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This Title Is the 1st Thing People Read (And 83% Won’t Read Any Further)
Improving Titles for Better Visibility and Getting More Readers
Have you ever had a teacher that just wants to prove that they are better than the kids in their class and assigns a ‘Follow The Directions’ quiz? You will know it if you have ever taken one. This could be one or two sheets of paper with line after line of instructions and lots of little busy work. However, the quiz isn’t about seeing which kids are the best or fastest at busy work. It is a simple exercise in paying attention and following instructions. If you have never taken one of these exams, it goes something like this:
1. Read all instructions before doing anything
2. Put your name in the top left corner
3–24. do random stuff like draw boxes on your paper and add some numbers together and yell out random words
25. Ignore all other instructions except for #1 and #2. Complete those instructions and pretend to stay busy while everyone else makes a fool of themselves
Recently I felt the fool after not paying attention to the instructions around post titles. After getting three consecutive posts curated on Medium.com my next submission didn’t go very far. Reflecting on the article, I blame…