Cutlines get 16% more readership than text
Too often, communicators crank out captions (aka cutlines) in the 15 minutes before happy hour on a Friday night.… Read the full article
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How to use pull quotes and why
They attract attention, make messages memorable
Pull quotes — aka callouts, breakout quotes or pullout quotes — are “the print equivalent of a sound bite,” according to the authors of The Newsletter Editor’s Desk Book
Actually, I think they’re more like movie trailers.… Read the full article
Why is micro content important?
Because ‘readers’ don’t read
I’m often amazed at the amount of energy writers put into perfecting the sentence structure in the fourth paragraph of their piece when those same folks toss off a headline in the 17 seconds before happy hour on a Friday afternoon.… Read the full article
8 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 articleHow 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.
How to write press release links
Create nofollow links, anchor links
Now that Google has cracked down on link schemes, link networks and unnatural linking, PR pros have to work to avoid SEO penalties for linking.… Read the full article
Why writing links well is so important
Get clicked by writing good link text
Users look for links on pages like puppies look for your best shoes.
Or so say Kara Pernice, Kathryn Whitenton and Jakob Nielsen, the authors of How People Read on the Web.… Read the full article
How to write a summary deck headline (examples!)
Choose this type of blurb for feature or benefits head
When you write a benefits head or feature head, your headline doesn’t necessarily explain the angle — or even the topic — of the story.… Read the full article
Why write a multi deck headline?
Because it’s the best-read element on the page
Decks — those one-sentence summaries under the headline — do the heavy lifting on web pages.
Indeed, according to The Poynter Institute’s Eyetrack III study of reader behavior:
- 95% of web page visitors read all or part of the deck.
How to write a secondary angle deck headline
Choose this type of summary blurb for news heads
Your headline and deck — that one-sentence summary under your headline — are San Francisco real estate.… Read the full article