The Art and Business of Online Writing: How to Beat the Game of Capturing and Keeping Attention

by Nicolas Cole

Here are some of the most proven headline formats in online writing: Big Numbers: For example, “3,000 People Just Filed For Unemployment In This Small Town In Arkansas. Here’s Why.” This is a great headline because “3,000 People” is concrete, definitive, easy to imagine, and yet an unexpectedly large number—and what’s unexpected is exciting. Dollar Signs: Money is about as universal as a topic can get. “$400 Million Is How Much You Need To Make In Order To Afford This Insane Mansion In Malibu” is eye-catching because very few people have $400 million. Dollar signs make the Curiosity Gap wider and more interesting for readers. Credible Names: Celebrities, CEOs, pop culture icons, anyone the world can easily recognize by name is a great way to hook readers’ attention. “Will Smith’s Advice On How To Live A Fulfilling Life Will Change The Way You See The World Forever” is a headline built on credibility. Yes, there’s a great PROMISE here, but the real “hook” comes from the fact that it’s advice from Will Smith. “Amazon, Apple, Tesla, And 4 Other Stocks That Have Made Early Investors Mega-Millionaires” is another example of how to leverage name credibility. “This Just Happened”: Timeliness is a terrific mechanism for getting readers’ attention right now. Words like “Just, Recently, Today, Now,” etc., are what tell a reader that of all the things on the internet to read, “this thing” is high priority. For example, “Michael Jordan Just Gave A Press Conference And NBA Executives A...