On headlines

"But the ramification of this fundamental shift in design is that we now consume content in headlines, thumbnails and mini descriptions. According to a recent study by Copyblogger, on average 8/10 people will read headline copy, but only 2/10 will read the rest. We have all become headline hunters." While I dispute the idea here that Facebook invented the newsfeed (ask any blogger; hell, I managed a newsfeed on my first site in 1995), this is an excellent article about the importance of headlines, and the implications of that obsession for society in general. According to Koechley, tests show that traffic to content at Upworthy can vary by as much as 500% simply because of the headline. In another famous example, a Youtuber posted a video with the title, “Zach Walls Speaks About Family”. Almost ten months later, the video was reposted on MoveOn with a new title, “Two Lesbians Raised A Baby And This Is What They Got.” With the new headline, the video received 11 million more views. - This Article Will Make You Laugh, Cry, Then Resent Me — Medium