11) Headlining and Sub-Headlining Effective Content Pieces
Article titles (headlines), as well as subheadlines, are one of the first things a reader reads.
In this discussion, we will understand effective strategies to write headline titles as well as subheadlines to these titles.
Some general tips include:
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Avoid long article titles: try to fit the title within 62 characters or limit it to 5-7 words.
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Consider using “What”, “Why”, “How”, or “When” as these are catchy and add to curiosity.
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Use Numbers - numbers ensure the availability of organized information, and are generally liked: using Odd Numbers in the title has helped in terms of SEO. Remember to write the number itself (5 instead of five).
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To add specificity, consider using “the” before the number.
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Provide an answer to why people should click and read your content: words like “tips”, “strategies”, “facts”, “reasons” all help provide a rationale.
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Include the word “Guide” where applicable.
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Consider using emotional adjectives that describe the topic. For example, “essential”, “free” etc.
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Consider outlining Negative aspects - spin this to meet mental health content goals. For example, The 5 Essential Things You Did Not Know About Depression.
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Use common words to ensure people understand and grasp the topic while finding the title simple
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Consider using a “Things I Wish I Had Known” approach to content if applicable.
How to test your headline as being unique:
Copy and paste your headline with quotation marks into the Google search bar. (e.g. “The 5 Essential Things You Did Not Know About Depression”) - if the results come back as “no results found”, your headline is unique!
Helpful Resource: Useful Title Capitalization Tool
Note: The bottom line to success in terms of marketing and content is to ensure that your content body reflects the great headline/title. It might be worth considering to write final titles after the content body.
Subheadlines: Effective subheadlines summarize the content body while also linking it to the title.
Activity
Using the knowledge attained through this discussion, propose a new article title as well as a subheadline for this published article at 7 Cups.
Reply to at least one other student’s response and share your feedback with them
(Edited by @SoulfullyAButterfly: 12/2/2021 to clarify "subheadline" instead of subheading)
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This post is brought to you by the Content Development and Marketing Program, find out more information about the program here
@richuyulin
I like how your title and subheadline are connected to each other and capture the gist of the content. I like how you have used emotional adjectives- boost and reflected that the content is providing "strategies" for something. I also like how your subheadline emphasizes that the content is about COVID-19.
@SoulfullyAButterfly
Article title- Creative Ways to Tackle Your Loneliness
Subheadline- Reconnecting with yourself and others in this holiday season
@SunshineNaina
The heading is creative, catchy and professional. One tip to improve is to mention the holiday season as well, as this is meant for that particular time. Subheading is much more interesting and promting to read. Good job.
@SunshineNaina I love your subheadline!
@SoulfullyAButterfly
Headline: Enjoying Oneself during the Festive Season
Subheadline: 6 ways one can cope with lonliness during the holidays
@YourCaringConfidant
Hey Desiree, nice to see you here in the CDM program as well ⭐ You have an interesting alternative approach to the current title!
1) However, I was a bit confused about what "servicing" means ... Do you mean "serving"? If yes, then according to my observation of the article, perhaps serving others could be replaced with something else, as there are tips not necessarily related to serving others (for e.g., Memories, Hobbies & Distractions, etc.). Let me know if I have misunderstood the term you used 😊
2) Also, I'm not very sure about using the term "Cure" because we were suggested to not write about advice, but to focus on tips, suggestions and related terms. Perhaps we can clarify this point with a mentor 🌻
3) Do check the spelling of "Loneliness", though I'm sure you will be rechecking grammar for the actual article 💛
@GloriaD Hey! :) So, I chose the word "servicing" for a reason. I believe the whole purpose of being put here on this Earth is to be of service to others... service means to help people who need assistance, right? So if that is what it means and I believe we here put here to be of service then I thought that word would be more appropriate to use. Hopefully that clears up why I selected that word. Anyway, you are exactly right we do not give or write advice so maybe the word "cure" is a poor selection of word used. I could have simply used the word "combat" loneliness but, once again, I chose the word cure because I believe being kind, servicing others, volunteering, etc are all things we can do to help ease feelings of loneliness and is good for our well-being and health. The way I see it is if we are selfless and spreading kindness and fulfilling our purpose in life (my opinion) then in a sense it can be a "cure". PS: And thank you for pointing out that I misspelled loneliness. It was just a spelling error on my end but, unfortunately, I have no way to edit my response on here. :) I greatly appreciate your response to me and thank you for taking the time to point ways in which I could have done better. I take them into consideration but there are reasons why I opted to use certain words for what I was trying to convey. You are amazing though and thanks again! <3
@YourCaringConfidant
You are welcome 😊 Thank you for explaining your reasons! I mentioned servicing and cure also because we are considering the perspective of the audiences, whether they can understand certain terms we use. But of course, we could always discuss with mentors regarding this - a way to convey what we feel, help the audience and follow 7cups guidelines 🌻 I love your passion for mental health and helping others, I wish you good luck!
@SoulfullyAButterfly
I remember that I had to focus on capitalization in my psychology essays & references at university and I almost forgot about it for the current article writing assignment .... The capitalization tool is something new to me though, so thank you for that!
Alternative title for "Coping with Loneliness During the Holidays", according to APA Style - "6 Ways to Deal With Loneliness During the Holiday Season"
Using the knowledge attained through this discussion, propose a new article title as well as a subheading for this published article at 7 Cups.
Enjoy the holidays without feeling lonely
- Practicing gratitude
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Get connected!
- Helpful tips on gatherings and how to stay safe
- Help others in need
- Try a new hobby
- Make memories
@Raspberrycheesecake
i love how to point and simple the tiltes are and there are a lot of information for the readers as well.
@Raspberrycheesecake
Very well representing the content with the points.
@SoulfullyAButterfly
propose a new article title as well as a subheadline for this published article at 7 Cups.
Care mindfulness during holidays
Create connections in the holiday
Spread happiness through holidays
@Healthylistener0123
Great suggestions, however I'm not sure which is the main heading and which is the sub heading
@Healthylistener0123
great just simplify your title so that anyone can understand cause holidays is common for all so it should be understood by anyone at a glance.
Activity:
'Tis a Season Not to Be Lonely
Tips to overcome loneliness during the holiday season
Hello, @ivorySea989 💙
Great work on your title and subheadline; festive and creative!
4 essential things make relationship work
introduction
what does your partner want
your capability
ways to shorten the gap
mistakes one should avoid
@Skansly Good job! I like how you've formatted your article as a list. That makes it much easier to read.
@Angelzz127
These are great! Your headline is simple and warm, and your sub-headlines are informative. I already want to read this! ♥︎
@Angelzz127
Good sub-points. It's a very good topic. You can put a catchier title.