This is the darkest Christmas advert ever

THIS supermarket’s take on the classic Christmas tear-jerker ad has a dark twist, but it gets worse. We bring you the wrap of the silly season’s epic fails.

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Woolies credit card scam warning

SCAMMERS are posing as Woolworths staff to try and get your credit card details. Here’s what to look out for.

Source NEWS.com.au | Business http://ift.tt/1NIseuL

This is the darkest Christmas advert ever

THIS supermarket chain has taken the classic Christmas tear-jerker ad and given it an incredibly dark twist, leaving viewers angry and confused.

Source NEWS.com.au | Business http://ift.tt/1XA3mdc

$400K loan will help renovate Penn Stroud Hotel in Stroudsburg

Pocono Mountains Industries, Inc. has been awarded a $400,000 loan on behalf of Bhavi Corp. to renovate the Penn Stroud Hotel in downtown Stroudsburg.The 15-year loan from the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority — at a 2.5 percent fixed rate for the first seven years — will supplement Bhavi’s $2.7 million renovation of the oldest operating hotel in the Poconos. The hotel at 7th and Main streets was built in the 1800sWork on the 88-room, [...]

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Don’t Rent a Storage Unit. Try These Cheaper Options Instead

Is your home bursting at the seams with things you just can’t seem to throw away? Or are you in a temporary living situation and have a whole house of stuff you need to stash somewhere?

Sometimes, it makes sense to store your spare stuff, instead of getting rid of it and starting over. But where can you put it?

Renting a storage unit can be pricey. To rent a 5-by-5-foot storage unit, you’ll typically pay $40-50 per month, according to CostHelper. For a larger 10-foot-by-15-foot unit, expect to shell out $75-140 per month for a basic unit or $115-150 for one with climate control.

But, you don’t have to break the bank to keep your stuff. Follow these tips to get more storage space for less.

Sell or Donate Your Extra Stuff

Before you shell out for a storage unit, take a close look at what you have. Getting rid of extra items can be a gold mine. Consider selling things on eBay or at a garage sale.

Donating unneeded possessions can also be a great way to do a good deed and even get a tax break (sometimes more lucrative than selling things).

Consider whether you really want and need everything you have. You’ll likely find at least a few things you don’t mind selling or donating.

Take Advantage of the Space You Have (or Can Borrow)

Look around your home and see if you might be able to add storage to your existing space. Maybe you could add some shelving to a room in your home or a few storage tubs in a corner of your garage.

If you have an attic, laundry room, closet or even a crawl space, see if you can find a way to add storage. Of course, be sure to safeguard your items from any weather or critters that could potentially get into it.

Ask around. Perhaps you have a friend or relative with some extra space. You may be able to store a few items with them for free or a low rate. If you have furniture you’re looking to store, someone might be happy to put it to good use for a few months.

Consider Getting a Larger Apartment

If you don’t want to part with your things, consider renting a larger apartment or house instead of a storage unit. If you can rent an apartment with an extra bedroom, storage room, garage or attic space, that could cost you less than a storage unit.

To figure out the best deal, shop around. Get a few quotes from local storage companies, find out what it would cost to up-size (don’t forget moving costs). Figure out how long you would need to rent the larger apartment or storage unit.

Renting a larger living space could be a better deal than an expensive storage unit.

Read the Fine Print

Before you sign up for a storage unit, be sure to read the fine print and know exactly what you’re signing up for. Is there a minimum commitment? Do you have to pay initial fees or an extra cost to terminate your agreement early?

What happens if you can’t pay on time? Don’t end up on a show like Storage Wars, where your possessions are hawked to the highest bidder.

Also, find out if you’ll have to pay any other additional fees associated with the rental. Do you have to submit a security deposit? Are you responsible for providing your own lock?

Be sure to find out about accessibility. When can you access your items? Are there limits on the time, day and frequency of your visit? If more than one name is on the unit, are you required to visit it together?

Check if climate control is provided and find out exactly what that means. It typically doesn’t mean the unit will be a cool 72 degrees year-round. Usually it just means the unit won’t drop below 40 degrees in the winter or rise above 90 come summer.

Consider the items you’re storing and if they need any special care or attention. If they’re particularly fragile or valuable, it might make sense to keep them with you and not put them into storage.

Know all the terms and conditions before signing up. Also, find out the liability policy and what will happen if your things get damaged, whether from water damage or even theft.

Know when the storage place is on the hook, when you are and if you need to purchase any supplementary insurance to safeguard your possessions.

Take Advantage of Introductory Specials

Public Storage, which has over 2,200 locations nationwide, offers a first month, $1 introductory special, plus 15% off each month if you sign up for their online introductory special.

