Titles Matter

Thank you all for a great start to the Gather community. I am pleased to see some great articles, on a wide array of topics, with a great depth of perspective. Knitting, traveling in an Airstream, self-exploration, and yes, even politics are some of the things that have appear in this very early stage.

Periodically, I will offer some tips and guidelines for how best to "get read" on the site. This time I want to focus on the title you give to an article, because with so much content the title is the thing that makes or breaks the click through to your great work.

I like to think of titles like a handshake or a first glance. It is your first impression for having someone want to find out more. It doesn't have to be long or comprehensive, but like keywords it is a way for you to attract interest with a sense of your own perspective.

My favorite so far on the site it "Being Eighty" by Alice Burroughs. In 2 words, she says a lot about who she is and what she is about to tell us. She catches your eye with that title, without a lot of detail. Less compelling titles are the ones that use two or three words, but fail to capture the jist of the article.

Personally, I prefer the one-line titles, even if there is a lot of detail that helps clarify the piece. They tend to be the ones in News and Politics, and more current in nature.

What are your thoughts on titles? What attracts you to articles? Send them along!