Writers rarely spend more than a few seconds crafting a witty title or headline, even though it's the most important part of the article. Without a well-crafted headline, audiences won't be bothered to actually click on your article and read what you have to say. All of your hard work spent creating the piece will be wasted because of poorly chosen words. Modern marketing teams are working to fight against this trend, and are spending more time reviewing and rewriting their previously bland headlines.
In some cases, marketing teams come together for brainstorming sessions just for the headline. Groups of three or four people will make ideation a competition, awarding prizes to whoever comes up with the best hook for their readers. It's amazing how many creative titles are out there -- and how many improvements can be made to a drab title -- when pride and glory are on the line.
If you're really looking to make the competition fierce, consider A/B testing the top two headlines generated by your team. Audiences can vote with their clicks, and the loser will owe the other coffee. In this case, all parties will participate. Employees are more motivated to create while the content generates more clicks from better headlines.
The infographic below, Creating Effective Titles & Headlines, works to combat the trend of poorly written headlines that leaves work unread. It provides guides for interesting hooks, unique comparisons, and topical lead-ins that will make audiences laugh or at least take an interest in what you have to say.
