On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar. —David Ogilvy

Ogilvy wasn’t messing around when it came to headlines, and if he were alive today he’d definitely bump it up to ninety cents. Headlines do all the heavy lifting when it comes to attracting clicks and shares, which is why it’s more important than ever to invest in good copywriting.

But who actually gets it right? I don’t mean your average headline-writing-formula-right, but rather holy-cow-I-must-click-on-this-now-right.

There are three sites known to possess this kind of headline mastery. Strangely enough, two of them are on opposite political spectrums and the other one publishes nonsense—but in all fairness, none of that matters. What matters is they’re getting people’s attention, whether or not you think they deserve it.

Here they are:

The Huffington Post

Sure, HuffPo gets ragged on all the time for its sensational, flimsy content, but you gotta admit—their headlines are really catchy. I’ve even heard they split-test and crowdsource them. Just remember—it’s not every day an Internet-only news site sells for $315 million.

Note the difference in headlines versus the actual article titles (once you click on it):

“Obiwan Kenobi Turns To Dark Side, Charged With Hit And Run”
“‘Octomom’ Broke, Turns To Porn”
“LOOK: You’ve Never Seen Saturn Like This Before”

Drudge Report

Whether you agree with Drudge Report or not, their headline strategy is unconventional and brillant. The site is one big news aggregator, so the editors spend time crafting catchy headlines that do nothing more than link to outside articles.

What results on the one-page site are several boxes of persuasive political narrative which—if you’re of the right-wing persuasion—goes down like really good scotch. For example, here’s a sampling from today’s news (click for graphic), read from top to bottom in exact title case:

• OBAMA ADMITS FABRICATING GIRLFRIEND IN MEMOIR…
• ASKS: ‘Why black people so angry all the time’…
• OBAMA: ‘That was an example of compression’…

The Onion produces the very best headlines on the Internet thanks to the unlikely pairing of real events and absurd humor. I mean, how can you compete with “Black Guy Asks Nation for Change“, “‘Huffington Post’ Employee Sucked Into Aggregation Turbine‘” and (my very favorite) “Owls are Assholes“?

From what I’ve learned and come to admire, The Onion writers take their headline writing very seriously. This makes a lot of sense considering how—if you really think about it—The Onion could probably survive if all they wrote were headlines.

Mashable founder Pete Cashmore is one of those bloggers. He started the social media news site from his parents home in Scotland, then quickly expanded to New York and San Francisco (I actually used to work on the same floor at SOMACentral). Now it’s the #2 blog in the world behind the Huffington Post, with rumors of a massive buyout from CNN.

The videos below are from a 2010 Bloomberg Business Week interview, so they’re a tad old—but that doesn’t really matter. What matters are the vision, core values and execution behind the blog:

• Cashmore says he has trouble with authority and had no choice but to do his own thing
• Mashable is 100% bootstrapped
• 100% of Mashable’s content is created in-house, so nothing is aggregated
• Ad revenue and conferences are Mashable’s main source of revenue
• While scoop content offers massive short-term value, utility content offers better, long-term value (think news vs. how-to)

I’ve taken a major break from blogging here at Wordful, and it’s in large part to some serious shifts in my personal and professional life over the past year. To make a very long and (painful) story short—the down economy and a few other issues forced me to to shutter my office and consultancy and venture to San Francisco to find “a real job.”

On May 6 of last year, I kissed my wife and kids goodbye and left Kona for San Jose on a one-way ticket with $50 in my pocket. My sister picked me up and the next day my dad drove me up to the city, where I met up a good high school friend of mine who works at Google. I’m still sleeping on his floor.

After a character-building two months of deep hustling, I got hired at a startup as their first marketing guy. Since then, I’ve cut my teeth at startup life, and now about to crush it for them with some content marketing. I plan to bring the family up in by June.

But that’s not what this post is about. This post is about my dream and vision for Wordful—the one that refuses to die. Every time I think about being a “company guy”–basically working for someone else indefinitely, I keep reverting back to Wordful. Aside from my family, it’s all I got. I have to do this.

Wordful will be an online publishing network

Much like AOL or PopSugar or Federated Media, Wordful will be comprised of various web properties that earn revenue through ads, products, memberships, conferences and more. I plan to build a great deal of brand equity around each of these sites, with all roads leading to the Wordful brand.

How I will accomplish this

I have no capital to work with, so right now it’s all bootstrapping. And that starts very basic, very simple: write. Write, write, write, write, write. 1,000 words a day to start, until I am in full command of the flow of content, then start outreaching, networking and publicizing.

