I’ve been writing professionally for almost 15 years, and I’ve yet to master the headline. My first boss and mentor told me that a headline should grab the reader’s attention while at the same time fitting on one line. Talk about a tall order.
Headline writing truly is an art, and there are very few who can claim to be expert headline-writers. But fear not – even if you’re unlikely to win a Pulitzer, there are some basic things to make your headlines better, according to this piece in Ragan’s Daily Headlines. Here are the author’s top two:
1. Use active words, not passive.
2. Get sassy.
PS – Ragan.com has been a constant companion for me throughout my career; they consistently provide great tips and advice on writing, public relations, business communications, internal communications and more. If you write as part of your job, it’s an excellent repository of information across many different disciplines.
Cindy Harris
