Each story on Call It Crime should come with 3 headlines:
1 for main video
2 for shorts
The length of each headline should be 60 symbols maximum.
The headlines should be emotional but also include keywords.
Example:
Bed instead of altar - horrible findings in Warren Jeff’s cult
What are the keywords?
Keywords are the most obvious associations with the case you cover. They include:
name of the victim, name of the killer, name of other person connected with the case, location or other specifics connected to the case, generic terms like true crime, caught on CCTV, missing persons etc.
For more information on how to choose the keywords, check our SEO basics guide.
How to load your headline with emotions
Appeal to basic feelings and emotions:
curiosity (“How to do it?”, “How much is that?”, “Who is that?”, “What song is that?”, “How does she look like?”, “What's on that video?”),
enjoyment (“This makes me proud”, “This looks promising”, “This inspires me”, “I feel contentment for this happened”, “It's such a relief”, “This is so funny”),
worry (“I'm worrying if something terrible will happen”, “This sounds disturbing”, “This is touching my heart”, “I'm sorry for this, I care”),
anger (”Why this happened?!”, “How long will this take?”, “This makes me mad!”, “This is insulting!”).
it is good if you appeal to different emotions at the same time.
“Kitui officer speaks out on being bitten by snake that fell from eagle’s grip“ - Curiosity (“I’m curious to know what he said“) + worry (“I’m worrying if the same can happen to me”)
2. Turn on your creativity:
use vibrant phrases, wordplay and idioms, metaphors, create a contrast by mentioning the opposites.
mention impressive number
Examples:
Trucker Killed 50 People In His Torture Chamber on Wheels
50 People - an impressive number
Torture Chamber on Wheels - metaphor
Evil Teenager Sentenced as Adult: Does Alyssa Bustamante Regret Now?
Teenager Sentenced as Adult - contrast
use interesting quotes, picked from the script
3. Use adjectives, adverbs, powerful verbs
Put the headline in the present tense if the events are happening now.
The headline should have a time element so it is clear to the reader when the event is taking place. If the event occurred in the recent past and is considered breaking news, for example, Austria Finds Up to 50 Bodies Thought to be Migrants in Truck, you can use the present tense.[14]
You likely will not create a headline for an event that happened in the distant past, unless there are new developments in relation to the event. You can use the past tense or the present tense for the headline.
For example, Robert Durst Murder Case Reopened in Light of New Evidence or Robert Durst Murder Case Reopens in Light of New Evidence.
Whenever possible, remove articles like “an”, “a”, “the” and connecting terms like “because” or “due to” in the headline. These are considered padding in a headline and are not necessary to get the key points of the article across.
For example, The Robert Durst Murder case will be reopened because of new evidence can be shortened to Robert Durst Murder Case Reopens in Light of New Evidence.
Action is a must. A good headline is driven by good action verbs, which are verbs that describe something a person does in a clear and convincing way.
Often, simple action verbs are more effective than complex action verbs, for example, “use” instead of “utilize” or “show” rather than “demonstrate” or “model”.
Prevent confusing your reader by sticking to action verbs that will appeal to the average reader and will not muddle the overall meaning of the headline. As well, you should never start a headline with a verb. The headline should begin with the subject of the article, whenever possible.
Avoid verbs like “think”, “believe” or “feel”, as these are not verbs based on fact or statements. The headline should use only factual evidence from the article and should not be based on emotion or uncertainty.
An effective headline should also be written with logical sentence structure and a strong present tense verb. Using the active voice will make the headline feel immediate and draw your reader in.
Although for decades the golden standard of journalism has been the neutral and restrained language of the likes of NYT and BBC, the media landscape is evolving towards publishers with their own, distinct voices. Another important factor is our desire to drive traffic from Facebook, where restrained headlines don’t tend to perform too well.
Key features:
adverb+adjectives
Adverb+powerful verb
emotional addition – last phrase
Here’s a list of adverb+adjective you can use with your headlines to make them colourful and more appealing to your audience:
For shocking content use adverb+adjective: Totally, Absolutely, Slightly, Deeply, Perfectly, Mildly, Сruelly, Insanely, Horribly, Accurately + Appalling, Horrifying, Dreadful, Awful, Frightful, Terrible, Horrible, Scandalous, Outrageous, Disgraceful, Vile, Abominable, Ghastly, Foul, Monstrous, Abhorrent, Hideous, Atrocious, Repellent, Odious, Repulsive, Repugnant, Disgusting, Nauseating, Sickening, Grisly, Offensive, Startling, Overwhelming, Bewildering, Gory, Raw, Gruesome, Violent.
The list is virtually endless and is by no means confined to these words only.