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The Power of an Attention-Getting Headline & Content

by Dan C. Rinnert
4 replies
Last week, we had much ado about some of the headlines that were used on some post titles.

While scores of people appreciated the effort, some people didn't appreciate the "bait and switch" tactics that some of them employed in passing along valuable information. Some suggested that a more straightforward headline and content would have been a better way to impart information.

Well, using my own posts as an example, let's have a look at some of my more recent headlines. Try to guess for yourself which of these got more views. (Guess first, then highlight the area to see the number of views.)

One Word Can Make a Big Difference Views: 55

You'll Never Admit to Committing This Common Error that Costs You MONEY and Hurts Your Business Views: 458

2010: The Year Internet Marketing Died Views: 2,124

New FTC Rules Take Effect January 1st: Are Your Websites Ready? Views: 2,699

You Lost Them at "Write a Report" Views: 246

Are You Missing Out on Making an Insane Income Online by Focusing on All the Wrong Things? Views: 262

Easy, Easy Way to Make Extra Money Views: 255

Can I Become a Millionaire for Free? Views: 1,109

Now, this next one is one that I thought would be highly useful and had some good, actionable information in it. Yet, it was pretty much dead in the water:
Get Them While They're Hot! (Seasonal Hot Niches) Views: 294
The posts with straightforward headers and content get fewer views than the more attention-grabbing headlines with content that offers a bit of a twist. I guess the people that want straightforward information are rare, and that most people are reeled in by some a little more "out there."

And that's really disappointing, because I really hate deceptive headlines. I hate them in eMails. I hate them on sales pages. I hate them in posts. But, it appears that if you want to impart valuable, useful or critical information, the best way to do that may be to use a little bit of manipulation to draw people in.

Which is sad, really.
#attentiongetting #content #headline #power
  • Profile picture of the author Steve Faber
    Dan,

    I've found that too. It seems that even if people are looking for exactly the content you're trying to give them, they are either too bored or suspicious to read it if you don't have some kind of "They Told Me I Was Out of My Mind For Revealing How I Did This!" Or "If You Don't Do This to Your Headlines, You're Shooting Yourself in the Foot." variation.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sea1c
    Very interesting stuff, thanks.

    Whenever I write a headline, be it in a forum or on my websites I always take a mental step back and look at it like an internet surfer and think " would I read this?" This is an important step that people don't take every time, we all get blinkers on when we write and think that what we are writing makes sense because it did in our heads, but by the time it gets to the page it is gobbledygook.

    Titles are so important, unfortunately, you are right and sensational titles get the views, just have a look at your local newspaper.
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    • Profile picture of the author Bill Farnham
      Dan,

      Why are you hiding the 'views' from us. :rolleyes:

      Yea, I know the secret way to look at them, I'm just wondering if this is an IQ test...

      ~Bill
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      • Profile picture of the author ExRat
        Hi Dan,

        The posts with straightforward headers and content get fewer views than the more attention-grabbing headlines with content that offers a bit of a twist.
        With respect, I think your analysis is a little faulty.

        It's not the 'twist' that does it. It's not the fact that the title was misleading that matters - in terms of views. I think you're right about the 'attention-grabbing' aspect but mistaken to group this in with some of them being 'misleading' or 'bait and switch'.

        It's down to sensationalism.

        You could reverse the results IF it just so happened that the more sensational subjects were actually true and the less sensational subjects were misleading and had the twist. Could you not?

        For example - your most viewed one was about the FTC. If the rules DID need to be applied and the thread contained genuine advice about this, and if your lowest viewed one about 'one word needed' was a pack of lies (bait and switch), I imagine you would still get the same result.

        It's to do with the subject matter, how sensational it naturally is and how you word it to make it seem even more sensational. I don't know if this forum counts unique views or not, but if not then it might be boosted somewhat by people returning to read/post in the misleading threads where controversy occurred over it being misleading.
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