Groove HQ: Features increase reading by 520%, readers by 300%
The feature-style story structure attracts 300% more readers and increases reading by 520%, according to an A/B test by Groove HQ.… Read the full article
Writing and editing
Try compression of details for your next lead
Squeeze together juicy details for a great story starter
Embeddable tooth implants. Batman’s tax bill. Zombie slayers.
Like squeezing together a lump of coal to make a diamond, compression of details condenses fascinating facts into a passage that’s more than the sum of its parts.… Read the full article
Feature article structure outperforms pyramid
Impact study: Features boost readership, satisfaction, image
Feature-style stories outperform traditional news stories in readership, satisfaction and image.
That’s according to “The Impact Study of Newspaper Readership” (PDF).… Read the full article
Overcome information overload
Can your message cut through the clutter?
Americans receive the data equivalent of 174 newspapers a day — ads included.
— USC’s Annenberg School for Communication
All that information gives readers headaches, insomnia and eye twitches.
… Read the full article8 types of sales headlines to try
Try 3 reasons, testimonial, how-to and more
Stuck for a benefits headline? Browse these eight approaches for inspiration:
1. Direct headline
The simplest approach, this headline just states the benefit clearly:
Save $100 on conference registration when you sign up by Feb.
… Read the full article6 ways to write numbers-based headlines
Numerals quantify value, draw readers
Next time you hit the Safeway, take a look at the magazines displayed at the checkout counter. Chances are, you’ll find that they’re packed with numerals.… Read the full article
How to write benefits headlines
4 steps for telegraphing the biggest benefit
To write a good benefits headline, list:
- Your readers’ biggest needs in the topic you’re writing about. “Write about your greatest benefit for your reader’s greatest need,” counsels marketing guru Dan Kennedy.
Catch Your Readers with benefit headlines
13 ways to draw people in
Which of these headlines is most likely to spur you to sign up for a webinar?
New webinar helps managers improve productivity
Or:
Get all your work done in half the time, be the office hero, and go home early
Benefit heads like the second are so effective that my guideline is: If a benefit headline is an option, use it.… Read the full article
How high readability helps everyone
(Yes, even your audience)
I recently attended a conference where the Nielsen Norman Group unveiled its latest eyetracking research. After more than 20 years in the lab, watching people read and respond to text, they reported this finding:
“This is too easy to read.”
… Read the full articleBuild a better body for the feature story structure
Five ways to avoid flabby middles
My favorite scene in the movie “High Fidelity” is when Rob Gordon (John Cusack) becomes so depressed over his failed love life that he seeks solace in reorganizing his albums.… Read the full article