A Little Perspective

I had lunch with a friend, and fellow PR practitioner yesterday and learned he was in a very serious accident just the day before.

Very serious in that he was driving down the freeway when he was clipped from behind, causing his car (a minivan) to flip on to the hood and careen down the freeway across all lanes of traffic, staying on the hood the whole time. All the windows were smashed out.

His kids were also in the car with him. One in the seat directly behind him (his 18 month-old), and the other all the way in the back (his 3 year-old). They all emerged uninjured except for a minor cut on his eldest child’s hand.

As he described the crash and the ensuing events where he found himself staring down traffic fast approaching his upside-down car, I could not help but think about what is really important in life.

(more…)

Got Great Headlines?

We’ve all seen the headline in the paper or online that immediately grabs you by the lapels and draws you into a story. Nevermind the quality of the story, writing great headlines is a skill good writers practice and hone. With so many articles vying for attention, we’ve got to find a way to draw in the audiences.

Here are a couple tips on writing headlines that will draw in readers:

1. Create controversy. Getting readers riled up isn’t all that bad, some issues will create mixed feelings and will serve as a lightning rod for companies or issues. The key to putting out this kind of message is that you need to be ready for the backlash and be able to manage the story as much as possible. In this case the proof is in the pudding, 113 comments in the first 5 hours the story has been online.



2. Write something shocking. The next example says it all.



3. Just be creative. Whether it’s using a tongue twister, funny or a variation on a cliche, whatever, the bottom line is to grab the reader’s attention.

I think you get the point. Good headlines get readers, the fact is, more people will read your headline and lead paragraph than the article. Writing catchy, eye-grabbing headlines increases the chances readers will pick your article over another.

Seen any good headlines lately? Post the URL or headline in the comments.