they are an easy and clear way to grab people’s attention and rope them into the story. Obviously, they are especially easy to deploy in a headline for a story with many viewpoints.
A question headline: Would you home-school your child? A mother explains her choice.
5. Is there an actionable item or command?
Is there something the reader can do after reading the story? Emphasize that.
An action headline: 6 Skirts You Need Right Now
6. Is there a “how-to”?
Service-oriented pieces work very well online. If there is a practical, useful take-away from the story, I like to emphasize it in the headline.
A how-to headline: How to phone a girl to ask for a date. Classic.
7. Did I use the right adjective?
There’s a reason editors love “best” so much in headlines. It sells itself. I often use a thesaurus to try to find new ways to say “best.” It’s hard.
A “best” headline: Calgary’s Best Neighbourhoods 2012