by John McDevitt

Created on: April 17, 2009

When you craft titles, hang that writer's hat where you can find it when you need it, but think like a reader. Thousands of people are out there on the Internet searching for the information you have to offer them. The job of a good title is to capture their attention, lure them into Helium and get them reading.

The best way to do that is to take off your writer's hat and climb into the heads of your intended audience.

Think about this for a minute. We all carry on conversations with ourselves. We worry about the state of the economy and how we'll make ends meet. What are we cooking for dinner tonight? Whose turn is it to pick up the kids after soccer practice? Did I lock the front door? Our minds are constantly abuzz with internal conversations, concerning things we care about.

Readers have these same conversations with themselves and if you want their attention, you must join their conversations. Seek resonance with your readers. When your titles resonate with your readers, they join ongoing conversations and you're guaranteed to connect and get their undivided attention because your titles address their concerns.

Suppose you (the reader) are a frequent flier and you came across this title: "What never...ever to eat on an airplane!" This title is one of the best headlines ever written for a direct mail package.

Now, this title was written before the Internet was born and doesn't address the SEO issue, but it probably got your attention and stimulated your curiosity; especially if you've ever flown on an airplane.

Here's another highly successful headline that resonates powerfully with our inner conversations. "Let me give you the secrets of FEARLESS CONVERSATION!" The sub-head goes on to say: "I promise you the ability to walk into a room full of strangers - and talk to anyone with total confidence, authority and flair." Can you see how this headline and sub-head jump into the typical reader's head and join their inner conversation? How can I walk into a room full of strangers and just start talking? What if I say something stupid?

If you were writing an article on the subject of public speaking, you might come up with a title like this one: "How to overcome your fears of public speaking." This title joins the conversation of someone searching for help, someone worried about the talk they are scheduled to give in the morning and there's a good chance they'll want to know more because you've struck a chord.

We're writers, but never lose sight of the fact that Helium depends on readers. Think reader resonance. Climb into your reader's mind when you craft your titles. When your title is in tune with how a reader thinks and searches, you have a much greater chance for search hits and a good title that will compel the reader to jump into your article. That's the point after all....isn't it?

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