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number in it, that means the number is the invisible "1." The article or essay is

talking about one thing, one topic, one overarching idea.)

WHAT? This is an essential piece of every headline. Before the reader clicks to
read, they need to know what it is. What are they looking at? What's inside this
black box? Is this an essay about political arguments? Entrepreneurial mistakes?
Cooking recipes? WHAT is it? (If your headline doesn't have a clear WHAT, your

ability to attract readers is going to go down exponentially.)

WHO? Not every headline has to have a WHO, but when you are writing for a Niche
there are benefits to naming the audience directly. "How To Start Your First Side
Hustle As A College Student." The WHO here would be "College Students." And if

you aren't a college student, you probably aren't going to click and read this piece.
(Writing that aims to attract General audiences tends to not name any audience
directly—because the goal is to attract lots of different types of audiences, not just
one. Whereas writing that aims to engage with a Niche audience tends to mention
that niche audience directly.)

FEEL: Another crucial piece in your headline is how you want the reader to FEEL
about the topic. For example, "I Just Ate An Entire Barrel Of Ice Cream" doesn't
really tell the reader how you want them to FEEL. Should they be happy for you?
Sad? Should they feel your shame? Or should they feel your love and self-

acceptance? Notice how dramatically different this headline becomes when we tell
the reader how to FEEL: "I Just Ate An Entire Barrel Of Ice Cream. Here's What I
Learned About Loving Myself Through My Mistakes."

Outcome/The PROMISE: The final piece of your headline is what the reader gets
in exchange for reading. Your headline is a proposal to readers trying to "hook" their

attention and convince them this thing you've written is worth their time. So, what do
they get in return? "7 Ways To Cook Healthy Lunches" is a good headline. But "7
Ways To Cook Healthy Lunches, Lose Weight, And Give Up Fast Food Once And

For All" is way better. The end of your headline is your PROMISE, and it's essential
for readers to understand what they're going to learn, feel, and/or receive as a result
of the 30 seconds or 3 minutes they spend reading your writing.

The Curiosity Gap

These 5 pieces of your headline, together, create what we like to call The Curiosity Gap.

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How To Start Writing Online: The Ship 30 For 30 Ultimate Guide