Unleashing WhatsApp Potential: Crafting Attention-Grabbing Titles for Restaurant Promotions

My friend runs a hotpot restaurant and coined the slogan “Little Sichuan Hotpot – Taste that Stays in the Bowl, Not on Your Clothes” for the restaurant’s promotion, intending to heavily promote it via WhatsApp. However, despite drafting numerous articles like “The Most Beautiful Taste is the Taste of Togetherness” and “The Taste of Hotpot – Lingering on the Palate, Not the Clothes,” the readership remains low, with even fewer shares. What can be done?

To tackle the “what to do” conundrum, it’s crucial to understand the core of the issue.

You aspire for widespread content sharing, yet sharing is preceded by reading, which, in turn, starts with opening. In the era of mobile internet, readers have only 0.5 seconds to decide whether to open an article. In such a brief period, what drives their decision?

Rightly so, it’s the “title” of the article.

Among ten readers, eight will read the title, but only two will open the article. We aim for readers to either buy or share, but the prerequisite is their opening. The core of this problem lies in readers not feeling a strong desire to open articles based on Little Sichuan’s titles.

So, what kind of titles can evoke a strong urge to open an article?

Renowned copywriting expert Robert Bly, in his bestseller “The Copywriter’s Handbook,” proposed the 4U principle for writing titles, a method you can employ for crafting titles:

Urgent: Titles filled with urgency prompt immediate opening. For instance: “Top Opportunity of 2018,” or “New Traffic Regulations to be Implemented Next Monday.”
Unique: Offering something never seen before piques immense curiosity. For example: “Decoding the True Cause of MH370 Crash,” or “Zhang Xiaolong’s First Candid Confession.”
Ultra-specific: Specific details easily resonate with readers and make them want to possess the information. For instance: “Four Heartfelt Copywriting Techniques, Three Strategic Moves,” or “These 9 Communication Methods Easily Offend People.”
Useful: Promising benefits always captivates readers. For example: “A $20,000 Worth Material – Free to Grab Today,” or “Achieve These Points, and Witness a Salary Increase from $500 to $50,000.”
So, what should my friend do? Reworking titles based on the 4U principle, with the goal of “opening” rather than “buying” or “sharing,” to stimulate readers’ “strong urge to open.”

How to achieve that? Here are three immediate methods based on 4U:

First Approach: “Target Audience + Problem + Solution”

Who’s your hotpot’s target audience? Directly address them, state the problem, and offer a solution.

Try this:

Eager to enjoy hotpot with your boyfriend without worries about clothes smell? Finally, a solution to this concern!

Worries about clothes smelling are primarily for girls; “enjoying hotpot with your boyfriend” addresses the target audience. “Finally, a solution to this concern!” provides the solution, making readers unable to resist opening.

Second Approach: “Result within a Specified Time”

In today’s era of scarce attention, people need promised immediate benefits to invest their time in reading an article.

Try this:

Revealed: Eating a hotpot can extend your clothes’ lifespan by six months. How to solve this in 1 minute without spending a penny?

“Eating a hotpot can extend your clothes’ lifespan by six months” presents the problem, solving which is the desired outcome. “Solve this in 1 minute without spending a penny” – the cost is practically non-existent. Readers are likely to succumb and click open.

Third Approach: “Hot Figure + Exclusive Information”

People are inherently curious, especially about influential figures. This is why news and gossip intrigue many.

Try this:

Dubbed as the Tesla of the Hotpot Industry, Just Because of These 3 Black Technologies!

“The Tesla of the Hotpot Industry” capitalizes on big names and current trends; “These 3 Black Technologies” – exclusive information to trigger reader curiosity.

To wrap up, you desire widespread content sharing, but sharing hinges on reading, and reading starts with opening. In the mobile internet era, the title is practically the sole determinant of a reader’s decision to open an article.