But they’re not the only company with an introductory special. Many places offer special deals just to get you in the door.

They know that once you’ve spent a Saturday lugging your goods onto a rental truck and playing real-life Tetris to get it to fit in your newly-rented storage unit, it’s unlikely you’ll pack it up and do it all over again to save a few bucks. Take full advantage of introductory specials.

Put Your Haggling Skills to the Test

Just because a place doesn’t offer an introductory special doesn’t mean they aren’t open to negotiating. Try to get a discount on your first month’s rent. Better yet, see if you can get a discount on your first year’s rent or more.

Ask for a Discount

See if you can get a student, senior or military discount on the storage unit. Also, check if any affiliations, club or union memberships you have may be able to snag you an even better deal.

EZ Storage offers a 10% military discount, and Bend, Oregon’s North Empire Storage offers discounts for seniors and military members. Be sure to ask around and see if your local storage company can give you a discount.

Share With Friends and Family

If you don’t need a full storage unit, it might make sense to share with a friend or family member. Be sure you trust this person, though, since they’ll have full access to your stuff.

Splitting a larger unit with someone else is often a far better deal than renting a smaller unit for yourself.

Be sure to have an agreement in writing with your friend or family member about the terms of your storage sharing agreement.

Decide what will happen if one of you wants to leave early, who’s responsible for making sure payments are made on time, how the storage rent is shared and other terms so everyone is on the same page.

Kristen Pope is a freelance writer and editor in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The post Don’t Rent a Storage Unit. Try These Cheaper Options Instead appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Best Travel Insurance for 2016

The best travel insurance can help cushion the financial blow in case of situations that can upend an expensive, carefully planned trip. Whether you’re dealing with an unexpected illness, a death in the family, or a lost suitcase, all of these scenarios have the potential to cancel or ruin your travels.

Even a late or missed flight can unravel your plans — and in 2014, that was a possibility for nearly 1 in 4 airline trips, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. More than 2% of flights were cancelled outright.

But do you really need travel insurance? It’s a question we’ll consider in depth later in this article — I’ll admit I’ve only purchased a travel insurance policy once despite frequent globe-trotting. For some, however, travel can be an investment just as significant as a car or house. If you fall into this category, relatively inexpensive travel insurance plans can protect your wallet from any of the above situations and more.

The Simple Dollar’s Top Picks for Best Travel Insurance

I’ve sifted through dozens of companies to find some of the top travel insurance options for you. Here’s a quick look at my picks for best travel insurance:

• Best Travel Insurance for Coverage Options: Travel Guard and TravelEx
• Best Cheap Travel Insurance: World Nomads and Seven Corners
• Best Travel Medical Insurance: HTH Worldwide and IMG

Keep reading to find out why these companies rose to the top in the crowded travel insurance market. I’ll also cover some travel insurance basics, including what most plans cover, how to shop for the best plan, and whether you really need travel insurance in the first place — because it doesn’t make sense for everyone.

Do You Need Travel Insurance?

Travel insurance makes sense for some travelers, but you’ll want to make sure you’re among them before you shell out even more cash before your trip.

A few years ago, I opted for travel insurance before an expensive trip to New Zealand. The flights, hotels, and car rental were pricey enough on their own, but we prescheduled a range of activities, too. I would have lost a lot of money if something had prevented me from going, so shelling out a bit more for travel insurance made sense.

Here are some factors to consider when you’re debating whether travel insurance is worth the investment:

How much are you spending?

If you’re only spending a few hundred bucks on a plane ticket and crashing on a friend’s couch when you get to your destination, the low expense (and risk) of your trip probably isn’t worth insuring. I’ve certainly traveled on a shoestring before, and the relatively low cost meant I didn’t think twice about travel insurance.

But if you’re spending $10,000 on a budget-busting honeymoon in Bali (or in my case, heading to New Zealand for three weeks of adventures) that’s an investment you’ll want to protect.

Are you traveling internationally?

It makes more sense to buy travel insurance if you’re heading abroad. International travel is expensive, but the best travel insurance can also cover you for costly medical bills if you need care while overseas when your primary health insurance may not.

I have gone abroad a couple of times without additional coverage — I was young, healthy, and heading to well-traveled European destinations for run-of-the-mill sightseeing. This was a calculated risk on my part when I was very conscious of my bottom line. Would I make the same choice today, especially with a family to consider? Maybe not.

• Related: Travel Insurance and Terrorism

Are you booking travel during a time known for iffy weather conditions?

It’s impossible to predict the weather, but some times of year are trickier than others. For instance, maybe a crucial leg of your trip is going into or out of Minneapolis or Chicago in January — primetime for blizzards or other nasty winter weather. Maybe you’re booking a Caribbean cruise in September, during peak hurricane season.

