Richly Express Yourself Using the Dynamic Tapestry of the English Language!
Articles not getting the traction you were hoping for? It may be your title.
If only there was something that could save your
titles and articles from dull and uninviting language ... Wait a second
- there is!
An incredible tool that is underused, but often
unexpectedly succeeds at turning heads is the thesaurus. It can open
your writing to more stunning language than you ever thought possible
and it can help you:
- invoke curiosity with an original turn of phrase
- find a better word to convey your thought or idea
- improve your vocabulary when used with a dictionary
- avoid repetition in a sentence or paragraph
How a Thesaurus Works
In a thesaurus, words are grouped by similar meaning, but that does not indicate they are identical.
For example, the synonyms grouped with the word road may include boulevard, street, or path.
There are quite obvious differences to these words and it would behoove
the writer to be mindful that not all words are interchangeable.
With its synonyms skip, cavort, caper, gambol, romp, prance, and frolic, words like dance
offer more leniency to be used interchangeably. These are the words
that can help you spice up your article titles and engage readers.
Combining the powers of ingenuity and creativity with a thesaurus can help you turn this:
5 Ideas for Increasing Your Personal Productivity
Into this:
5 Smart Ways to Rally and Empower Your Waning Productivity
Much more engaging, isn't it?
Increase Your Titles' Potential
Some words gain more traction than others. We
refer to these as "power words." Here's a list of 10 power words and
phrases you should blend into your titles (including several of their
synonyms):
- Smart (bold, brilliant, canny, nimble, shrewd, slick, wise, genius, clever, fresh)
- Help (advice, aid, assist, cure, use, service, support, benefit, comfort, advantage, blessing)
- Surprising (amazing, astonishing, shocking, startling, stunning, electrifying, sudden, unforeseen, remarkable)
- Huge (colossal, extensive, giant, monumental, tremendous, massive, magnificent, enormous)
- Critical (demanding, penetrating, exacting, severe, crucial, dire)
- Killer (aggressive, antagonistic, combative, cut-throat, deadly, rival)
- Fear (panic, scare, terror, suspicious, phobic, sweat, horror, dread, abhor, worry, woe)
- Dark (cloudy, dim, gloomy, murky, bleak, somber, dreary, funereal, hard, harsh, lonely, sad)
- War (struggle, fight, hostility, strife, combat, action, assault, attack, brush, clash, havoc, ravage)
- Bleed (drain, labor, torment, pain, excruciate, writhe, afflict, brood, sulk, burn, gouge)
Use the thesaurus sparingly! Exchanging every
other word can make your title or content sound unnatural. Sprinkle it
like seasoning on the article.
Disclaimer: We do not advocate using a
thesaurus or article spinning program to change every other word of your
content to create derivative content or use it on another author's
content in order to claim it as your own.
Here are 5 additional tips to bear in mind when writing engaging titles:
- Focus on action words (e.g., achieve, create, adapt, build, and transform).
- Place a strong emphasis on verbs (e.g., run) and adverbs (e.g., quickly).
- Lead with a promise of a number (e.g., 5 Tips, 10 Strategies, 7 Top Methods, and 3 Critical Points).
- Gain an instructional edge by including words or phrases (e.g., In 5 minutes, DIY, Introduction, and The Beginners Guide).
- Pay attention to the first 3-5 words of your title - it's what you readers see first.
Bonus Resources to Craft Powerful Titles
Check out these posts to write better titles:
Whether on your bookshelf, in your smartphone,
or bookmarked on your Internet browser - do you use a thesaurus as a
writing tool? What type and source? What advice can you add to the
discussion that gives your writing a boost? Visit this post online to let us know - we'd love to hear from you! |
To Your Article Writing Success & Passion!
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