There are a lot of quality articles going unnoticed on Steemit at the moment. Some of these are letting themselves down by not backing up their quality content, with a quality title.
The other morning on the Steem Slack channel, I was asked to give my opinions on some post titles, and I ended up giving a sort of, Headline Writing 101, on the fly.
Anyway, it seemed to go down well, and a few people offline (yes I still exist offline) have also said they like my article titles, so I thought I would reveal my secrets and hopefully help you, if you're struggling to come up with eye-catching headlines for your posts.
I thought long and hard about this one, I pondered on whether to give away secrets like this, because ultimately they are a competitive advantage.
In the end, I decided the value that a post like this would bring to Steemit, outweighed any advantage I might lose.
So pay attention now, I'm going to let you in on some secrets, not all of them; just enough to help you improve, and if you read between the lines, you may pick up some hidden gems!
Content Is King - The Rest Is Conversation
Let's get the reality check out of the way first; that way we can concentrate on the real good stuff, without this causing us to pause and come back to this very important point:
Content Is King!
You can not avoid this, it is like a dog's bark, or the sunrise; you need quality content, laid out in a good way, for your posts to make money on Steemit.
Disclaimer
Making money on Steemit, is not guaranteed, quality content does not ensure big bucks
But it helps...
One tip that you hear given again and again by bloggers around the world, is that; it is better to polarize opinion, than not. In other words, it is better to have 100 people love or hate your work, than 1000 people think that it's okay.
Up until fairly recently, I mistook that for meaning that, if you're an asshole, and write shocking things for the hell of it, you'll get loads of followers.
However now I realise that it isn't about being shocking, or controversial for the hell of it, it's about being clever with your opinion. If you're clever with what you're trying to say, you can put it in a way, that does polarize opinion, and spark a healthy debate, without compromising your integrity.
This is the art of provoke to evoke, it is the equivalent of stopping someone dead in their train of thought and saying:
"Yeah, but what about THIS, I bet you've never thought about it like THAT before, in fact, looks like all this time you were WRONG. Ah but if you look closer, you were just looking at it the WRONG WAY, so maybe you were RIGHT, but now at least you're thinking about it."
OK, enough theory, let's look at an example; I wrote a pre-SID (Steem Independence Day) article, called; Steemit Will Not Be The New Facebook.
First of all, if you haven't read the article, what does that title say to you? Is it a positive or negative article?
Look at the thumbnail, does that say anything to you?
Well to save you going and reading it, the article is about the fact that the kind of things people post on Facebook, is driven by their motivation for being on there in the first place; family and friends.
I make the point that people will stay on Facebook to socialise with their friends, and that they wouldn't dream of posting the kind of things on here that they would on there.
Finally I make the point that the fact that Steemit will not be the new Facebook, is a good thing, because quite frankly, the Facebook model of comercialisation, sucks; it sucks hard.
So with my title, I have used a statement that a lot of people (not all) would take as negative, then within the article, I have painted a picture where Steemit can't compete with Facebook, for valid reasons.
Then I have shown why this is a good thing, and have revealed that I am absolutely ecstatic about that fact.
Some may call that clickbaiting, they would be wrong of course...
At this point, I feel like I should state an obvious fact; because sometimes, things that are obvious, become so obvious over time, that they are forgotten and ironically, become not so obvious after all.
When you write an article, you are trying to entice people to read it, and of course vote on it; you want someone to see your title post and think "Ooh, yes, I'll read that!".
However; it is one thing to use clever wording, to get your point across to a potential reader, as they scroll through thousands of other posts.
It is quite another to use a provocative, picture or title, when the body of your article has nothing or hardly anything to do with the headline.
So what is the difference between a clickbait and a provocative title?
If you write a title, along with a picture, that has nothing to do with the majority of your content, then that is clickbait.
However if you use language that can be construed in more ways than one, and use a picture that honestly reflects, the story or at least a major component of the story, then that is a great headline.
And if you go even further and make the headline cryptically deceptive, in a fiendishly clever way; only to reveal the true meaning of the title right at the end, then you are a master whose level I wish to attain.
I await instruction Sensai
OK, now we have that out of the way, let us look how to go about creating just the right headline, to go with your amazingly sensitive piece, on studying the mating habits of, rare, albino, Andean aardvarks, when placed under the stress of being studied.
