June 2009 Challenge: Tantalizing Titles - Who's in?

[Celeste Stewart]

Okay, June is almost here, so let's kick it off with "Tantalizing Titles." After all, the title is the first thing customers see.

Titles for the Web are tough in that clever isn't necessarily the best as far as searchability goes. That doesn't mean our titles should be boring though. For example, "Health Insurance Tips" is pretty good as far as search engines are concerned but it's boring. How can you jazz it up? How about, "Health Insurance Tips You Can't Afford to Ignore"? It still has a solid keyword phrase yet it's more interesting.

I often write titles before I even know what I'm going to write about. This can give your article a tighter focus:
Health Insurance Tips for Diabetics
Health Insurance Tips for the Uninsurable
A Doctor's Guide to Health Insurance

In June, let's all give more thought to our titles. After writing the article, go back and look at your title. Is it still relevant or did your article grow beyond the title's scope? You may need to tweak your title based on the finished article. For example, you might discover common mistakes people make as you research the article. If so, you might add a subtitle such as "Health Insurance Tips for Diabetics: How to Avoid the Ten Most Common Insurance Mistakes."

As with previous challenges, we're sure to take notice of catchy examples as we see articles submitted to the site. Feel free to share your favorites and ask for ideas/feedback from your fellow challengers. Should be fun!

[HayleyWriter]

Accept the Challenge to Tantalise With Terrific Titles: Improve Your Article Sales


Does that work?

In other words, yes - I accept the challenge!

Hayley

[evie]

I accept too!!

Does anyone know the answer to the question I posted about titles on the suggestions/request forum - is there any way we can change titles once the article is submitted? Some of mine aren't as tantalizing as I would like!!

evie

[Lor]

Hayley, you win!
But try saying it 5 times really fast.

Tantalise with terrific titles
tantlise wit errific titles
tantise wi triffic itles
tantise wi rific titles
tanise wi fic idles ...

:)
Lor

[HayleyWriter]

Cute, very cute Lor!

[eek]

I'd love to join in, too. I would have spoken up sooner but a skunk bombed our porch last Thursday night. Leaving the house the next day while it aired out seemed to be the best solution.

Evie - I think authors have to delete the article and resubmit with a note to Ed in the summary that the article is the same with only a title change. Ed can correct me if I'm wrong.

I'd like to change this title: The Recession, Desperation, and Cold Hard Cash: 4 Ways to Make Extra Money

It's too long, does not get to the point quickly enough, and doesn't really reflect what the article was about. The article features four ways people are generating some extra cash these days: selling hair, selling plasma, selling sperm/eggs, and signing up for clinical trials. Not your everyday part-time job, obviously, which might be distasteful or unethical to some. I'd like to include a tinge of that in the title, without making it too long... or corny, or silly, or indulgent.

Four Ways to Make Extra Money, if You Don't Mind Parting with Parts of Yourself
Generate Cash with Your Body, Legally!

See what I mean? I'll keep tweaking it (since the idea of this challenge is to better ourselves), but I'm throwing it out there for those of you who might like to have fun with it.

Emma

[Ed]

Please do not resubmit articles with a title change unless the title contains an error. While discussion about published titles is healthy, please consider this challenge a way to spruce up titles for new articles.

Thanks,
Ed

[BarryDavidson]

Do what I do...

Put a title you like in the submission box, and then add a title or two to the text of the actual article under the main title (I put "or" double spaced between each title.). Don't do it with every submission, but it works with articles which could appeal to several different groups. I have a few customers who prefer this method because the titles they come up with are pretty generic, and they'd like to have a choice if possible.

[Celeste Stewart]

June is over - so how did you do on your Tantalizing Titles? I confess, I've been a slacker this month on the challenge front though I did submit an article today titled, "De Blob is De Bomb." Maybe not the most tantalizing title ever, but who knew that one was in my future?

I think we talked about exploring alternative angles for our next topic. I'll go back and review my notes and post the July 2009 Challenge soon! In the meantime, look through your list of titles submitted in June and share a few of your favorites. We all love to hear how each other has progressed.

[eek]

I like the title, Celeste! I had no idea what de blob was, but your title piqued my interest enough to go find out. So I think that tantalizing title lived up to the challenge.

Speaking of de bomb - I started an article this past month after that skunk sprayed our porch and have written the tentative title "Skunk Bomb: When the Target is You, Your Pet or Your Home." I've been busy with other stuff and set the article aside, but wonder of wonders, the smell is gone!

I liked Barry's idea of offering alternate titles. It's fun to produce clever, quirky titles, but I think clarity is better if you can't figure out a way to produce both. It's definitely an area I'll have to keep working on. And I wish Ed would let us change old titles on articles that haven't sold yet. Sigh... But I understand.

[Celeste Stewart]

Aye skunk smell! I have a few dogs and skunk stories. Tomato juice really works!

[eek]

Ah, but I found something better. If your dogs haven't learned to leave the skunks alone, keep some Tecnu cleanser in your arsenal. It has mineral spirits in the mix, and it's really for removing poison ivy oils (which I also had a run-in with this month), but it works for the equally tenacious skunk oil as well.