In either case, travel insurance could cushion the financial damage if Mother Nature delays or cancels your trip.

Are you already covered?

While it’s relatively uncommon for most health insurance plans to offer more than partial coverage abroad, check your policy. Flight accident insurance that pays your family benefits if you die in a plane crash is probably redundant if you have life insurance — this was one option we skipped on our New Zealand trip.

The same goes for travel insurers’ accidental death and dismemberment coverage. Your home insurance may even cover the cost of lost or stolen luggage and belongings.

Your credit card may also offer some protection.

If you pay for your trip with a credit card, you may have coverage for trip cancellation, delays, car rental insurance, or lost and stolen belongings. For instance, we were able to opt out of our car rental company’s insurance in New Zealand because our credit card provided it.

You’ll need to check the fine print that lists all of your credit card’s benefits. If there are travel insurance provisions, you’ll need to pay for part or perhaps all of the trip with that card to be covered.

However, the benefits probably won’t be as extensive as those you’ll receive with the best travel insurance policies, and you may find that there are more exclusions: While planning a trip to Ireland, I found out my credit card would not cover car rental insurance there because of high accident rates.

(If you want a credit card that offers great perks when you’re on the go, check out our guide to the Best Travel Credit Cards for 2015. These cards often offer great trip protection features as well as perks such as bonus points on travel, no foreign transaction fees, and concierge services.)

Do you need the peace of mind?

If all the “what-ifs” of travel keep you awake at night, spending a couple hundred dollars on travel insurance might be a good investment if it means you’ll be able to relax and enjoy your trip more. In my case, I spent weeks planning every leg of our trip to New Zealand, so travel insurance was a necessary comfort.

What Does Travel Insurance Cover?

Coverage will vary by company, but the best travel insurance plans protect against financial hardship resulting from trip interruption or cancellation, medical expenses, emergency evacuations, and lost or stolen belongings. Here are the main things you can expect travel insurance to cover:

Trip interruption or cancellation: If you get sick, a family member dies, or a natural disaster foils your plans, cancellation coverage may help reimburse whatever nonrefundable costs you’ve already incurred. Terrorist attacks are also covered if an incident unfolds in your destination shortly before you leave. You may even be covered if your employer changes your schedule and requires you to work, you’re called for jury duty or a crucial travel vendor goes belly up. Interruption coverage may cover you if your trip is cut short for similar reasons.

Medical expenses: Many health insurance plans won’t cover you outside of the country; Medicare never does. Even if your insurer does cover some international expenses, out-of-network costs can still add up. You may even find that foreign care providers simply won’t help you until you pay for their services up front.

Emergency evacuation: If you need to be evacuated from a remote spot for medical or security reasons, it could cost tens of thousands of dollars. Evacuation coverage helps pay to speed you to a nearby hospital, or covers the price of a medical flight to the U.S. if needed.

Lost or stolen baggage or belongings: While airlines have done a better job with baggage in recent years, more than 24 million bags were still mishandled in 2014. Most policies will pay up to a certain amount to compensate for this common travel scenario. The best travel insurance plans also reimburse you if you have to purchase items because your bags were delayed.

The Best Travel Insurance Companies

If you’ve decided travel insurance is a good bet for your upcoming trip, be sure to check out the companies below, all Simple Dollar top picks, while you shop around.

Best Travel Insurance for Coverage Options: Travel Guard and Travel Ex

Travel Guard offers just about every type of travel insurance plan you can think of: trip cancellation, flight insurance, travel medical, business travel, and even yearlong plans for frequent travelers. Several optional coverage add-ons make it easy to tailor your travel insurance to your specific needs.

For example, you can add a rider that allows you to cancel your trip for any reason, or you can add flight accident or rental-car collision insurance. Trip concierge services and pre-existing condition waivers are available at all levels, too. The website doesn’t have a lot in the way of educational articles, however.

Why We Like It: Travel Guard makes it easy to get a quote and compare its different plans side by side. Extensive add-ons and a “build your own” My Travel Guard plan make it easy to buy exactly what you want, and skip what you don’t want. You can insure very expensive trips up to $100,000, and Travel Guard has accreditation and an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

What to Watch For: Some plans may not be available depending on the state in which you live.

TravelEx offers a more basic lineup of plans for leisure and business travelers, but they are still fairly customizable with upgrades. For instance, you can add on coverage for adventure activities, or busy professionals can tack on coverage that kicks in if their employer changes their work schedule. You’ll get three easy-to-compare plan choices: Basic, Select, or Max.