Let me let you into a little secret, the title I come up with first, is rarely the one I end up choosing, and when it is, it is either genius (I'm still waiting for that moment); or I'm being lazy, in which case, the article won't make much; which I deserve, for trying to cheat you out of a wonderful post title.
I'm going to lay it out in steps, because I like laying things out in steps, but you should look at this as much more organic process, the more you do it, the more you'll develop your own structure, for creating titles.
Identify who you are writing for and what you're trying to say to them.
If you don't know who you're writing for, then you are trying to write for everyone; or you're thinking; I'm trying to write for the whales. (More on that later).
I often think of; what I believe is, a great subject, I login to StackEdit and start hammering away on the keyboard. Then after spewing out about 500 words or so, I suddenly stop and think, what am I trying to say here and who am I saying it to?
If I can't answer those questions; I stop writing, probably leaving that article behind forever more.
Let's take this post as an example; who is this article for?
First of all, I am trying to reach people who feel that their content isn't getting enough recognition and they are not neccesarilly sure why.
Secondly It's for people who feel that they are struggling to come up with good titles for their content.
Simple.
Next I am trying to say to you, that titling your post, is extremely important, and that it is often overlooked and can be the difference between getting seen or not.
Then I am trying to tell you how to come up with a good headline for your rocking content, to earn more money.
Even simpler.
Why is it important to identify your audience and the message you're trying to deliver to them?
Because that will give you clues as to the kind of language to use in your title.
Example:
If I was writing this for a class of 11 year old's; and I was trying to inspire them to use less literal titles for their essays; I might title the post:
Find The Line Inside Your Head!
However because I'm writing for you, I am calling it Great Content And No Cents? - It's All In The Title!
Proofing your title, is like proofing your work, you are constantly checking, that it makes sense and stays on point. Like I mentioned above; writing about titles, whilst trying to choose a title, is a bit weird, so I'll talk about my usual method for proofing my title.
So how do you proof a title? I hear you ask...
OK, well the way I do it, is I go through step 1, then I just call the article something relevant; for example; I called this post How To Choose A Title.
This can be thought of as a working title, something that gives an aproximation, to what the post is about, it is purely functional and as | mentioned above, rarely used for a final draft.
So; identify, choose title, start writing content; here's where it gets interesting...
Whilst writing a post, you may suddenly write a paragraph, that changes the whole nature of the story you are trying to tell; you realise that you were coming at it from the wrong angle, so you change direction.
This is the first point where you might, change your working title. Often I will get to this point, stop, write a few titles, maybe change the working title and then carry on.
More often than not, I scroll to the top of the article and just write one or two titles there and then I carry on writing.
So using this article as an example, one of my proof titles was - Your Title Is Your Calling Card - Choose Wisely
I try not to bog myself down too much when I'm proofing the title, I am just checking for connections, making sure that what I write, doesn't wildly conflict with, my proofed titles. If it does, I reassess either the title or the content, or even both.
Basically, the main point of proofing, is to give you ideas for where the article might go; sometimes, my proofed titles get used as subheadings. Just like in this article at the top, I've used an edited version of, one of my proofed titles- Provoke To Evoke.
Warning: Sometimes this process may cause you to scrap an entire article, that you may have worked really hard on for days.
This is because proofing in this way, is a great chance to be hypercritical with yourself. When you do this, you might find out that the reason you can't think of a good title, is because you haven't got a good article.
Since I joined Steemit a little over 2 months ago, I have written around 30 unfinished articles, some are because I wanted to focus on something else. However most are simply because they didn't come up to scratch as I was proofing the title, and by association, proofing the article itself.
So how did I come up with the post title to this article, and or any other article I've written with a good title?
Well for this article, it was slightly different for me as I came up with the title as I was talking about how to come up with the title!
However of course, this was not off the cuff, whilst I'd love to maintain the illusion in your mind, that I'm some kind of litterary genius, I must defer to the truth and tell you it's a progressive process, in other words; plain old trial and error.
So you see once I have identified, who my audience is, and what I'm trying to tell them, I then go onto create the titles, that I think do the jobs, they're meant to do.
