Have I Got Your Attention?

Writing articles for your blog/website is not always an easy task - even for the most proficient writer. While every writer will have his or her own personal tastes/style, what matters most is what words really work.

Everything you write should be written to affect audiences. You need to make them feel, and you need to make them act.

But there is one important thing before they even get to read your article....AN ATTENTION GRABBING HEADLINE!

If you want then to take action and read your article - you need to grab their attention with your headline and invite them to WANT to read further.

The good news is, you now have more words to play with! Google has increased the length of titles and met descriptions on the results page. The average length of a viral headline is 70-71 characters. You have more space than you used to.

Recently a list of the top 10 words that help to create powerful motivations in readers was released:

1. "New "- our appetite for new things continues to grow
2. "This" - sounds absolute - immediate - exclusive
3. "Most" - holds authority - the most powerful, the most effective, the most controversial
4. "Exclusive" - suggests unique & rare (although sometimes over used)
5. "Amazing" - is positive and evokes positive emotion - as part most peoples everyday language it is relatable
6. "How To" - How To articles are some of the most popular online, and that’s because they’re effective
7. "You" & "Your" - It is about your audience and your audience needs to addressed.
8. "What", "Which", "When" - evokes curiosity - language that is used as part of addressing a problem that someone has
9. "Why" - digs deeper, promises clarity, creates a curiosity gap
10. "Numbers" - this one is very powerful. Quantifiable, offer variety, They establish value in the same way as currency does. Too few and it won’t feel valuable enough, too many and it will either overwhelm or feel too unfocused. Top 10, The 7 Best...

So next time you dive into writing an article think about your attention grabbing headline - this can help find the starting point your article.