Simple and straightforward (short sentence, subject-verb-object, active voice, not passive)
Must work out of context (search engine; article list; bookmark; e-mail newsletter)
Must make clear what the text is about: what will the user get for his click?
Should have key words that refer to news stories that are still on people’s minds
Should have key words that users would put in a search engine to find information about this topic
Must work without seeing surrounding data (e.g. pictures)
Must be written in plain language (no puns; no clever headlines)
rule of thumb: maximum of 40 – 60 character Teaser
Should be like a “slide” for the user into the article
The style depends on your users (serious news-style; tabloid style)
Make the first words count (important, carrying information; makes scanning easier)
Put details into the text – not the teaser
Maximum 300 characters
News Teaser contains the basic information; short, concise, no personal opinion A German naval vessel helped avert another hijacking attempt by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden. Meanwhile, France and the US are drafting a United Nations resolution to put a stop to the piracy. Teaser with cliffhanger deliberately leaves one of the six central questions unanswered (who, what, when, where, why, how) BUT: don’t use cliffhangers too often – the idea gets boring for the user after a while. Three people were hurt in a car accident on Monday. But one person involved seems to have had a guardian angel. A new parental leave scheme has been hugely popular among fathers as well as mothers, Germany's family affairs minister said. But the success comes with a price tag.