Example:
Below are a few of; (from a much larger group) the choices I came to before the final decision
Provoke To Evoke - Getting The Killer Title
Content Isn't Always King- How To Write A Steem Powered Headline
Your Content Needs You('re) Headline!
Your Content Needs You!
Great Content No Cents? - It's All In The Headline!
Great Content And No Cents? - It's All In The Headline!
Great Content And Only Cents? - It's All In The Headline!
So the last one for me, is talking to the people I'm trying to talk to and, conveys the message I'm trying to convey.
I am attempting to provoke a response (you reading this article) to an emotion I have evoked (your frustration at not making enough money, even though your content is great).
With each one of those headlines, I asked myself, is it speaking to the people I want to speak to, and is it conveying the message I want to get across? If the answer to both of those questions is no, then I carry on; if however it is yes then great, I've arrived at the title for my post!
So if you're the sort of person that, writes something, title's it and then posts immediately and you're not getting much of a return, then following the tips mentioned in this article will help you.
Remember, it is about being individual and developing your own style, it may take a bit of time, and you'll get better with each post.
Writing titles in this way will exercise your imagination and improve your creative skills, and in time you'll be matching your titles to your posts in poetic ways that you wouldn't have imagined, when you started.
Things To Avoid:
Don't clickbait: Using words and pictures in your title, that are unconnected to the main body of your article, is unacceptable. It will annoy 99% of the people who read it and what is more, you will get a reputation for being a clickbaiter, which is not the rep you want.
Don't rush: Remember, it is much better to take 3 days perfecting a post and to be rewarded $100, than 20 minutes and be rewarded with $0.07.
Don't copy the structure of popular posts: Do you want to be a leader or a follower? If you see a "10 Things That..." post that makes $5000. Don't make an article called "9 Things That..." or, "Another 10 Things..."
You want people to copy you, not the other way round.
Things To Remember:
Identify Your Audience: You should ask yourself who you are writing for at all stages of the article creation process. Remember if you can't answer that question with a better answer than whales, you don't have an article yet, so you won't have a title.
Identify Your Message: As before, if you don't know what point you are specifically trying to make, or you have written an article about something, that has no particular point of focus. Then your title will also be unfocused and as before, you don't have an article.
Proof Your Title: Don't just go with the first title you come up with, as you proof the article, keep the title in mind, does it convey the words of the content? Write your proof titles at the top of the page, be prepared to scrap an entire article, or at least change direction, if you come up with a title that conveys a different message.
Polarize Opinion: You can't please all of the people, all of the time, and trying to, will just result in a bland wishy-washy product, that neither offends, nor excites. Keep in mind, that there is a fine line between polarizing opinion and sensationalism, which borders on clickbaiting.
Always stay true to your message...
Encourage Debate: Try and choose a title that will encourage debate, I have stated in my title that if you have great content, and little reward, that the key to success is in writing a good headline. You may agree with that, others might not, which could spark a lively debate. Debates are great as they enhance the value of your content and you may actually learn something at the same time!
Practice, Practice, Practice: There is no substitute, no shortcut that will improve your skills more than practice, so write as much as your schedule will allow.
Never Give Up: Don't get frustrated, you can hit low figures for article after article and then suddenly you come up with a killer title like How Steemit Has Changed My Life: From living on $1/day and 3 hours of electricity to Having over $41,319 and earn $17,349.12
Well done @infovore! :-D
What about you? What's the best title you have seen on Steemit? Do you struggle with titles, tell me how you feel below!
Cryptogee
Key:
Thank you for sharing your behind the scenes process. Not too many people are willing to do that.
So many people see an article and think, "Bah, I could have done that." (and many could), but there's often a lot more work that goes into good writing, much of which happened practicing on countless ignored blog posts years before.
You're very right, this article was completely different four days ago, I had written about 1500 words, when I realised it was completely wrong.
CG
As I just started posting to Steemit yesterday, this article has definitely helps clear the mind a bit. THANKS CRYPTOGEE! I think I write ok, but titles always get me nervous. Not very but just enough to make me over think it MASSIVELY.
Since I'm gradually shifting my content over to Steemit, being a professional motion graphics / VFX artist, getting my titles right is crucial to the exposure / reach that my visual content gets, so yeah....title minefield.
