The above point is EXTREMELY important! The title of your article will decide it's success or failure -- plain and simple!

Here are two of my favorite ways to ensure you create a killer title for your article:

Ask a question in the title. For example:

-- Do You Make These 4 Stupid Mistakes When Asking Someone Out On A First Date? This May Be The Reason You're Sitting Home Every Weekend!

-- Are You Embarrassed To Smile? Try These "Secret" Home Whitening Remedies And Never Be Ashamed To Show Those "Pearly Whites" Again!

-- Are You Tired Of Searching For Your Perfect Soul Mate? Take This Romance Quiz And Find Out Where You're Failing...And How To Correct It!

-- Is Your Spouse Having An Affair? Discover These Three "Dead Giveaways" And You'll Immediately Know For Sure...

Offer "How To" advice. For example:

-- How To Win Back Your Old Flame's Affection In Three Easy Steps - Do This And You'll Quickly Mend Your Broken Heart!

-- How To Effortlessly Sweep Your Spouse Off Her Feet -- Wine Her And Dine Her -- And Make Her Wonder Who The Great Imposter Is -- All For Less Than $16.

-- How To Win The Heart Of That "Special Someone" Using These Five Simple Questions -- Best Of All... They'll Never Realize You've Cast Your Magic Spell!

Here are a few additional pointers when it comes to writing titles for your articles:

Be very specific:

-- 3 Keys To A Successful. ...

-- 4 "Ultra-Resourceful" Ways You Can....

-- 7 Crucial Steps To Take To...

Or...

... In Only 3 Days Or Less!

... In Just One Weekend!

... For Under $10

... Just Listening To Your CD Player While Driving Home From Work!

For example... Don't just say:

"Your Family Will Love My Famous Homemade Spaghetti And Meatballs Recipe -- Guaranteed!"

Instead say:

"Discover "Grandma Lucia's" Traditional Pasta Recipe... Spaghetti And Meatballs... Still Being Served Daily In Her Sicilian Pasta House -- Prepared In Under 20 Minutes For Less Than $4 Bucks A Serving -- Delicious!"

If you sell electronics on your website and plan to write an article on installing a home theatre system... Don't Say:

"Discover My Clever Little Secrets To Installing A Home Theatre System In Your Home"

Instead say:

"Learn How To Install Your Very Own Home Theatre System In Under Two Hours -- NO TOOLS REQUIRED -- For Less Than $50... Using Only The Equipment You Already Have In Your Home!"

Get the idea? Be very specific in your title and clearly state the benefits of reading the article in the title. Benefits... Benefits... Benefits...!

Be specific! Don't say several ways you can learn how to do something:

= say 5 ways

= or 10 ways

= or 3 ways.

Don't just say quickly and easily:

= say in less than two hours

= in only a weekend

= no tools required!

Use the word "YOU" as often as possible in your title. People want to know "what's in it for me if I read this?? By using the word "YOU", it's a psychological trigger that tells them that there is something in it for them.

Okay? Let's do one more...

Let's say you have a website selling pet products. Your capture page is all setup to capture a customer's email address by offering a free report or free e-course about a topic related to pets.

Now, let's take things one step further and let's assume you want to write an article that you can submit to several article directories to get a rush of traffic to your site. Here's the type of article you might write:

"Discover 3 Safe And Natural Remedies Guaranteed To Rid Your Home Of Fleas In 5 Days Or Less Using Only Five Basic Ingredients Found Right In Your Pantry -- Plus Save Over $200 A Year On Harmful Pesticides."

Or here's another...

"Discover An Amazingly Simple Yet Effective Shortcut To Housebreak Your New Puppy In 7 Days or Less...Spending Only 10 Minutes A Day!"

Be unique, entertaining -- and show off your personality!

In my opinion, this one element of writing to a targeted audience is critical. Think back for a moment to when you were in school. I'll bet you remember a favorite teacher or professor who you just absolutely loved learning from.

Why? Usually, it's because of their personality -- one that seemed to shine through in their teaching. In it's simplest terms, learning is boring! Most people hate the thought of learning something new. It's a painful experience. So it's your job to ease the pain and make the learning process fun and entertaining while still providing quality content.

Once you master this skill, you'll have a dedicated following of readers who will look forward to each and every article (or email) you write.

Don't be afraid to be yourself and offer a little bit of humor once in a while. Show people that you're a real person and not some robot hiding behind a computer screen.

Don't try to be someone or something you're not! Your readers will see right through you. Just be yourself and you'll be appreciated for it... guaranteed!

That about sums it up for my "crash course" on writing a good article.

Once you've created some informative and entertaining articles.... then it's time to "set them free" onto the Internet...