- Now you are going to apply what you have learned in class. As per the class discussion, please provide me with three different headlines for the story (article in Question #3) and outline your reasoning(s) and explanation for each. Please ensure you base your answer on the different elements of headlines we spoke about in class. Please go into detail for each. (12 Marks)
“Is It Time to Toss Out the Bacon? These Are the 4 Signs to Look Out For, Along with Safe Food Storing Advice”
For this headline I started by asking a closed-ended question to get readers thinking and spark more curiosity in their brain. They will either think yes or no, and are going to be interested in why the headline is asking them this question, so they are more inclined to continue reading the headline. This headline also can work as a way to hint at an issue, and then it states a solution for people by saying “These are the 4 Signs to Look Out For”. So I am telling them if they read this article, they will find a way to know if they should be throwing out the bacon. I also include the number 4 in the headline, which is always more helpful for readers to understand. People like to see numbers in headlines as it hints to a list of things, so that’s why I wanted to keep it so they know what to expect. I still included the advice part as it is another way to tell readers that by reading this headline, it will give them solutions to the problems they may be having.
“How to Avoid Bad Bacon! The 4 Best Ways to Know When You Should Get Rid of It”
This headline has a lot of clarity right at the beginning, which is important for readers when it comes to understanding what they are going to be reading and why they should. I am using psychological biases within this headline by using the word avoid. As mentioned in class, negatives can be a great way to grab people's attention even more. This headline is telling readers how to avoid something, which is something people are going to look for in a headline because they are going to want to know how a problem can be avoided. I kept the number 4 in this headline since numbers are successful in headlines, making it easier for readers to think about and understand, which is important when writing a headline. I included positive words like “The best” that way readers can feel assured that what tips they are getting are going to be some of the best and easiest to understand. This headline is slightly shorter, so most of the headline should be seen in the title on a search engine. This headline overall gives readers the first impression that this article will provide them with solutions to their problems in the best ways, which is exactly what most readers are looking for when they search for something on Google, they are typically asking for a solution to something.
“Bacon Went Bad. Here’s 4 Ways to Know, Plus the Best Food Safety Tips”
For this headline, I wanted to make it shorter than the other two. It's less than 60 characters, which makes it good for people to be able to see and read the entire thing in the search engine. Since readers tend to absorb the first three words and the last three words, I tried to keep the most important ones in those positions. So “Bacon Went Bad” being the first three can tell readers roughly what the article is going to be about, and then saying “Food Safety Tips” at the end can ensure them that they will be learning about ways to keep food like bacon safe and reduce their chance at getting sick. This entire headline is based on stating a problem, then offering readers a solution to go along with it. This problem may not be a common one, people tend to think of everyday, but when readers see it, they might gain some curiosity about the bacon topic and start to think if they can specifically relate to this topic. Readers won’t have to worry about having to search for ways to know because the headline perfectly states that they will receive 4 ways to answer their potential thoughts and questions. The headline also gets right to the point and addresses everything the article is about in a very short and easy way for readers to process the fastest.