Driven by Steem!
I know you can do it, you just have to focus your graphic mind and tweak it a bit :-)
CG
I feel the same (
Nice post!
Check out new service i just released :) Maybe show some support!
https://steemit.com/steemit/@cryptotony/steem-link-first-steemit-short-url-service-with-bunch-of-features
Thank you for this post. It has worked to soothe my aching soul as I watch my "masterpiece" drown to the depths of oblivion.
Well done bro , very helpful post, but i still saw people with great content don't make any money yet, may be it's the luck!!
when steemit storm start good bloggers come in here and they have dreams to make some serious money , I know content is king that is the first word i heard the first day i have start online job, some people are patient some people not , so i don't know if good bloggers will keep blogging on steemit for long time , here is an article that i have post yesterday please tell me what you think: https://steemit.com/steemit/@ben99/how-much-money-we-should-invest-to-make-our-up-vote-valuable
Nice post :-)
CG
Nice article. I will definitely try it out because I am clearly doing something wrong at the moment.
You have answered in a very easy to understand way one of the biggest questions new users have with steemit. "Why isn't my post making any money?" Sometimes it's people whining about mediocre posts, but I've seen quite a few great posts that truly didn't receive the recognition I thought it warranted. Article is spot on and will reward you not just financially, but also hopefully improve steemit as people say "hey I can follow those steps" and create interesting or educational content that surpasses the types of posts found on some other sites. Everyone has skin in this game and people begging for votes from whales are getting it all wrong. A whale has one of the biggest risks with each vote made, because if they reward mediocre content then that is what people will accept as the norm and nobody is going to see any difference in this site than any other site. Bravo! I'll have to follow up on some older posts of yours. I've been keeping tallies on quite a few posters and your name will be added to that list.
That's right, lots of people right now on Slack are complaining that posts like this keep getting upvoted. Instead of using that energy to find out why they're being upvoted. It is because people are not getting it and the whales want people to get it.
CG
Wales want Quality content. :)
It's one thing to make money from a system, it's another altogether to have to put up with drivel. :) LOL
The landscape changes around here will be interesting, the next few years. Crazy stuff coming. ;)
Keep it Clean!
My Blog Posts, Neatly Categorized!
Yes! You're right on so many levels. I see slowly that new categories are being created and Trending. This leads to a great first post that is high dollar followed by many copycat posters hoping to go viral. Kind of like art in Jackson pollack (originality at least). His paintings are masterpieces because he first though to do it. If I did the same thing nobody would give me the value of the paint on the canvas. But other artists learned how to take some of his techniques and make them into their own. I've started taking the time to see what I really value in each post I like and think of a twist or tip they have used that I could implement into my own type of unique content. Essentially picking up skills to use to better my own posts. I've learned quite a bit through asking questions and trying to add insight and value to others posts. Again thanks for the guidelines you have given. Anyone who took the time to read your post has no excuse for putting up a mediocre post (unless they don't care and just decide to go ahead with some not well thought out mess). You've given a checklist everyone should print out and look at before they hit post. At least anyone who is serious about using this as a platform to help and influence others.
I tried to implement your strategies in this post. I know it isn't perfect, but I thought I'd give it a shot and let the community decide
https://steemit.com/vote/@bendjmiller222/trump-hillary-my-vote-may-be-up-to-you
Great article again @cryptogee
As an veteran email marketer, I know a bit or two about creating catchy titles. Open rates for emails are a direct results of your subject, or headline in this case.
Just did a little test with this article: http://steemurl.com/4Ag2FC3_
It's already ourperforming older articles that have (in my opinion) much less value. But as we all know, value is subjective.
Open rates are facts. And so are Steemit upvotes!
Boom! Just clicked it, that's a great title, I'm off to read now! :-D
CG
I think that the language of the content also significantly affect. I am Spanish. Do not know English, reason by which, using translator. Do I let me write a comment using the translator but an article of quality? So I doubt much. I've written two or three items of quality, and they have not obtained the prize expected to be in Spanish. We are very few Spanish-speaking users, and it shows. I hope that someday, the balance to be balanced and have the same success the posts in Spanish. Advice would I give in my case?
