free reprint article published once (on your own website...)
and having it published hundreds, if not thousands, of times
all over the Internet.
Sure, the content has to be worthwhile; it has to be
helpful, informative, and not just a sales spiel. And
there's no denying that a well written article can be very
compelling. But if your headline doesn't cut it, the article
won't stand a chance. The best article in the world will
never see the light of day without an effective headline.
Now, more than ever, article submissions need a good
headline. But it's not just the reader you have to worry
about. In fact, the reader is secondary! When it comes to
reprint article headlines, your main focus should be the
publisher.
You may think the requirements of a good headline haven't
changed over the years, but they have. Unlike headlines for
traditional newspapers, magazines, etc., which target only
the reader, online article submission headlines target first
the publisher, then the reader.
So how do you write a headline for an online publisher?
Here's a few tips...
1) State your domain
No matter what your business, you can be sure that potential
publishers of your article are inundated with information
every day. Imagine hypothetical 'Publisher Pete'. He's the
webmaster of a high PR site. He receives hundreds of article
submissions every day. Additionally, he farms article
submission sites (aka 'article banks', 'article submit
sites', 'free-reprint sites') for articles on a regular
basis. Because so many of the article submissions he sees
are spam or unrelated, Publisher Paul is quick to dismiss
anything that isn't obviously - and immediately - relevant
to his website. So make sure your headline signals the
general subject area of the article submission, not just the
exact topic.
2) State your argument
Every website has an agenda. Whether it's to sell, persuade,
or inform, there's always an angle. When our friend
Publisher Pete looks for free reprint content for his
website, he wants something that complements his agenda. If
he's selling chemical garden fertilizers, he doesn't want an
article about the evils of chemical fertilizer. Nor does he
want an article espousing the virtues of organic fertilizer.
He wants an article promoting the value of chemical garden
fertilizer. If that's what your article is about, make sure
the headline lets him know.
3) Don't make empty promises
Sensationalized headlines may work in traditional media, but
they're not so effective in online article submissions. Few
things frustrate an online publisher more than being lured
in by a promising headline which turns out to be nothing
more than hot air. For publishers who take the time to
carefully filter content before publishing, empty headlines
are nothing more than time-wasters. For publishers who are a
little less meticulous, empty headlines result in a site
which is characterized by disjointed, contradictory,
low-quality content. Either way, the publisher isn't
impressed, so make sure the headline of your article is
relevant to (and validated by) the body of your article.
4) Put yourself in the publisher's shoes
Always think about ways to make the publisher's job easier.
It's as simple as that. Brainstorm 5, 10, 20 headlines, then
put yourself in the publisher's position and ask which one
you'd choose. That's the best headline for your article
submission.
5) Think about your publisher's readers
Publishers want articles that readers will open. But
remember, your publisher's website may cater to an entirely
different type of reader to your website. Whenever you find
yourself thinking about your secondary audience (the
reader), make sure you're thinking about the publisher's
readers - not your own. That settled, you can go on to focus
on regular audience-headline considerations such as making
the headline attention-getting, targeted, and benefit
driven.
Conclusion
With the emergence of article submission as a great way to
generate a high search engine ranking, and the associated
proliferation of article submission spam, the right headline
is more important than ever. The important thing to remember
is that you're faced with a gatekeeper, and you need to
address their needs first.
By following all the publisher-focused tips above, you'll
not only see your article published many more times, you'll
also see it published on more relevant websites. This will
help both your ranking (because links from relevant sites
are always the best) and your click-thru traffic (because
the audience will be more relevant).
Happy headlining!