I’m also going to start with building only one site and no more. I need to force myself to zero in on a single project without falling for shiny object syndrome. I have a fairly good idea which site I want to do (think video + Drudge Report style in a spectacular, action-packed sexy niche.)

So yeah, Wordful is back!

Of course there’s no way to determine who’s stupid—let alone the validity of stupid being a unit of measurement (or judgement)—but, yes, as a general rule of thumb, stupid people shouldn’t blog.

What I’m referring to here are some recent comments made by blogger and entrepreneur Jason Calacanis at ReadWriteWeb 2Way Summit NYC, namely:

“There are a lot of stupid people out there … and stupid people shouldn’t write.”

“There needs to be a better system for tuning down the stupid people and tuning up the smart people.”

Hearing stuff like that, in such blunt and unrefined fashion, will piss off most people. Yet I don’t see how anyone could disagree with the essential message: people who blog junk shouldn’t be blogging. They deserve to be penalized, not rewarded.

I’ve been quietly rallying about this for years here on Wordful. Anyone who has read my posts will detect a bit of frustration as I try to balance the truth with yet another evergreen “how to” post. And let’s not forget how many times I have to grit my teeth as another self-aggrandizing blogger profits from gaming the system.

But back to Calacanis. One cannot ignore the irony of comments like that coming from the guy who created Mahalo, the sad content farm that not only churned out —*ahem*— rubbish, but also in my opinion abused one of the most common words in the Hawaiian language (it means “thank you”).

No hard feelings, though. The Google Panda update wiped out a huge amount of Mahalo’s traffic and now Calacanis seems to have a new direction and more fortified attitude about the future of web content. So yeah — the real mahalo goes to Google.

His latter comment, however, is worth paying attention to. It should resonate very strongly with anyone who’s not stupid: ”There needs to be a better system for tuning down the stupid people and tuning up the smart people.”

Listen up, because there’s gold here: Calacanis’s “better system” suggests a massive opportunity—a call to arms for talented bloggers, editors and entrepreneurs to reconcile and refine the web into a lean, mean content machine.

Photo by mikebaird.

Businesses in the Mission where I’m staying all seem to draw on the appeal of one-word randomness, like Beretta (a restaurant), Ritual (a coffee shop) and Revolution (a clothing boutique). Pithy and tidy, these monikers do a good job evoking the zeitgeist of the city hipster.

Naming an online property is not that much different, with the glaring exception that it must be wholly unique to qualify for its own URL. So my question is: In such a crowded but unlimited space of domain names, how do you come up with something original and catchy?

All Great Companies (Seem to) Have Great Names

Just look at some of the names of the most innovative and successful companies out there today — snappy, clever, sometimes quirky, with universal appeal.

Examples from some of the latest hot startups:

• Airbnb.com: Feels light and springy, like travelling should. BA huge improvement on its predecessor VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner)
• Squareup.com: The company is actually Square, but the domain makes for some great vernacular (as in “let’s square up our debts”).
• Shortform.com: Sounds like industry jargon, which it is soon becoming by way of this video curation startup.
• Foodia.com: The -ia suffix takes the common word “food” and makes it sound like “the kingdom of food.” Same goes with Trademarkia.com for “the kingdom of trademarks.”

The point I’m making here is that it’s not hard to come up with a stellar name for your blog, website and/or company. You just need creativity, a little patience and my 3-part series on domain naming.

I’d even argue that the more “out there” a name is, the more intrinsic appeal it will have to both the early adopters and mainstream consumers. Names that try too hard, are too literal or in my opinion — are too common (what can you really do with social.com after spending millions to buy it, start the next Facebook?) — fail to capture the spirit of the bootstrapping startup, which is all the rage these days.

Let’s not forget that you obviously have to build a real business around your name, so when you do make it huge, the name becomes a household word, or better yet — a household verb.

Photo by JoopDorresteijn.

Some are more formal and start each message with a salutation like “Hi, Charles –” and end with a goodbye like “Sincerely, Howard.” They do this every single email, even if it’s a rapid fire conversation.

There are others who don’t address me by name at all. Just plain, unlabeled dialog with no greeting or exit. Sometimes all lower case.

Then there’s the signature. You’ve got the ones who type out their name at the end of each message, and those who rely on the standard pre-written signature. More spartan email writers leave no name.

