Do you want to make money online, but you’re not certain how? I’ll tell you one good way to get your readers to take the action you want them to. Use the how-to trick.
How-to headlines immediately grab our attention. They dangle a promise: How to make more money, how to lose weight, how to have more fun in life.
Even if readers already know what to do (eat less, exercise more, for example), they think some missing piece of info might help them move from simple awareness of the problem to taking action. The how-to headline taps into their craving for another perspective. That’s why your readers dropped by your website to begin with. They want to solve a problem and suspect that you can help.
As a professional freelancer, I had researched and written many pieces and had my work published in national, regional and trade magazines and websites. But when I stepped into the pilot’s seat as an entrepreneur everything was different. Being in charge of my own business demanded that I begin writing directly for an audience that I was going to generate.
As Steve Jobs said, “people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”
Instinctively, I started writing how-to articles. I had an urgent goal, which was to make money from our online business. It was all about how to start a cleaning business. I decided to study and master the art of the how-to.
So, I bought an e-book called “How-to write a how-to,” and it worked like a charm. I knew how to write a how-to already. However, I couldn’t bear the thought that some morsel of information remained of which I was unaware that would teach me — once and for all — how to craft a killer how-to. The e-book author included a long list of headline prompts I couldn’t resist filling in.
The act of filling in the blanks moved my inner writer off her lazy tuckes. Writing headlines was fun and easy with the templates. Suddenly I couldn’t type fast enough for the ideas that came pouring in. Not only for how-tos, but I was getting ideas and whole chunks of writing for many other articles too. That exercise opened the floodgates.
Use the following list to help generate posts and pillar articles, press releases, advertisements, and more.
How to ________
How to get the most out of ______
How to get ______
How to avoid _____
How to have______
How to end ______
How to increase _____
How to get rid of _____
How to start_____
How to conquer _____
How to begin _____
How I _____
How to improve your _____
How I improved my _____
How to become _____
How to enjoy _____
How to develop _____
How you can _____
When you grab your readers’ attention and then move him or her to action, you will start making money online.
