"Let's Think from the Title" by Toshiyuki Suzuki

Drawn in by the title
The title of that book is "Let's Think from the Title"
a title-focused book

That's interesting ^^)

"Let's Think from the Title" by Toshiyuki Suzuki

If the title doesn't strike a chord, it becomes worthless

Book titles are important, but
especially for web articles, the title is everything

It catches the reader's eye, gets clicked, and only then does it finally get read

If it doesn't get read, that content might as well not exist
it becomes worthless

It's a pretty intense message, but
looking at the examples, it makes sense

Indeed, the 'before' versions look like something even an elementary school student could write lol
The 'after' versions feel like something only a pro could come up with

This is a YouTube video title, and
after the change, the view count reportedly jumped fourfold

Why are "boring" sentences born?

A title that doesn't resonate is
so-called safe and cliché
It's not wrong, but it's not interesting

These kinds of cliché sentences are simply "boring"
Phrases you've seen somewhere before
Maybe you've ended up writing them yourself?

Not a summary of the content, but a digest of the sharpest highlights

If you try to convey everything, you end up conveying nothing
Instead of summarizing everything,
cut out the sharp parts and zoom in on them
Pick out the best parts, so to speak, and present them as a digest

Makes you want to read it
Makes you want to click it instinctively
And makes you read it to the very end

That is the role of a title

Breathe soul into words

When you have AI write text, it's somehow superficial and doesn't resonate
To get AI to write compelling text,
you need to input a massive amount of background information and objectives
And give specific, precise instructions

It is impossible for AI to grasp the context from vague instructions
and write good text

Observation, insight, and imagination unique to humans

AI does not understand the meaning of words, context, or human emotions
It is just acting as if it understands

Therefore, we must thoroughly do what only humans can do

1. Thoroughly collect and accumulate primary information

Information you saw and heard by going directly to the scene
Things you experienced firsthand
From such real observations and experiences,
truly compelling words are born

2. Where to focus? Find a "perspective"

Focus on the vague feelings that everyone is experiencing
Why does it feel vague?
Dig deep and dare to give it a name
Apply words from a completely different field

The author is apparently the one who coined the term "Airport Posting Guy."
Casually posting from the airport to silently brag.

Focusing on those kinds of awkward feelings that everyone notices and giving them a name.

Also, general readers are more concerned about risks than benefits.
When potential anxieties or desires are stimulated, you can't help but want to read.

No matter how much the times change, "human instinct" remains the same.
We react strongly to information that threatens our survival or could potentially harm our interests.
Whether or not you understand this universal truth.

Rather than being shown the correct answer, being provoked by anxiety like "Aren't you losing out on XX?"
is more intriguing.

3. Generate a large number of keyword candidates (First, compete with quantity).

When you hear something like this, you might think, "No way, that's impossible for me."
But even professionals apparently come up with dozens or hundreds of ideas, lay them out,
and stare at them to narrow down the candidates.

The point is that even an amateur should try to come up with about 3 to 5.

An amazing title isn't born on the first try.
First, generate a large quantity. The real battle starts there.

4. Design an emotional roller coaster.

Stir the reader's heart and emotions.
Evoke a "Why?"
Intentionally design changes like a roller coaster.

Work backward from the designed flow to construct words and sentences.

If you just do it aimlessly, it won't happen.

To do that, you must be sensitive to people's emotions and sensibilities on a daily basis.
Compete with your understanding of human nature.

Polishing the title clarifies the "core" of the content.

A title doesn't just have the effect of getting clicks or getting people to read;
it has a significant effect on clarifying the core of the content itself.

As a result, the writer's thinking becomes steady.

Write the main text after deciding on the title.
Design the reader's emotional movement and sense of satisfaction first, then flesh out the main text.
By doing so, the content will be more impactful.

Make language training a daily habit

• Avoid general nouns; make them concrete with proper nouns

• Add numbers to express things concretely

• Decide to keep titles under 20 characters (a length that can be understood at a glance)

• Include dialogue " " in the title (this significantly increases realism)

• Place important words at the beginning as much as possible

• Express the discomfort or irritation you feel in words

By keeping these checkpoints in mind and making word choice and writing a habit,
you will gradually be able to create professional-looking text and titles.

"Going viral" and "getting flamed" are completely different

Making something go viral with a title is a professional's job, but
if you take one wrong step, it can end up getting flamed.

So, what exactly is the difference between "going viral" and "getting flamed"?

"Going viral" means a "rollercoaster of emotions" where "pros and cons" are stirred up, and the reader's heart and emotions are greatly shaken. It is designed to be that way.

"Getting flamed" means crossing the "boundary of taboos" and being flooded with criticism.
An uncontrollable backlash occurs that exceeds the writer's intent.
It is, so to speak, a design flaw.

The Shinagawa Station digital signage "Is your work fun today?"
was a dark humor that wasn't funny.

These kinds of results are born from a lack of ethics, consideration for others' feelings, and imagination.

Writing skills to avoid being replaced by AI

AI is good at writing plausible, honor-student-like text.
But that is safe text.
It tends to be text or titles that aren't wrong, but are boring.

In the first place, AI has no emotions and no opinions.
It cannot judge what is interesting.

That is the role of a human.

The sense of discomfort, the fuzziness, the anxiety, the feeling of leaning forward—these words that carry human warmth and soul must be chosen proactively by people.

Choosing words that are based on intuition.
First, discard safe, conventional words.

And then, design a story that stirs emotions.

If you do that, you will see a world on a higher level.

This article was written by

Shigeki Kawahara, a "Future Realization Partner" who helps increase revenue pillars
https://mousoubiz.com/
https://twitter.com/mousoubiz