Articles by Alexis

Look: 10 One-Word, Attention-Grabbing Headlines

When it comes to writing online, brevity is a virtue. Your readers’ attention is severely limited, so you want to get your point across and the response you want with as few words as possible.

Which is why I like short headlines. They’re punchy. They’re energetic. And they work.

Here are some one-word headlines that have been proven to grab attention. See if you can use one of them when you write your next sales page, blog post, or email:

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Got Writer’s Block? 3 Ways to Get Unstuck

Anybody who’s ever had to do any kind of writing has experienced writer’s block at one time or another. Your ideas aren’t flowing. Or you manage to get some words down, but they sound stilted. Or maybe everything you write just sounds awful.

Writer’s block can last for a few minutes or it can go on for weeks, even months. It’s like a “dark night” in a writer’s soul.

Fortunately, we can overcome writer’s block. Otherwise, nobody could make a living from writing.

Here are 3 ways for getting unstuck that have worked for me personally:

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The A-B-C of Persuasive Writing

Is persuasive writing as easy as A, B, C?

I wish it were. In fact, it takes plenty of time and practice to become a persuasive writer. Plus, there are dozens of techniques and ninja tactics at your disposal.

However, keeping just these three things in mind will certainly help when you write for the purpose of encouraging a specific action from your readers.

A is for Audience

Effective communication begins with a good understanding of your audience. What keeps them up at 3 in the morning? What do they want? What are their biggest fears? What is their fondest dream? How do they talk? What do they think of the subject?

If you truly know and empathize with your readers, it will show in your writing, and they’ll pay attention. Your piece will call out to them. Also, by knowing your audience, it’ll be easier for you to write about…

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Writing Is a Breeze… with Metaphors

Writers are constantly on the lookout for techniques to make writing our writing more interesting and effective. One of my favorites is using metaphors.

Back to English 101: What Is a Metaphor?

A metaphor is a figure of speech, where you explain something by saying it IS something else. For example, take the title of this post, “writing is a breeze.”

Writing isn’t literally a breeze, is it? But by saying that it is, I in effect characterize writing as something soothing, light and fresh – just as a breeze is.

In a metaphor, you use something more familiar (breeze) to describe something less familiar (writing). You don’t say they are alike (“writing is as fresh as a breeze”), because that would be a simile. Rather, you say that one thing is another.

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What Your Readers Really Want

If your readers could make a list of things they wish for when it comes to online content, what would be in that list?

Sometimes we’re so caught up coming up with regular content, scrounging for time and material for content, that we may lose touch with what our audience really wants.

I imagined that I were a regular Internet user (I used to be one. Ah, the good old days!) and made a list of things I wish I could have more of online.

Here’s what I got:

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