7.

Give Advice for Improvement

Instead of persuading your readers to do something, show them why it’s worth the time to do
it. Addressing the reasons and motivations of your readers serves as the basis for a really powerful
message.

Consider this extremely popular post entitled, “Why You Should Forget Facebook“. The headline
promises to resolve the cognitive dissonance it creates. After all, why should anyone want to ignore
the largest social network? A headline like this one practically guarantees traffic.

8. Provide Solid Evidence to Support a Claim

There’s nothing more powerful than the “Backed By Science” claim. Insights derived from research
are considered more accurate, relevant, and attractive.

Have a look at this post from Inc.com on “10 Productivity Strategies Backed By Science“. It
has more than 1,100 shares—primarily because readers consider scientific findings credible.