Why We Like It: TravelEx’s offerings are more readily understandable for a travel insurance newbie, and their website is easy to navigate. If you’re traveling with kids, take note: The Travel Select plan covers them for free. There are also helpful travel tips and FAQs. Like Travel Guard, TravelEx is BBB-accredited with an A+ rating.

What to Watch For: The highest-priced Max plan will only allow you to insure a trip up to $50,000, and it only covers you for up to six months (there is no annual plan, unlike with Travel Guard). You can’t add on a “cancel for any reason” rider unless you purchase the most expensive plan, and there is no pre-existing condition waiver available for their basic plan.

Best Cheap Travel Insurance: World Nomads and Seven Corners

World Nomads offers a lot of bang for your buck. It wasn’t quite the cheapest quote I received, but it wasn’t far off. For just $132 — roughly $20 more than the cheapest policy I saw that met my requirements, described at the end of this article — I could insure a $4,000, two-week trip to France with beefier coverage than many other insurers offer at a similar price.

Why We Like It: My quote included up to $10,000 for both cancellation and interruption coverage ($4,000 and $6,000 would be standard), $100,000 in medical coverage, and even $3,000 for lost or stolen baggage or personal belongings (most other insurers provide only $1,000 around this price). If I didn’t mind a $2,500 cap on cancellation and interruption and just $1,000 baggage coverage, I could retain the same level of medical coverage and pay only $89 for my policy. World Nomads also covers more than 200 adventure activities like skiing and bungee jumping that would require expensive add-ons or exclude you from coverage with other companies.

What to Watch For: World Nomads doesn’t offer group coverage or plans for travelers over 70. Because it only has two plan levels and lacks a lot of add-ons that other companies offer, coverage isn’t very customizeable. Finally, luxury travelers won’t be able to get coverage with World Nomads, which only insures trips up to $10,000.

Seven Corners has a wider range of plans than World Nomads, including plans for groups and students, expatriates and even outdoor-sports enthusiasts. It also offers medical-only coverage. I received a travel insurance quote that met my requirements for $11 less than World Nomads, but the plan wasn’t quite as robust. Still, it was better than most comparably priced plans.

Why We Like It: Though trip cancellation and interruption was standard at $4,000 and $6,000, the medical coverage went up to an impressive $150,000, and $2,000 was available for lost or stolen baggage or belongings on the Round Trip Choice plan. Stepping up to the Elite plan would allow $250,000 in medical coverage and $2,500 for baggage.

What to Watch For: At $94, their basic plan was a good value, but the $10,000 in medical coverage was much skimpier than World Nomads’ basic coverage.

Best Travel Medical Insurance: HTH Worldwide and IMG

While most travel insurers focus on trip cancellation plans that throw in travel medical insurance as an afterthought, HTH Worldwide focuses on comprehensive travel medical insurance that you can purchase separately from other travel plans.

Their website offers two short-term plans: a preferred option with the most comprehensive coverage that requires you to have a primary health plan, and an economy option that does not require another health plan but offers less coverage of pre-existing conditions. Other options include plans for groups, frequent travelers, expatriates, and students.

Why We Like It: The easy-to-understand plan clearly state benefits, exclusions, and FAQs. An impressive mobile app helps travelers identify English-speaking providers and request an appointment wherever they are. There were flexible deductibles of up to $500 and coverage maximums that ranged from $50,000 to $1 million. Plans pay 100% of most health services after your deductible is met.

What to Watch For: There is no adventure sports coverage, and the economy single-trip plan has a long 180-day pre-existing conditions exclusion.

IMG has served more than a million people around the world since 1990, and it offers a dizzying array of travel medical plans. However, you can also purchase packages that include more traditional travel insurance benefits including trip cancellation and lost baggage.

Why We Like It: IMG might be a good choice for niche travelers. While it offers plans for short-term and frequent travelers; groups; and students; it also provides niche policies for missionaries, marine crew members, and adventure sports. “Green” plans even allow eco-conscious travelers to shrink their carbon footprint.

What to Watch For: Unfortunately, IMG’s website can be hard to wade through, with small print and far too many drop-down menus. They offer website-based account management, but no mobile app for travelers who have health issues on the road.

Five Tips for Buying the Best Travel Insurance

If you’re still feeling overwhelmed by your choices, remember that there is no single plan or provider that will be best for every traveler. Focus on where you’re going, what you’re doing, and what you’re spending to find the best travel insurance choice for you.

Here are five tips that will help you shop for the best travel insurance for your needs:

Tip No. 1: Carefully Consider Your Trip

Are you going hiking in a remote part of the Amazon? Or are you planning an elaborate European vacation, with several flights to whisk you from one country to the next?

