Here is, without doubt, my favorite headline of the year. It’s from Smithsonian Magazine, one of the most well-written publications in print today:
Guerrillas in Their Midst
Face to face with Congo’s imperiled mountain gorillas
Take another look. Did you see the photo and read “gorillas” in that headline? In just four words and one photo, this headline tells a story. It’s unbelievably clever, playing off the Dian Fossey story “Gorillas in the Mist.” It’s intriguing — If the headline is this great to read, then the story must be wonderful. And just who are these guerrillas, anyway? I’m hooked. (Read the story.)
It’s just the type of headline Dr. Mario Garcia is talking about when he says, “You can have the same story read by 40% more people with a headline that entices you to get there.”
Imagine — 40% more readers with just four words! Now, that’s power.
Dr. Garcia is on The Poynter Institute’s fascinating site detailing eyetracking studies that reveal how people read in print and online.
