How to write great headlines in 55 characters or fewer

Whether it’s the title of your press release or the subject line of your email blast, you must keep it clear, concise, and compelling if you want good results.

That’s how much space you have to tell part of a story intriguing enough to persuade a reader to open your email, read your press release, or tap on a story on their mobile phone. How do you cram that much goodness into such a small space?

Start with the 4U rule recommended by the American Writers and Artists Association:

Let’s look at a couple of examples using our clients. For example, InfiniteZ makes a product called zSpace that makes a virtual holographic display intended for use by any complex application that requires highly detailed manipulation. You could write a fairly bland headline that goes something like this:

“zSpace pioneers new medical imaging system for surgeons to perform remote work in virtual holographic environment.

Let’s try a second pass at the headline.

“zSpace lets your surgeon phone in your surgery.”

It also came in at 46 characters, well under the 55-character recommended limit.

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