While extreme, these examples illustrate how much your needs could vary. In the former case, you’d probably want to focus on medical and evacuation coverage; in the latter case, you may want a more traditional plan that has good allowances for trip cancellation or lost baggage.

If you think there’s a decent chance that circumstances may force you to scrap a trip, you can get a “cancel for any reason” add-on for many more extensive travel insurance policies, but you’ll have to add it soon after buying. If you’re a daredevil, there are special plans for hazardous or extreme sports. If you’re heading to the Caribbean in September, you’ll want to make sure your plan covers weather-related cancellations and delays.

In our case, I found a policy that covered some adventure activities — we planned on bungee jumping, cave crawling, and glacier hiking while in New Zealand. I also made sure we’d be covered for natural disasters, since the region is prone to earthquakes. (This wasn’t paranoia on my part: We experienced a small tremor while we were there, and then a huge quake killed almost 200 people in Christchurch, where we stayed on the last leg of our trip, two months after we left.)

Bottom line: Make sure you buy a policy that covers your unique risks, not someone else’s.

Tip No. 2: Shop Around

Travel insurance policies are complex products, so your best bet may be to start your search using a comparison site such as SquareMouth or InsureMyTrip. These sites have excellent search filters that will let you zero in on what you need and directly compare prices much easier than shopping with individual insurers.

An experienced travel agent can also help you pick a policy, though some may earn commissions for steering you toward a certain company. Experts say it’s best to avoid buying a policy directly from your tour company or cruise line, however. These plans will only cover you for your time with that company, but not any other portion of your trip. And if the company goes under, your travel policy (and money) goes under with them.

Tip No. 3: Keep an Eye on Your Budget

Like any insurance product, the cost of a travel insurance plan will vary based on what kind of trip you’re insuring and what kind of coverage you select. Expect most plans to set you back roughly 4% to 10% of the cost of your trip — the greater the percentage, the more comprehensive the plan.

Our New Zealand travel insurance was equal to about 5% of our trip. Age also factors in — the older you are, the more you may pay. However, you may not pay anything for kids under 18 if they’re traveling with you.

Tip No. 4: Be Careful of Exclusions and Loopholes

If you have trip cancellation coverage, read the list of covered reasons carefully — they will be very specific. Consider whether paying extra for a policy that lets you cancel a trip for any reason is worth it, but note that not all policies will let you recover 100% of your costs.

Even the best travel insurance will include other exclusions on other parts of your coverage, too. A few examples: Pre-existing medical conditions and pregnancy generally won’t be covered. Your stolen-belongings coverage won’t pay you back for a lost wad of cash. If civil unrest — even including deadly protests — suddenly make your destination unsafe, you’re probably out of luck.

Tip No. 5: Buy as Soon as Possible

Even though you can wait until closer to departure, it’s best to get your travel insurance squared away soon after making reservations. Every day you wait, there’s a chance something will happen that will affect your plans, but you can’t get a travel insurance policy after you know about it.

For instance, if a Category 5 hurricane clobbers the Bahamas and ruins your trip, your travel insurance would cover you only if you purchased it before the hurricane formed. If recent terror attacks in Paris have made you afraid to go, you’re probably out of luck unless you purchased travel insurance before the attacks occurred.

You’d also be required to purchase coverage as soon as possible to get a waiver for certain pre-existing medical conditions or nab a policy that allows you to cancel for any reason, for example.

How I Picked the Best Travel Insurance Companies

To pick the best travel insurance for coverage options, I focused on companies that offered a wide variety of plans to cover the largest range of trips, including short-term vacations, long-term travel, and business trips. I also considered what add-ons were available for travelers to customize their plans to their liking, and made sure the company doesn’t exclude coverage for very expensive trips. To whittle down my list, I also considered the ease with which a shopper could obtain a quote, compare plans, and read “fine print” that tells them what is excluded from a plan.

To pick the best cheap travel insurance, I compared quotes for a 33-year-old’s $4,000, two-week trip to France. Because most insurers offer several plans, I compared prices for the cheapest that met the following requirements: at least $4,000 in trip cancellation insurance; $6,000 in trip interruption; $50,000 for medical expenses; $500,000 for emergency evacuation; and $1,000 for lost or stolen baggage or belongings. I then compared the quality of coverage among the five lowest-price insurers to make my final picks.

To pick the best travel medical insurance, I focused on companies that offered a wide array of medical-only plans. I considered the flexibility available for customers to choose plans’ deductibles and coverage amounts, as well as quality of coverage (for instance, if you still had to pay co-insurance for services even after meeting your deductible).

Because it can be hard to find quality medical providers on the road, I also considered any ways a company eased that process (for instance, a mobile app or well-executed online account management).

