A session from BarCampLondon5 and SMCLondon08 about the history of headlines, and how to write headlines that people will want to click.

1. Tom Whitwell Assistant Editor, Online The Times + MusicThing.co.uk for your music gear geek needs How to write awesome headlines. (So people read your stuff)

2. The first ever headline in The Times (January 1 st , 1785)

3. They were rubbish at selling stories

4. Headlines smaller than body copy. Sure about that?

5. Really big stories got proper headlines

6. Rubbish at SEO: No mention of Jack the Ripper

7. 1929: Real headlines

8. 1945: Front page is only small ads…

9. … even when there’s a really big story

10. 1966: Far out! Headlines on the front

11. 1967: Headlines get ‘clever’. The decline into decadence begins.

12. 1983: Weak puns ahoy!

13. Magazine headlines: What? What does that even mean? Oh. OK.

14. 2000: Yes, yes, very clever.

15. Then, suddenly, the internet.

16. 1. Headlines were separated from stories

17. 2. We found out what was really working

18. Headlines is serious business.

20. Yeah, but, it’s only the headline.

21. Yeah, but, it’s only the headline.

28. I’m done. Sorry for ranting.