Reprint Article Headlines ? the Reader is Secondary

A great headline can be the difference between having your 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 Pete 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!

About The Author

* Glenn Murray is an SEO copywriter and Article Submission Specialist. He is a director of PublishHub and also of copywriting studio Divine Write. He can be contacted on Sydney +612 4334 6222 or at glenn@divinewrite.com. Visit http://www.divinewrite.com or http://www.publishhub.com for further details, more FREE articles, or to purchase his e-book, 'SEO Secrets'.

---

Article Publishing Is A Key Component Of Internet Marketing

Frequently when I am communicating with other webmasters and I... Read More

Crafting Your Optimized Author Bio

Your author bio is a vital part of your article... Read More

Ambition versus Dedication

All writers aspire to recognition, but are we dedicated? Ambition... Read More

Why a Good-Quality Photo Should Accompany Your Articles

I'm betting that that 3 out of 4 of you... Read More

Website Promotion: Alternatives to Article Banks

Writing and submitting articles to article banks is a well-known... Read More

Why Article Writing is Increasingly Important in This SPAM Era

There is no doubt that Spam has affected online business... Read More

Article Marketing & Copywriting Secret: How To Make Your Article TITLE Sell

Most authors are wasting their time producing dozens to hundreds... Read More

Articles: How To Turbo Charge Traffic When Your Promotion Budget Is Tiny

Writing articles for your site and for the use of... Read More

Giving Yourself the Right to Write

"But I've only been on the Internet 3 months! How... Read More

Bugaboos of Article Marketing in Web Content Management Systems (CMS)

One of the most common blunders by those using article... Read More

Lots of Extra Money Waiting to be Made from Writing $5 Articles

There is probably no easier way of earning extra money... Read More

Writing Articles, But Still Not Getting Traffic? Your Articles Suck ? But I Can Help! (Part 2)

Last time on "Because your articles suck" ? we discussed... Read More

5 Critical Promotion Mistakes People Make With Articles

Did you realize that writing and publishing articles online represents... Read More

How to Use Articles to Increase Web Site Traffic!

A simple technique to increase web site traffic is using... Read More

3 Article Outline Essentials

Most writers I talk with who experience "writer's block" do... Read More

How to Use Articles to Generate Free Traffic to Your Website

Writing articles that are available for reprint is an excellent... Read More

Top 10 Benefits Of Submitting Articles To E-zines

When I started Ezine-In-A-Box I wanted to help people publish... Read More

The RIGHT Way To WRITE Articles

As a follow up to my previous article on the... Read More

What to Write About

This is a perennial question among writers and wannabe's. Many... Read More

Reprint Article Headlines ? the Reader is Secondary

A great headline can be the difference between having your... Read More

Thinking in Articles

I have a confession to make.I think in "articles."As a... Read More

15 Questions To Instantly Help You Write A Tips Booklet

1. What is the single most compelling subject from your... Read More

Wise Article Marketing Strategies

If you are an article writer, you may have been... Read More

Need to Write an Article? Three is a Magic Number!

Writing articles for magazines, the Internet or the local community... Read More

7 Steps To Writing Articles That People Just Have To Read

This may come as a surprise... to you, but writing... Read More

Article Writing: Breaking Writers Block

It is amazing to see how much we all still... Read More

1 Powerful Strategy To Craft Your Article For Maximum Readership

Do you know one of the most powerful marketing techniques... Read More

Interviews with Well-Known Ezine Writers #2: - John Colanzi

MS: John, you must be one of the most prolific... Read More

Content and Articles to Improve Revenue

It is important for all webmasters to realize that if... Read More

Publish Article

If you've spent any time online trying to promote your... Read More

Writing For Dollars -- A Freelancers Guide

If you have writing skills and want to use your... Read More

Get Traffic to Your Web Site with Articles

It is not my intention to give you a 5... Read More

Resource Box Rules: Winning Tactics

Lets face it people use articles to send traffic to... Read More