When Nice People Use Headlines that Make Them Sound Like Assholes
Readers will judge you by your article’s title
Headlines can be mean.
Just look at these titles:
“No One Cares About Your Life”
“Why Your Writing Sucks”
“It’s Not the Algorithm, It’s You”
“Why You Are Destined to Fail”
(I changed some of the wording to avoid embarrassing the writers.)
You get the idea. These types of titles are so common that you must have seen loads of them already.
Yet, when I click them out of morbid curiosity, I realize the author had good intentions and even great advice.
But why?
I get that on a platform like Medium, you want an attention-grabbing headline or else the reader will scroll past your article.
But is it worth the risk of alienating your audience?
Not all readers have a morbid curiosity like I do. Many others would simply ignore your article out of anger. Wouldn’t it be a shame to lose a good reader like that? Some may even remember you as an asshole.
Perhaps you think I’m too softhearted and picky. Nonetheless, with these blaming and judgmental titles, there’s a risk that you will repulse even your intended audience.
It’s one thing to alienate readers who are not your target audience, but it’s another to upset readers who are the very people you want to reach.
Even if a reader does click out of curiosity, and sees that you meant well, they may get the impression that you will resort to hurtful titles to gain attention.
Yes, I know. There are some popular writers, even writers I enjoy reading from, who use such titles. While they are successful in accumulating a large audience, I find that such negative titles can erode my trust in the writer.
It’s one thing to alienate readers who are not your target audience, but it’s another to upset readers who are the very people you want to reach.
I may be confident that the author can write engaging, even insightful, content, and that they can write well. But do I trust them as a person? Maybe not. I may not hate them, as they could have redeeming qualities, but I would grow less enthusiastic about their personality.
Critics may ask, “Why should we care what other people think? You’re too sensitive!” Well, my critics can believe what they want. But over the long term, it’s better not to rely on such harsh, demeaning titles.
Such negative titles make the writer look either unkind or so desperate for views that they would resort to making the reader feel bad about themselves.
I may be confident that the author can write engaging, even insightful, content, and that they can write well. But do I trust them as a person?
Now, some of you might wonder how we could use a title that sounds “nice” but still catches attention. Maybe you think I’m a Pollyanna with my head in the clouds. But it is possible. Let me show you how.
Examples of article titles that catch your eye but still sound sincere and benign.
In alphabetical order of the author’s last name:
Imane Ben: “The Boy Who Opened My Bottle”
Shereen Bingham: “My True Love Is Adventure”
Desarae Black: “Love for the Inner Child”
Art Bram: “I Finally Learned How to Love Myself Unconditionally at the Age of 68”
Scot Butwell: “New Writers, Can You Pass This Headline Test? If So, Collect $100”
Francesca Dallaglio: “How That Time My Boyfriend Could Have Died Changed Everything”
Megan Llorente: “Not Feeling Beautiful Right Now? This Piece Is For You”
Michelle Loucadoux, MBA: “Will Smith, Rumi, and Finding the Balance of Success”
Erica Marie: “Why Listening to Other People’s Advice Can Hurt Your Future”
Julia Marsiglio: “How the Little Mermaid Informed My Voice By Losing Hers”
David Perlmutter: “Animated Empathy”
Andrey Pilipets: “Hands Off David Perlmutter!”
Susie Pinon: “We All Face Growing Pains”
Sally Prag: “3 Qualities I Value in Being a Highly Sensitive Person”
Devon Price: “Laziness Does Not Exist”
Robert Ralph: “Finding It Hard To Bond With My Daughter”
Saniya Saleem: “Strawberry Ice Cream in the City”
TzeLin Sam: “Health Isn’t Everything
Gerald Sturgill: “Your Favorite Famous Music Artists Are Likely Problematic One Way Or Another”
Martin Vidal: “Why Your Writing Might Be Too Good to Be Popular”
Yes, I have read and enjoyed all of the above articles and poems, so I’m not recommending them just because they have nice titles!
Also, I’m not judging the articles based on their number of claps, as it would be unfair to newer writers with a smaller following. So I based them on my personal feelings. No, I don’t represent all readers, but I know from talking to people that many readers do share my tastes. My opinions are not unique.
Plus, there are many other great examples I didn’t share here. If I didn’t include your article title, it doesn’t mean I didn’t like it! For the sake of not making my article too long, I only chose some examples that illustrate my point particularly well.
Various qualities could make a title attractive to the reader.
The title can grab attention in many ways. A good title could:
- State an unconventional opinion: “Why Listening to Other People’s Advice Can Hurt Your Future,” “Laziness Does Not Exist,” “Health Isn’t Everything,” “Why Your Writing Might Be Too Good to Be Popular”
- Be rebellious in a positive, encouraging way: “Laziness Does Not Exist,” “3 Qualities I Value in Being a Highly Sensitive Person,” “Why Your Writing Might Be Too Good to Be Popular”
- Imply a touching relationship: “The Boy Who Opened My Bottle,” “How That Time My Boyfriend Could Have Died Changed Everything,” “Finding It Hard To Bond With My Daughter”
- Mention a strong emotion, especially if it’s relatable: “We All Face Growing Pains”
- Make a heartfelt, declarative statement about love: “My True Love Is Adventure,” “Love for the Inner Child,” I Finally Learned How to Love Myself Unconditionally at the Age of 68”
- Mention someone who is well-known to most readers: “Will Smith, Rumi, and Finding the Balance of Success,” “Hands Off David Perlmutter!”
- Mention a famous book, film, TV show, video game, or other media: “How the Little Mermaid Informed My Voice By Losing Hers”
- Sound caring and compassionate towards the reader: “Not Feeling Beautiful Right Now? This Piece Is For You”
- Use a vivid image, especially for poetry: “The Boy Who Opened My Bottle,” “Wading,” “Strawberry Ice Cream in the City”
- Put words together in a novel way that piques our interest: “Animated Empathy”
- Have a shocking statement that makes the reader want to know why: “How the Little Mermaid Informed My Voice By Losing Hers”
- Sound provocative but also intriguing: “Your Favorite Famous Music Artists Are Likely Problematic One Way Or Another”
- Look fun and helpful to read: “New Writers, Can You Pass This Headline Test? If So, Collect $100”
These categories are not exhaustive. No doubt you can think of other traits that make these titles eye-catching.
Some titles belong in multiple categories, but I want to emphasize that a title in more categories isn’t “better” than a title in fewer categories. All of these titles caught my attention and made me want to read them.
You may disagree with some of my categories, or with how I grouped these titles. That’s fine. I’m just illustrating different ways that a title could appeal to the audience.
I’m not implying here that you must write your titles in these styles, as your tastes may be different from mine. It’s up to you how you want to write. Just remember that there are many ways you can catch a reader’s interest without being mean or exploiting their insecurities.
What do you think? Do you agree that we should steer clear of titles that sound too negative and manipulative? Or do you think I’m being too strict?
Let me know in the comments!
Originally published on New Writers Welcome on March 20, 2022
