Rik Logtenberg on Oct 06, 2009

Copyblogger is one of the best destinations for tips on how to write for the web. They consistently provide helpful and clear articles about attracting and keeping an audience and providing genuinely helpful copy. I often get bummed out at the loss of originality and pure expression (and I’m guiltier than most of writing to a formula), but I have to remember that communication is more than art or pure expression. It’s just as much about transmitting information in the simplest and unadorned way (except for the occasional “hook”).

Having said all that, one of the most important parts of any blog post is the headline. The copyblogger website has done a series called How to Write Magnetic Headlines. The latest installment is 10 Sure-Fire Headline Formulas That Work. Here are the highlights:

1. Who Else Wants ... ?
2. The Secret of ...
3. Here is a Method That is Helping ... to ...
4. Little Known Ways to ...
5. Get Rid of ... Once and For All
6. Here’s a Quick Way to (solve a problem)
7. Now You Can Have (something desirable) (great circumstance)
8. [Do something] like (world-class example)
9. Have a (or) Build a ... You Can Be Proud Of
10. What Everybody Ought to Know About ...