To Find the Best Travel Insurance, Read the Fine Print

The best travel insurance is customizable to your specific needs for a reasonable price. It’s easy to comparison shop with the top companies online, but be sure to read the entire list of plan coverages and exclusions before you pay for a policy.

Having a clear idea of what your travel insurance will and won’t pay for can protect you from nasty surprises in the event of a claim. Consider starting your search by checking out the companies I profiled above — all offer comprehensive, reputable plans to keep you covered on the road. Travel Guard and TravelEx are excellent options for travelers who want a wide variety of coverage options, while World Nomads is a particularly good fit for globetrotters on a tight budget — especially if you have adventure activities on your agenda.

Want to learn more about travel insurance? Check out some of The Simple Dollar’s other articles on the topic:

• Do You Really Need Rental-Car Insurance?
• Looking for Travel Insurance? Check Your Wallet First
• Around the World with Travel Insurance

The post Best Travel Insurance for 2016 appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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Stocks are mostly lower in midday trade; oil price slips

NEW YORK — Stocks were in mostly lower in midday trading, dragged down by energy stocks, which fell along with the price of oil. Investors continue to weigh the implications of potential interest rate changes around the world, with the European Central Bank meeting tomorrow to discuss increasing its stimulus program and the Federal Reserve meeting in two weeks to most likely raise interest rates.KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones [...]

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Would You Work in a Cuddle Cafe or Cook on a Submarine? 11 Weird Ways to Make Money From Around the World

The last time we were on a bus in Ecuador, my wife’s native land, we bought a change purse made of seeds sewn together. Vendors often sell crafts as well as exotic foods and drinks, and on one trip, we listened to a 15-minute sales pitch for miracle vitamins — just like an infomercial.

You’ll see people try almost anything to make money in Ecuador. One afternoon, from our spot in the sand, we bought sunglasses, a 20-minute concert by a guitar-duo, peanuts, jewelry and ice-cold beer. The only thing we had to get up for was the jet ski rental.

Ecuador always gets me thinking about all the things people do to make a living around the world. So I investigated a few other countries to add to my ever-growing list of unusual ways to make money. Here’s what I found…

1. China: Rent License Plates

Why rent the whole car, when you can just rent the license plate?

The International Business Times reports that Wang Xiuxia, a woman living in Beijing, made good money doing this.

The government had limited new license plates in the city to 20,000 per month, and Wang, who had accumulated a large number of them, rented them for as much as 10,000 yuan (about $1,600 at the time).
She also sold plates, but authorities eventually shut down her business.

2. Japan: Work in a Cuddle Cafe

Have you ever wanted to be a professional cuddler?

In the U.S., you can make about $60 per hour snuggling with strangers in your home. In Tokyo, Japan, you might work in a “cuddle cafe,” with a larger menu of services.

Customers pay 3,000 yen (about $25) to snuggle with someone for 20 minutes, according to Japan Today.

If a customer has only 1,000 yen to spend, he can “pet” a girl on the head for three minutes, or stare into her eyes for one minute. For 2,000 yen, he can massage her feet for three minutes.

3. Australia: Drill Ore Underground

I hope you’re not claustrophobic: One of the better-paying jobs in Australia is probing ore deposits deep underground, using a diamond drill to attempt to locate valuable minerals, according to News.com.au.

Miners can make $100,000 to $180,000, but they work long, hard shifts.

4. France: Be a Dancing BBQ Waiter

Can you dance while serving food? Working as a dancing waiter in an American-style BBQ restaurant was among the dozen jobs William Prendiville had while living in Paris, France.

He says he wasn’t very good, but the job led (indirectly) to a better gig “writing a quarterly magazine for a French company in the animal health industry.”

5. United States: Cliff Dive in a Restaurant

We have our own share of unusual ways to make money here in the States, and perhaps one of the least expected is cliff diving… in a restaurant.

I previously wrote about being a Casa Bonita cliff diver, after my wife and I visited the restaurant. Their team has performed more than a million dives!

6. New Zealand: Become a Banana Ripener

Do you like to work outdoors? The New Zealand Herald reported last year on the unusual jobs that show up on TradeMe.co.nz, a kind of eBay (but with job listings) for New Zealanders.

One of the postings was for a banana ripener. In this position, you apparently work in the fields to “ensure the consistency and quality” of the bananas.

7. India: Make an Appearance

Wouldn’t it be great to make big bucks just for showing your face? Indian movie star and dancer Shah Rukh Khan cashes in on his fame by showing up at events for a fee.

According to the Times of India, he gets about $15,000 just to make an appearance, and more than $1.2 million to dance at a wedding.

8. China: Operate a Live Crab Vending Machine

Want to own the most unique vending machine around? Business Insider reports that a vending machine at the main subway station in Nanjing, China, sells live hairy crabs.

