Headlines

Stop it with the ing-ing

Present participle heads may be worse than labels

Barney Kilgore, the legendary editor of The Wall Street Journal, once wrote: “If I see ‘upcoming’ slip in[to] the paper again, I’ll be downcoming and someone will be outgoing.”

I’m with Barney: Stop ing-ing.… Read the full article

6 ways to write numbers-based headlnes

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

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.

… Read the full article

Anecdotes make good feature leads

To draw readers in, tell them a story

Here’s how Korbel Champagne Cellars topped a PRSA Silver Anvil Award-winning pitch:

Have you heard about the guy who mowed “Will You Marry Me?” into his lawn?

… Read the full article

How to write a press release headline that targets readers

Write about the reader, not ‘us and our stuff’

Front-loading your headlines with your topic word just makes sense if your readers are going to encounter those headlines in online lists — a search engine results page, for instance, or your online newsroom.… Read the full article