Por noticias en Español, habla en español. English freno es no bueno. :D
Sadly that pretty much maxed out my spanish vocab despite living in a predominantly latino neighborhood for the past couple of years.
Anyways there are plenty of folks here who speak spanish and more will come if they ever decide to open the doors again.
Thorough, @cryptogee. I have found that starting my story in Word is the best way. I just write. It's garbage. Overnight the edits come to me and my subconscious has figured out the direction it's taking. Then I refine. But usually for me, the title comes first. Then I write from there. Letting it sit a day or so before you post lets everything fall into place, titles included.
Great post! Thanks for the tips.
I'm a new writer and these are golden advises for me. I agree with you that practice makes the master.
Cryptogee bares all
The guide you've all been waiting for. How to write like the pros and be rewarded thousands!
[Read it all in the next number of SteemitQ, now available in stores and online]
ROLFMAO, I'm sorry but insert name, bares all! is always going to get upvoted. Just the way this place works.
I think I definitely struggle with titles, I try my best to be as least click-baity as possible and more honest, but maybe that's holding me back. A lot of these articles that are getting tons of upvotes sound like spam. To me, that is a reason NOT to click on them and read them, but for others, maybe it does drive interest. Thanks for this.
That's the whole point, you can provoke emotion, without being click-baity; it is about constantly monitoring what is being said.
It's all in the article, study it, try the techniques and go from there! :-)
CG
I usually click a lot of stuff and read through to see what interests me, but part of this community is to let people post whatever it is that they want to post. Although, I wish there was some way to prevent complete shit from being posted. I have a strong urgency to support speech, whether or not I like the content. That's why we have a UPVOTE system.
-Daf
People can post whatever they want and also they can vote on whatever they want...
CG
This is good content about writing good content. Well done.
"Finally I make the point that the fact that Steemit will not be the new Facebook, is a good thing, because quite frankly, the Facebook model of comercialisation, sucks; it sucks hard."
Indeed... I kind of cringe with the thought of this being "the next FB". Fortunately the platform type and aim is different.
Tell that to my blog
In my opinion, your titles could do with a little work, also think about the first 2 lines of your post, these also act as a calling card.
CG
best steemit links
https://steemit.com/steem/@nioctib/best-steemit-links
This is the greatest threat so far, in my time on steemit. Wery nice whriting, and good points.
Ewery one can came with a killer yess, only time will tell :p
Glad to have you onboard :)
yes. yes. yes.
A well-crafted headline is half the battle. Without it, even the best of content may never get read - as it's the headline (and accompanying picture) that initially grab a reader's attention and inspires them to click, or move on for something more appealing.
There's fundamental principles of copywriting psychology that are well put into use when writing headlines, if people want people to open their articles. There's a science to it.
Every small detail matters.
Capitalizing the first letters of each word MATTERS.
Condensing the wording down to only what's necessary to convey the message - stripping away unnecessary words - MATTERS.
The use of proper punctuation, grammar, spacing - MATTERS.
Leading the reader with a promise of VALUE to be found upon investing their time in reading the rest of the article is KEY. (And fulfilling upon that promise by delivering such value is key in assuring the reader is satisfied with what was promised by the headline).
The more one develops their copywriting skills - analyzing the finest details of how a headline is crafted to elicit specific responses in readers, just as the language of computer coding is critical to refine if desiring to execute a specific program/command - the better they'll also be able to create the body of text for the rest of their articles.
Excellently written piece. Not one to overlook the value in. :-)
Excellent post, upvoting!
TASTY
you have got a very informative , @cryptogee
Finally, a "steemit guide" made from 0, no copy and paste.
good material, keep up with the good work :D
Have a look in this, it's great too!
https://steemit.com/writing/@steemitdude/when-you-need-an-idea-to-a-new-post
Sometimes I think I have a great submission idea and after working on it for a bit, I realize it's not that good. Delete.
It's good discipline to scrap articles, it means your quality will rise fast!
:-)
CG
the same happens to me
How can I join the SteemSlack channel?
Tittle do make all the difference I agree.
