Clickbait Titles Are Not The Only Way to Draw More Readers

There is more to a successful article than just a fancy title

The goal of any writer is to hook a reader through an excellent title and introduction. By doing that, you ensure that the reader will continue to read your story from beginning to end. This is why a good title is super important for many writers. It is their first and last impression to hook the reader into reading the article. Many writers compose informative and excellent pieces that don’t get noticed and attain the reads it deserves. Due to this prospect, writers use clickbait titles to hook the reader into reading their story. Clickbait is a common strategy a writer will use to draw more readers into reading their story.

Examples of Clickbait titles include:

1. Top 10 Medium Publications That Have Changed The Course of The Universe
2. 5 Unbelievable Soap Products that Will Evolve your Skin in One Day
3. A Math Tip from my Professor that Can Change your Life
4. How You Can Earn $1M in One Day Without Stressing

Reading these titles, I can tell that there is exaggeration about the topic. I’m not saying all articles with clickbait titles are uninformative. I’m saying that clickbait is not the only way a writing piece can become noticed. When I read an article with a clickbait title, I sometimes wonder whether the article is legit? Even if the article is legit, is the article going to benefit the readers? For example, though you feel a soap product is life-changing, how can you guarantee that everyone will benefit from the product?

You can draw more readers by having a title with quality information.

Readers appreciate the morals and lessons they can learn from reading your story. Reading your advice, morals, and life experiences are stepping stones towards having a great article. With that said, having a good and informative title increases your chances of having your story read.

Three tips towards writing a good title:

1. Write a title that identifies the topic of story

A common mistake I see from writers is that their title is irrelevant to the story. For example, if your story is about nature, make sure that your title is about nature and related ideologies. Ensure that the title mentions the topic you are talking about so readers are not confused by the story.

2. Avoid using unnecessary adjectives and redundancies to over-hype the story

As a writer, you want readers to benefit from your story, but you also want the reader to have vibes that you are telling the truth through past experiences. Using unnecessary adjectives and redundancies may exaggerate your title. What is worse than having no reads is having disappointed and angry readers after reading your story. This will lead to wrong impressions and remarks that will not benefit your writing journey.

Let’s take a look at this example:

Clickbait Title: 4 Unbelievable Herbal Products That Cure Fever in No Time

Corrected Title: 4 Herbal Products That Help With Fever

Analyzing this example, I had no reason to include unbelievable, cure, and no time in the title. Not only is the title exaggerated, but it also sending vibes that I am not telling the truth. Unless there is a 100% success rate through research and studies, I have no right to say that herbal products will cure fever in no time. Think about it, what if a patient who consumes herbal products faces adverse side effects and is barely cured after reading your article? Not only did you fail the reader, but you will also lose your credibility because you provided readers with false information.

3. Ensure your title is straightforward, so readers will understand what your story is about

As a writer, I strongly emphasize you avoid loopholes in your writing pieces. You don’t want readers to read your title and be confused. Remember that your title is not a run-on sentence, introduction, body paragraph, or conclusion. On Medium, for example, the titles I love most are the ones that are simple and go straight to the point. Not only are those articles informative, but they are also successful in many manners.

If you are someone who takes a long time or struggles to write a good title, know that practice makes perfect. Whether you are writing an essay, article, or presentation, an excellent title originates from consistent practice. Writing and reading more articles on Medium has helped me learn more about the arts to write a good title. Never assume clickbait is the only way you can hook readers to read your stories. There is so much more to a story than clickbait.