Choosing the right words
Choose your words wisely. Words have power. They have the power to move nations and they have the power to destroy as well. ~ Jim Rohn
A well planned headline can make the difference between ten readers and 10,000 readers.
So can a first paragraph. If you don't capture your reader's attention in the first paragraph, you might as well stop writing...
Choosing the right words for your opening as well as the rest of your post is vital. Honestly, I will not read past the second paragraph (I am more generous than most readers in that aspect). If you haven't gotten my attention after paragraph 2, I move on.
But what are the "right" words?
That's a good question. It depends on what you are writing about and what message you want to convey to your readers.
Once upon a time, I wrote a post about a needle less way to monitor blood sugar. I named the post, "Are you sick of the prick?" That was enough to draw people in. But what was I going to say in my first paragraph that would keep the reader's attention long enough to show them what I was talking about?
I was very evasive with what I wrote, more of just a teaser article. Some people liked it, some did not!
The next article was called "Putting an end to the prick."
Same kind of story, but this time I revealed what they could use to end the everyday needle pricks!
For many who are diabetic, finding an end to the daily pricks we endure would be a blessing. I know it would be for me (that's me wincing in the picture as I prick my finger for a blood glucose test). I would like to say that the face I am making is an exaggeration, but it is not. For the first several years of my type 2 diabetes diagnosis I would not even prick my finger at all.
Finding the right word combination is magic!
When you can find the right words and tie them together into a well-written paragraph, that's when the magic happens.
How do you find the right word combination? You write. And then you write some more and just keep at it until the words come together.
It takes practice and a lot of it. Not everyone is born with the talent to write well. Most of us have to work hard at it (even if we enjoy writing!).
The Bottom Line!
The bottom line really is just this: write well, write to be understood and draw them into your post in the first paragraph! If you can write an awesome headline, even better!
Wishing you all prosperity as you build your online business!
With 2020 Vision,
Karin 😎
Recent Comments
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I have to admit, I struggle with headlines but I know they are a necessary evil.
My wife has just started using a 'prickless' system for monitoring her blood sugar. She uses a patch on her arm and then just scans it with her phone.
The 'app' keeps a history and also shows a 'trend', so you can see how your levels have been over the last eight hours or so.
I sometimes struggle, as well. When I was a kid and I decided I wanted to be a world famous author, I came up with over 300 titles of books that I was going to use!
So far, I haven't used any of them!! 😂
As I write my books now, I use new titles each time. I still have the list of 300 titles and who knows, maybe one day I will write a book that uses one of those titles!
I had used a prickless patch once and it worked pretty good. Without health insurance, I am currently unable to afford that option, but who knows, maybe once my websites really start paying off, I will be able to afford insurance again.
With 2020 Vision,
Karin 😎
Luckily she is exempt from the normal prescription charge, otherwise it would be almost impossible to afford.
I bet there are some really awesome titles in that list, that would keep you going for a very long time.
Thank goodness. Prescriptions cost so much! If I did not get help from the drug manufacturer for my medications, I would not be able to take them at all for it would cost me more between insurance and the medications than I make a month! It is crazy.
Hope you have a happy and productive day!
With 2020 Vision,
Karin 😎
Thank you Karin, you too. It does make you wonder, I know the research and testing costs, but you think the end product might be subsidised somehow.
I loved that title Karin. In my book, that was aces. Wouldn't matter the subject, I would have read till the end and then just start to laugh again. Being diabetic, Wifey is well familiar with that little pr*ck you spoke of. She is very well under control through diet and meds, normal for her these days is around 110 with the occasional spike to 170 or so. Thanks for a funny thought as I head off to neverland. Good night my friend.
Greg
Thanks for reading, Greg. I thought it was funny, too.
I am glad your wife is able to control her diabetes. Lately, mine has been completely out of control. 300-500s all day.
I am getting some insulin tomorrow so that will hopefully help. When I eat in a healthful manner, my numbers are in the low 130s. But unfortunately, that hasn't been happening for a few months. Now that I am feeling better and in a better place, I think I should be able to start doing that again!
With 2020 Vision,
Karin 😎
One day, I met Wifey at work for lunch. She was hallucinating and talking to people who weren't there, other than that, she said she felt fine. I immediately rushed her to urgent care, blood sugar was around 330. Thats how we found out she was diabetic. It took almost a month to get her under control, and now, her, and my, eating habits have changed and along with the meds, all is well. Unlearning a life time of unhealthy living is not easy, but it can be done. We wish you well and a speedy return to better days.
Greg
I am pretty good at come up with catchy headlines but rarely is the headset anywhere close to the keywords I find for that topic
I think I get what you mean. I have difficulty with keywords in my headline. I mean, most people aren't going to Google "How to get rid of the prick"!
With 2020 Vision,
Karin 😎
Yes, it takes practice. On thing that will help: Once you write something, read it out loud. You may find the places where things don't flow smoothly, or a spot where there are too many repetitions of some words. Your ears can sometimes catch these things, even if your eyes cannot.
Very good tip, Fran. I often read my posts for my sites aloud, first to myself, then to the spouse. Between the two of us, we usually hear if something is wrong.
I also find that leaving a post sit for a few days and then reading it with "fresh" eyes helps, too.
With 2020 Vision,
Karin 😎
Leaving it sit for a few days works if you have time...I seem to write my posts just in time to publish them.
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Any time I think about naming a business, I try to somehow include what the business does in the name of the company. When you start a new business, cost are always a problem that can exist. Advertisers are knocking your doors down to add to your start up cost. The name of my former business was "Best Rate Mortgage". I think everyone will have an idea of what I do or at least have an idea. When I see a company named "ABC Financial", I have to guess what they do in the financial world.
It's simple but the name of your business can be a form of advertising if you think about it.
Very good points. Yes, I would have to guess what ABC Financial was, but Best Rate Mortgage is fairly self explanatory!
It really is important to think about the whole aspect of the business from the name to the writing of the posts and products. Great! Thank you for sharing.
With 2020 Vision,
Karin 😎