Creating a Title for an Article: Forms, Specifications and Properties of Good Titles

Ten Types of Titles in Media (and a Couple in the Internet)

There are such types of titles in media as “heading”, column, supertitle and subtitle, intro, showcase, exclamation. In the Internet there are two main title types: “title” tag and “h1”…”h6” tags.

Types of Titles

1. Main title. The most spread type, introduces the matter content. It can have forms like question, interjection, compellation, statement, denial.

At the webpage in the Internet it is a title of article, release etc., it stays between tags <h1> and </h1>. When it is automatically also put into <title> tag with additional information, it becomes extra advantage. For instance, <h1>Titles of Articles in Media and the Internet</h1>; <title>Titles of Articles in Media and the Internet. Marketing Expert Vladislava Rykova</title>.

2. Heading. Applied in matter selections, in thematic spreads, broadsides, issues. Used by way of appeals, greetings at the first pages, e.g. to holiday. It is often situated above newspaper title and the whole text matter. In this way editors emphasize event importance, single it out from a whole lot of others. “Headings” are usually put above the spread and are in large print.

Can be:

• a) salutatory – it doesn’t mean, that the whole newspaper is filled with such matters just congratulating readers;
• b) invocatory – contains compellation to readers to successfully solve some problem;
• c) resumptive – figuratively expresses main content of the matter under it;
• d) stating – calling facts, events, phenomena.

3. Column.

4. Supercolumn – publications of the whole spread thematic focus. It is mostly placed above the page header.

5. Supertitle – itemizes the main title, points up the main idea of publication, condenses attitude to reported facts.

6. Subtitle – second title or the phrase illustrating it. Has relation to the whole matter, has an ancillary character.

7. Inner subtitle. Used for large text decomposition. Straight text looks dull, heavy going. For better perception it is separated into different parts with subtitles. They help readers orient themselves in the matter, ease reading.

In the Internet tags from <h2> up to <h6> can be called subtitles. They perform the same function as in media. If possible, each part separated by title should have sense-bearing ending. Give your reader a chance to review subtitles, and then read necessary part without prejudice to complete text perception.

8. Intro – short introduction to thematic selection or page.

9. Showcase. Practiced while publishing big texts. Author passes 5-6 main theses determining further publication vein. Used as an additional author’s commentary and as visual clue for reader.

10. “Exclamation”. Looks like subtitle but differs with presentation form, aim and content. Subtitle explains, “exclamation” elaborates. The most prominent and interesting facts from the matter are put into “exclamation”. Its task is to pinpoint readers’ attention.

Types of Columns in Media and the Internet

Column is a string situated above the title, selection or separate spread. It doesn’t interpret the text, it mostly points to newspaper topic section or genre. Its presence reflects the sections persistence and attracts attention to them.

Three types of columns:

1. regular – points to the position of the most important spread in media and is printed during the long period of time in each issue;
2. temporary, episodic – needed for a certain period, it reflects some event, campaign;
3. special – can be regular or temporary, it depends on media specificity.

Difference Between Main Title and Column

A column is less concise than a title; it gives merely the general idea of the topic at the same time attracting the reader.

Сolumn forms:

Auxiliary. Points to the publication genre, e.g. «photo spread»; information source («a story from an envelope»); specify audience, for which spread is intended for («advices for copywriters»); indicate the event time («America daily») etc.

Thematic. Defines the category, topic and nature of newspaper spread.

In the Internet columns, e.g. «Copywriting», «Slogans», fulfil the same functions as in media, but they’re also needed for improving site usability, its promotion in search engines (SEO), because they increase keywords density at the page, it is pass-through hyperlink of great weight.

Forms, Specifications and Properties of Good Titles

Title Forms

1. Distinct and clear motto.
2. Concise and reasonable conclusion.
3. Apt description of reported facts.
4. Briefly stated facts underlying the whole matter.
5. Core idea
6. Using positive examples.

Highly-valued titles possess these properties:

1. Maximally informative.
2. Singular, original.
3. Structurally sound.
4. Attracts attention.

Main Title Specifications

Titles should be simple, understandable and clearly express a theme’s main content.

Titles should be concise, exactly showing an article’s main idea.

Titles should be brief…meaning they should be clear and bright.

Title diversity or uniqueness attracts readers.

Titles should be offbeat and intriguing. To achieve this, use vivid, emotional language, eloquent expressions, fixed phrases, literary characters (which is common), quotations from songs, books (poems and prose), famous movie and cartoon heroes’ catchwords, titles of fairy-tales, books, films, proverbs, comparisons between opposite characters and ideas.

Titles of Articles in Media and the Internet

Reading newspapers and magazines starts from viewing pages and article titles once-over. The process is just the same while reading RSS feeds, looking through titles in search engine organic results (SERP). The more exact, interesting, informative title is, the more chances your articles gets to be read. As for the Internet, click through rate (CTR) will increase, which in turn influences web ranking as one of behavioral factors.

This means that title is important for media as well as the Internet. It is not for nothing that in big publishing houses titles are processed by experts working in special departments.

Just as advertising text should «sell», so too the title should «work». It must be interesting enough to attract a reader, intrigue him, prompt to read the article or at least look through it. Short title, which condenses the main topic of the article, works best. Titles of articles should be closely related to the text content, come out of it. Not infrequently a title provides not only topic concept, but also states the main idea, author’s intention, conclusion, to which he comes.

Thus, a «working» title is the very condensed and precise core of the essence, article main idea, concentrated, laconic, clear and specific formula of author’s key-note.

• Media «working» title sample: «Chuguyiv: Mecca of the Russian Classicism» (Chuguyiv is the city in Kharkiv region in Ukraine).
• Internet «working» title example: «5 Rules of Titles Composition».