Sales average about 200 live crabs per day. At about $4 each, that’s $800 a day!

9. Japan: Run a Capsule Hotel

How do you make money from people who can’t quite afford a regular hotel? Rent them a closet-sized room they can’t even stand up in.

That pretty much describes the concept of “capsule hotels,” which provide tiny cubicles guests climb into for a cheap night’s rest.

10. Australia: Be a Submarine Cook

If you like to cook and aren’t too claustrophobic, you can make up to $200,000 as a senior submarine cook for the Royal Australian Navy, according to TafeBytes.com.

And if you happen to get assigned to a yellow submarine, well, you can sing that song all day while you work.

11. China: Rent Yourself Out

Are you a white guy? You might be able to rent yourself out in China.

In a piece for The Atlantic, Mitch Moxley says he was paid $1,000 for a week, and all he had to do — other than being white — was stay in fancy hotels, eat great food and pretend to be an important business associate of a Chinese company.

To explain this common practice, his Chinese-language tutor said, “Having foreigners in nice suits gives the company face.”

Your Turn: Do you think any of these unusual ways to make money would work where you live?

Steve Gillman is the author of “101 Weird Ways to Make Money” and creator of EveryWayToMakeMoney.com. He’s been a repo-man, walking stick carver, search engine evaluator, house flipper, tram driver, process server, mock juror and roulette croupier, but of more than 100 ways he has made money, writing is his favorite (so far).

The post Would You Work in a Cuddle Cafe or Cook on a Submarine? 11 Weird Ways to Make Money From Around the World appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Today Only: Save More Than 25% on Makeup and Beauty Products at Target!

If your next month is anything like mine, it’s going to be a blur — a blur filled with holiday parties and family photos and lots of reasons to look your best.

And if your makeup and beauty collection is anything like mine (read: severely depleted), you may be excited to learn about Target’s latest promotion.

Today only, Target’s offering some seriously stackable beauty deals. Though some products are already out of stock, it’s worth checking to see if your favorites are still available.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to grabbing this deal:

1. Visit Target.com through Ebates to earn 2% cash back on your entire purchase.

2. Fill your cart with whatever beauty and personal care items you need.

3. When you’re done shopping, enter coupon code BEAUTY to take 25% off.

4. Now enter coupon code SHINE to save an additional 10%.

5. If your purchase totals $50 or more, enter code TGTGQJV7 to save an additional $5.

6. Pay with your cash rewards credit card for even more savings.

And don’t worry about shipping costs: Target is offering free shipping and returns on every order from now through Christmas.

Pretty sweet, right?

Your Turn: Do you need to stock up on any beauty items?

Disclosure: We appreciate you letting us include affiliate links in this post. It helps keep the beer fridge stocked in the Penny Hoarder break room.

Susan Shain, senior writer for The Penny Hoarder, is always seeking adventure on a budget. Visit her blog at susanshain.com, or say hi on Twitter @susan_shain.

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Is Springboard America a Scam? The Penny Hoarder Put It to the Test

How many nights do you spend sitting in front of the TV, watching cooking shows or reruns, maybe with a glass of wine in your hand and your dog at your feet?

That’s not a bad evening, in my opinion. But it’d be even better if you could rake in a few extra bucks at the same time.

Since I can watch Netflix on my desktop and still use my laptop, I’ve taken to creating a small passive income stream by watching Swagbucks videos on mute in the background. I’m not doing anything else, so even though the earnings are small, they seem worthwhile.

In the same vein, I recently decided to try a survey site called Springboard America that promises rewards for your opinions.

After all, how many Buzzfeed quizzes have I taken for free? It’s worth a shot to see whether I can actually make money taking surveys.

How Springboard America Works

Springboard America is a survey site that offers its members cash rewards for sharing their opinions with the world.

When I signed up, I entered my login information (email address and password), and answered some basic questions about my age, race and gender, as well as information about my income level and political leanings.

The sign-up process wasn’t too long or tedious — although it was in-depth, the methods by which you answer the questions varies.

Some questions ask how much you agree on a scale from 1-10, while others are multiple choice and short answers, all with different visual arrangements (such as drag and drop, pulldown menu or a large array of options to click) to keep it interesting.

Making my First $1 From a Survey

After signing up, I immediately qualified for a survey called “What kind of technology user are you?”

Springboard estimated the survey would take me four minutes to complete, and that finishing it would enter me in a drawing for a sweepstakes with $750 worth of prizes (six prizes in total).

After answering a few questions, I found out I was “Techno Elite” — but I earned nothing as a result of this survey. My only reward was entry into the drawing, which, no surprise, I didn’t win.

