KEY POINTS:
Put a couple of tablespoons of petrol in your car's tank today, and see what happens to the car.
I'll tell you what. It'll probably take you a few inches further.
And you'll say to yourself: "What the heck? What difference will a few inches make?"
Just as
you'd say: "What the heck? What difference will a word or two make to enhance the power of a headline?"
But you'll be amazed how - by simply adding a target plus a specific - you'll make your headline far more attractive in a matter of seconds.
Why don't we find out for ourselves, eh?
And let's start off by taking a random topic. For example, let's take a topic such as: "Why article writing is the key".
But the key to what?
Most writers leave out the core detail. They miss out telling you where the article is going in the first instance. And these writers don't leave out the core detail on purpose.
They just don't realise the importance of the core detail. And the core detail should usually contain what we'd loosely call a "target".
A target is simply "who or what are we speaking about?"
Let me demonstrate what I mean, by doing a little addition.
So instead of: "Why article writing is the key", we say: "Why article writing is the key to getting strategic alliances".
We say: "Why article writing is the key to getting clients".
We say: "Why article writing is the key to getting paid".
Notice what happened when we put in that target?
First, it actually gave your article a solid direction. And hey, it did even more. It created curiosity.
Your topic suddenly spruced up, brushed its hair, and put on a tuxedo.
And if you're amazed at what adding a target can do, let's now add a "specific" to that headline.
I'm going to replace just one word/one phrase at a time. And you watch how the article literally swings from one side to another.
Example 1:
"Why article writing is the key".
"Why article writing is the key to getting strategic alliances".
"Why article writing is the key to getting active strategic alliances".
Example 2:
"Why article writing is the key".
"Why article writing is the key to getting clients".
"Why article writing is the key to getting higher-paying clients".
Example 3:
"Why article writing is the key."
"Why article writing is the key to getting paid."
"Why article writing is the key to getting paid in advance."
So you see what we did?
We took the core topic. We added a target. We added one specific such as "active" or "higher-paying" or "in advance".
And we instantly intensified the power of the headline.
Amazingly, that change in the headline did a lot more. It made the article easier for you to write.
Without the target and the specifics, the headline was weak, and the resulting article would be a soggy waffle.
But as we put in the target and the specific it actually forced you to focus on that specific, thus resulting in a much superior article.
When you have a vague headline, it's almost impossible to keep the content of the article focused.
When you have a specific headline, it's darned impossible to go off track.
What's more, your audience is more focused too, because the rest of your article is delivering exactly what the headline promised.
The specificity of the headline is what drew the reader in, and it's the specificity of the rest of the article that will keep the reader reading.
And if you don't believe me, remove those measly words ... Remove the specifics. Chop off the target.
Then write your article.
The headline loses power. What's worse is that the entire article becomes so much harder to write.
With the addition of just a measly word or two, your article is vrooming down the road.
And hey, in the right direction too!
Sean D'Souza is chief executive of Psychotactics and is an international author and trainer.
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