Click on the 3 bars on the top right of your screen and navigate to the, "join the slack channel"
CG
You can't. Slack is in maintenance. I know because I also want to join. ☺ It will probably big news when slack will be available again, so let's wait 'till then. ☺
thanks for the reply :)
damn... you're right.
Good info!
thanks for very interesting post. Will be putting that into practice on my next article.
I hope you do and I hope it works for you.
CG
Very good reading man! We need more of this!!
I will try and deliver more!
:-)
CG
thanks good tips, in the short time that I have on page've seen very good content that goes unnoticed, it's a shame it happen
First of all thanks for helping us.
Second thing i found interesting is that you mentioned @infovore i was reading that post first few minutes that it came and after few minutes as I was reading it went boom just like your post today. Those thing are to often with top paid posts. I mean I'm here almost whole day and i find good content and when top paid post comes out, you can't even read it through and it skyrockets up, its like its riged.
Don't you think that whales should wait with their upvotes and let us smallones to take a look for at least 30 minutes and then jump in with their votes?
This way we don't get to choose what is good content since whales do it instead and I think its not their job.
Some of the whales have invested tens of thousands of dollars, they have a right to try and recoup some of that and to try and police the quality of the content.
CG
@leksimus, please read my post from earlier today about how us minnows should use our votes (and what we should expect from them). You may find it useful as long as you're not here to get rich quick.
https://steemit.com/steemit/@jsteck/minnow-code-of-conduct-how-one-minnow-would-like-to-see-the-rest-of-the-school-behave
Thank you for give usso good advices, blogging is getting very competitive in steemit and one must be ready for do the best
Thank you! This post is extremely useful, and the rest of your posts are actually pretty good examples of how to implement your rules.
I especially enjoyed the "Encourage Debate" rule, I'll be sure to try to apply it!
Interresting timeline and procedure for publishing
Now this is an example of an awesome post. Liked all your advises. I am happy that this post is earning on this platform. Also it makes me realize ....so much more to learn.
Hey, you said "more on that later", in regards to "writing for whales"....
Is it in a future post, or did I miss it somehow?
I had to go hunt this down to find the title, but the notable part is that the title left enough of an impact that I remembered it!
So the best title I've seen is "The Preacher and the Puppy" and the reason I think it's the best is because I went past it when I first read it, but then about half way down the page I was like, wait a minute, puppy, preacher, rent....WHAT is this post about exactly???
bottom line, not only did it entice me, it also remained in my memory for a while....I would have to call that a darn good title!
Thanks, that took a good few goes to get there :-)
CG
Great article! I have been struggling with only making cents on my articles, and while it may be that they are just not that good, I will have to put in some effort into my titles, to give them the best chance!
interesting and thanks for a very good advice I needed very much but some topics are hot and others are just hotter and then it also comes down to the big question of taste and interest . I usually do not read those "how to get upvotes" stuff but your link was posted in a comment I accidentally read . I don't even check my recommendations . I find my way to the stories I like . I also believe in magic :) one day , I might see some massive dollar numbers as well .
-Moving this comment to its own post-
Great post mate! Upvoted! Check my new post about who can benefit from Steemit - https://steemit.com/steemit/@scrachit/what-can-steemit-bring-to-content-creators-writers-journalists-artists-photographers-and-all-of-us
I love a good title. My most recent one being "I'm a stripper in my spare time."
I enjoy reading your posts. I tried to use (some) of your advice to capture the attention of my fellow minnows. I tend to do the opposite of overthink -- I write, give a title, and post.
There's a fine line between being careful and being too stilted and I prefer to come across as conversational instead of rehearsed. That said, I come across as neither if no one comes across what I say!
I appreciate your advice. If you have a moment to look over my last post, and advice you have for me would be greatly appreciated!
I just wrote a post I thought was good, and it has received $0.25. I was wondering if you could take a look at it and leave some feedback on how I could improve this blog. I'm not asking for an upvote, I'm asking for feedback.
https://steemit.com/steemit/@johngalt/the-secret-behind-why-your-post-isn-t-trending
Great post but really is not so easy... here few of them got the power to chose what is good and what isn't.
I wrote so many interesting posts that were valued 0$ or max 3$... What is the point to write a post if I have to tag other people to let them see and vote??? In this way steemit is not working well.
I forgot to do it... @cryptogee