Do Questions Make Good Headlines for Brochures, Web Pages, Newsletters, and Direct Mail Fundraising?

Do question headlines work?

If you are reading this article, then the answer is a definite "yes."

I spent several happy years as a copy editor and headline writer at The Journal Gazette. Some people argue vigorously against the use of questions in headlines. But I disagree. I believe that asking a question is one of the most potent attention-getting openers for public relations writers who produce Web sites, fundraising appeals, direct mail, brochures and newsletters. To be effective, the question headline must ask a question that the reader can empathize with or would like to see answered. Some examples:

-- "Do you make these mistakes in English?"

-- "What do Japanese managers know that American managers sometimes lack?"

-- "Is THIS what your teen will be doing tonight?"

-- "Do you have you any of these decorating problems?"

-- "Do you close the bathroom door even when you're the only one home?" (Psychology Today)

Don't let anyone tell you that questions in headlines are a bad idea.

Shifting gears but still speaking of headlines....

Just for fun, here are some real-world headlines that may have missed the mark.

-- Juvenile court to try shooting defendant

-- Plane too close to ground, crash probe told

-- Miners refuse to work after death

-- Stolen painting found by tree

-- If strike isn't settled quickly, it may last a while

-- Cold wave linked to temperatures

-- Red tape holds up new bridge

-- Typhoon rips through cemetery; hundreds dead

-- New study of obesity looks for larger test group

-- Astronaut takes blame for gas in spacecraft

-- Kids make nutritious snacks.