All this variation goes to show that in email, there are no hard or fast rules. It’s a syntax and lexicon free-for-all.

So what’s my point?

I’m particular to this subject in that I almost always adapt my email writing style to match the style of the person I’m engaged with.

For example, if they don’t start out addressing me by name, I won’t either. If they end with “Thanks, Mindy” I’ll end with “Thanks, Charles.” Excessive use of exclamation points? I’ll go there.

The reason I do this is I notice that when you match the communication style of someone over email, you have a much easier time getting to the point. I get better results when the person on the receiving end doesn’t have to decipher what I’m trying to say, or better yet–how I’m trying to say it.

Put yourself in the situation: You’re engaged in an email conversation and the person on the other end is conveying their message to you in such a way that leaves no guessing. You feel comfortable. The tone is relevant to your tone. No time gets wasted.

Try this—it really works!

Photo by Kanko*

This thriving, buzzing industry is built around a culture of code, of devising niche solutions to niche problems. At its center lie the software engineer, who reigns as queen bee in the hives of the tech giants and startups of Silicon Valley and San Francisco.

So what about the rest of us?

What about the marketers, the designers, the writers and editors, the community managers and publishers of content? Do we get a fair shake at shaping the future in a world gone tech?

I’d like to think so. The question is—how?

Leverage Your Non-Tech Talents to Make Things Better

I’ve been networking like crazy since I got here. The buzz in the air is that if you’re a software engineer, you’re set. You never have to look for work (they’ll come to you), you’ll get paid better than everyone else and you’ll fit snugly into the culture of any tech company.

But if I were to take all the startup presentations I’ve seen so far at venues like Lean Back and SFNewTech, there’s a clear need for non-techie types to take the product to market

For example, Hollrback seems like a great idea in theory: a personal QR code that people scan with their smart phone to download your data. It’s like a contextually-savvy Rolodex for business networking.

Awesome. But who’s going to use it besides the nerdiest of nerds? Aren’t QR codes on their way out? How will this make money?

The point is: you just can’t build it and they will come. You need others to help you sell it, to demonstrate its value and help make it better through user engagement.

Don’t Be Made to Feel Inferior

Non-technical founders of startups can do three things: Partner with a coder and create things, build a community around a niche, or they can do both.

Of course to succeed, you have to do both. The goal is not be a coveted software engineer, but rather to possess an unwavering obsession on a quality product that solves a particular problem. Anyone has the potential to do that.

If you are holistic enough to appreciate the value of a good coder, design, designer, marketer and manager—and you can bring people together on your great idea—there’s no reason why you can’t create a successful startup.

Photo by naus3a01.

If you’re like me and looking for a great career with meaning and lucrative work, I recommend you take Google’s advice on how to prepare a resume.

You may not be interested in working at Google, but it’s helpful to understand how their reputable hiring prowess can make you a better applicant no matter where you choose to work.

The first two tips are stated directly by Google. The last three are my own which I gathered from “reading between the lines.”

1. Only include essential information

This is simple but necessary to understand: on your resume, the only info you need to share is your name and contact info. Leave out anything which might in any way bias the hiring manager, such as gender, age, family status, sexual orientation, etc.

What this really means is don’t hide behind or tout anything about your personal life which you think might help you get the job. It’s an amateur strategy that will instantly land your resume in the rejection pile.

2. Customize your resume by highlighting the skills that are relevant to the position

Another obvious tip, but think about where you can improve this. Look for places to cut needless details that may seem important to you but have nothing to do with the job they want to fill.

I must have gone through at least 30 revisions on my own resume to get this part right, and I’m glad I did. Take a look.

3. Use terse, powerful language

Your choice of words determines the depth of your impact on your resume. Use clear and uncomplicated language that solicits just as much attention on your smaller accomplishments as your larger ones.

For example, I’ve built websites for all of my past employers. Not too big a deal, but instead of saying “Built the company website,” I opted for the more impressive “Built and curated [the company's] website to cater to a high caliber and diverse international audience.”

Also, the debate on resume length rages on, but I say keep it to one page. This way, you’re forced to be concise on the those details that explain the impact of your work.

4. Be honest

It’s so easy to stretch details on a resume, isn’t it? Well, don’t do it. There’s nothing worse than submitting a resume you know inside isn’t an accurate representation of you (plus, you probably won’t get the job).

Besides, when you apply to somewhere as tough as Google, they make very clear that you better know your stuff. Anything you list on your resume is fair game for testing, verifying and questioning.

