Make headlines engaging

- [Voiceover] Every good story has natural drama built into it, whether it's the inescapable fate of star-crossed lovers or your average guy jumping through hoops just trying to get a standing desk for his cubicle. A compelling tale is made up of two or more forces acting in opposition to one another and the tension that results from that struggle. If the writer has done her job, and you may be the writer or you may be tasked with writing a headline for another writer's story, it should be clear by reading the story or even just the beginning of the story, what that drama is. But even if the writer left you hanging and the story lacks obvious tension or excitement, the headline writer needs to go hunting for it. Draw it out and slap it up there in a big bold point size to engage readers, to capture their attention and pique their interest in reading further. So what kind of headlines get attention? There are certain things that humans just love to read about, that we find psychologically irresistible. If you can get elements of those things into your headlines, then you've got a great shot of catching eyeballs as they flip past. One is conflict. We're drawn to the inherent drama in a battle, whether it's a battle between neighbors, nations or brands of soda. "The Four Business Skills Recruiters "Are Looking for and Not Finding." This headline sets up conflict by showing that recruiters can't find what they need, and this is especially compelling to readers who may be looking for work. What if I'm the solution to that problem? Another tool you can use is prominence. We like to read about famous people, popular brands, well-known places. Familiarity draws us in, we can't help it. We like what we know. So look for the familiar names, faces and places in your story and bring them out front, up top, into your headline. Like this, "Five Amazing Visual Effects "from Mad Max: Fury Road." Timeliness is another great attention getter, going back to urgency of the four Us. It's not enough to tell your readers why they need to know something. You have to telL them why they need to know it now. Consider adding words or phrases like "right now," "this week," or "today." Like in these examples. "Why is poke so hot right now? "Here are nine restaurants you'll want to try." Or, "Ten things you need to know today." Tell them why they need to know it now, and you'll be more likely to keep their gaze.