I love writing headlines. As newspaper and magazine editors have known since the dawn of print publishing, the headline is the hook that reels in the reader. I relish the challenge of phrasing a headline that commands attention. I like to think of myself as the master of the headline - or in the case of email – the master of the subject line.
Like most writers, I have a rolling editorial calendar for this blog that I follow religiously. Ahem, sort of. I make exceptions when I am motivated to add my voice to a topic that is dominating social and/or traditional media. Or in the case of Overstock.com, I feel compelled to comment. My calendar is very simple; it consists of three columns: A) Date B) Topic C) Central Idea. Typically, I use only one or two words in the Topic column. Here’s last week’s Topics column:
Monday – Buzzwords
Tuesday – Innovation
Wednesday – Engagement
Thursday – Happy Thanksgiving
Friday – Disruption
Today’s entry is Headlines. Real original, right? Column C does the heavy lifting. Here, I describe the point of the post. I keep it brief explaining my idea in one or two pithy sentences. Today’s entry in Column C: It's the hook that reels the reader in. I am the master of the headline.
Believe it or not, quite often conceiving the headline is the last thing I do before 
Top Headlines Today
Let’s review a few headlines in various publications:
US man leaves jail in missing tourist case – Is he a contortionist? The tourist case is no longer missing if he left in it.
Bankruptcy Could Disrupt American Airlines' Rebranding – Gee, ya think?
FCC twists knife in AT&T's chest; Criticizes 'false claims' over acquisition of T-Mobile – Was it a pen knife, butcher knife or a machete?
Tech Firm Implements Employee ‘Zero Email’ Policy – Really? Can I work for you?
How to Spot a Liar in 20 Seconds Flat – Walk into the sales department? Talk to a politician?
Clearly, crafting a clever headline is a talent. Unfortunately, most news headlines tend to be dull. My favorite is the last one, although the first one gets props simply because it’s humorous when taken literally.
That is the risk with headlines: if not written well, they get noticed, but the response is usually anything but what the writer or editor intended. So be sure you put some deep thought into how you title your press releases, newsletter articles, brochures, blog posts, email messages and every item on your web site (or hire me to do that for you).
Excuse me, it’s time to write a headline.
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