5. Speak their language

When you apply to a company, be sure to take time to understand their core values and culture.

I recommend reading and watching every bit of content they have on hiring and the kind of employee they’re looking for, and then jotting down some “feeling” keywords that best describe their character and culture.

You’ll want to tactfully integrate some of these keywords into your resume. It obviously counts more if you actually share the same values. Either way,  these sort of “invisible” details will score you points when you’re up against many well-qualified applicants.

Photo by mysza831.

There are brilliant bloggers who struggle writing catchy headlines and well-sculpted copy—they’re just not wired for it. Yet, they persist because that’s the winning formula. It attracts attention and delivers value, so they say.

But the result of forcing a writer into a copywriter’s shoes is painful. Needless hours (years!) are lost to hyping ideas with padded, ornate language. It’s like getting all dressed up to go to a clothing-optional beach.

Naked blogging is the way to go, though it’s not without sacrifice. For example—fewer people will click on the title of this post because it’s not hyped up enough. Google won’t know what to do with it, either.

But I can’t hide anymore, just like Seth Godin or Chris Brogan can’t. Neither should you.

This trek is inevitably longer and more hazardous, but you get to be true to yourself every step of the way.

You get to say what you want in the way that you want, and that brand of freedom is priceless.

Photo by Alaskan Dude.

The great thing about being boring is that it’s super easy and can happen to you overnight with almost zero effort. And once you’ve ‘made it,’ you can set everything to autopilot and conquer the world absolutely nothing!

Ready to get started? I’m going to lay this out step by step for you, and it’s really important you follow all the steps, otherwise this isn’t going to work.

Here we go!

Step 1: Pick a red hot niche

It doesn’t matter what you pick, just as long as it’s super popular—something everyone and their mother are doing. Forex, golf, parenting, internet marketing, weight loss are just a few ideas to you started. Bonus: you don’t have to like it!

Step 2: Slap up a website

Don’t spend too much time on this AT ALL—you just need a place to put all your content. Use WordPress, it’s free. Just Google “free WordPress template” and pick something that looks decent. Flashy is good.

You’ll also need to pick a domain name. Don’t spend much time on this, either (catchy domain names are totally overrated). For example, if you’re in weight loss, pick something easy and obvious like www.kickassweightlosssystemsfordummies.com.

Step 3: Slap up some content

Everyone needs content, even boring and unremarkable people. What you’re going to need are a bunch of keyword-laced articles related to your niche. There are two no-brainer ways to do this:

• Use autoblogging and/or scraping software. Trust me, this is great stuff: all you have to do is install a plugin on your site and it will go out and finds other people’s content in your niche. Then it pulls that content into your site and automatically publishes it. A true push-button content solution!
• Farm out your content. There are tons of content creation services that can whip up article after article for you for super cheap. I’m talking like a penny per word. Drop 20 bucks on one of these guys (that’s BIG money to them, by the way) and you’ve got yourself plenty of content to spin your magic.

Step 4: Get as many Twitter followers / list subscribers / Facebook friends as possible

In social media, it’s all about quantity: you need to get as many people following and friending you as much as possible.

There are a few ways to do this: you can go to somewhere like Fiverr and pay someone $5 to add Twitter 1,000+ followers to your account. Same goes with Facebook fans, etc. You can also just start following/friending a bunch of people yourself.

The important thing is to make sure your profile says something really appealing to people who want to make all their dreams come true, like:

Working online to attain retirement by helping others do the same thing. Yes, everyone says they are doing this but, can they prove it?*

or something a little softer like:

Expert business coach supporting entrepreneurs to increase profit, social impact, and free time.*

*These are taken from real Twitter profiles.

Step 5: Tell people how to “kick ass” and be a “rock star”

Here’s where the fun begins, where you start really getting your name out into the most boring conversations on the web.

What you’ll want to do is start writing some blog posts about the “ingredients of success” and what it takes to “be a rock star in your niche.”

This isn’t hard to do. There will be many blah people just like you writing the same thing, so all you really have to do is start copying what they’re saying.

Be sure to use words like “awesome” and “unconventional” and “epic” to really get people’s attention, too.

Before you know it you’ll be like this guy!

Conclusion

That’s it! 5 easy steps to being an amazing kick ass internet rock star a PREDICTABLE NOBODY in no time at all.

Please do drop me a line and tell me how it goes. I really want to know if I’ve got the winning formula here.

Photos by yngrich, Lenny Montana and nenuache.