The next day, I qualified for a survey that took about three minutes to complete. I answered questions about the site itself, why I joined, what I was interested in and where I frequently bought products.

I earned $1 for that survey — not bad for such a short amount of time.

Unfortunately, it was over a week before I received another email notifying me I had a survey waiting.

I guess 20-something white women are a pretty well-represented demographic, because I was ineligible for whatever surveys came out in that time — or else there just weren’t any.

When I finally found another survey available to me, I, again, earned nothing but entry into an unlikely sweepstakes.

Is Springboard America Worth It?

The $1 I’ve earned is unavailable to me as of yet, as the site only allows you to cash out (via Amazon or Visa gift card) once you reach $50 in prizes.

The high minimum cash-out value is part of what keeps substantial rewards possible: Springboard America states it awarded $47,900 to members in September.

The site features profiles of happy users who have profited from taking surveys. But, as I learned, your mileage may vary depending on your demographic.

Another reason my payouts are low is my reluctance to share these kinds of opportunities with my friends and family, for fear of annoying them.

If you’re not as concerned about bothering your social networks, you stand to earn substantial earnings simply by spreading the word: You get $2 for each referral who signs up, qualifies and confirms membership.

The Verdict

Springboard America has higher payouts than most survey sites, and its interface is extremely user-friendly and attractive.

The company seems sincere in its attempts to improve the site for users and to get you the biggest bang for your survey-taking buck.

The site consistently asks about its performance, whether or not it’s a place you’d like to visit, and how it might improve.

 

But it might take a while to amass the $50 it takes to actually see money in your wallet.

My recommendation? Sign up — and take the surveys when you’re bored. If you’re not doing anything else, the occasional survey won’t be a burden at all. It might even be fun.

And in a few months, that $50 will just feel like a bonus.

Your Turn: Will you become a Springboard America member?

Disclosure: We have a serious Taco Bell addiction around here. The affiliate links in this post help us order off the dollar menu. Thanks for your support!

Jamie Cattanach is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder and a native Floridian. She’s passionate about learning, literature, chocolate and finding ways to live the good life as cost-effectively as possible. You can send smoke signals (or, you know, friendly greetings) to @jamiecattanach on Twitter.

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Stop Writing Boring Headlines: 11 Types of Headlines That Pique Reader Interest

You put in hours crafting a great post, but then you come to the hardest part:

The headline.

It seems like it should be easy to create a solid headline, right?

I mean, it’s usually 5-10 words long. How long could that possibly take?

So you write a few different headlines, but they just don’t quite click. They’re okay, but your audience isn’t going to go nuts over them.

And while you’re trying to come up with other headline ideas, the frustration creeps in. How can writing a single line take so much time?

Because you expect to be able to write headlines quickly, it gets frustrating when you can’t do it.

Most marketers end up just picking the “least sucky” headline and getting subpar traffic as a result.

The solution is actually really easy:

Expect to spend more time on your headline.

Copywriting legends like David Ogilvy would spend up to half of their time creating a headline for an advertisement or article they are working on.

Ogilvy once reported that he rewrote a headline 104 times for a Rolls Royce ad.

Another master copywriter, Gene Schwartz, often spent a whole week on the headline and an intro of a sales piece.

So when you don’t have a great headline after two minutes, don’t worry about it. That’s completely normal.

As long as you understand that, you won’t get frustrated, and you’ll be able to continue until you find a headline that’s right.

Your headline is the biggest factor determining the number of social shares your content gets: The fact is most people don’t read your content, no matter how good it is.

What they do is read the headline.

Around 80-85% of people will read headlines, while only about 20% will read the actual article.

Based on the headline itself, people make the choice of whether or not to read on.

This is one of the biggest reasons why a great headline is so important.

But there’s one reason that’s even more important:

Most people will share content based on the headline alone.

It seems strange, but it’s been shown time after time.

After extensive split testing, the co-founder of Upworthy found that an excellent headline can make up to a 500% difference in shares and traffic.

Through research, we (marketers) have learned a lot about which headlines attract the most shares and traffic.

And I want to show you the 11 best types of headlines to write as well as ways to use them effectively.

You can use them immediately to increase your website’s traffic and social engagement.

Understand the potential of a headline: Before we dig in, there’s one last thing you need to understand about headlines.

Even if your headline is the most impressive headline ever written, that doesn’t mean you’ll get thousands or millions of shares.

Why?

Because there are two other factors at play:

1. Your topic/niche
2. The number of people who see it

Some niches just aren’t “sexy.” You’re never going to get millions of shares on an article about cleaning floors.

In addition, if you only have 1,000 followers on social networks, it’s going to be difficult to hit that viral threshold of initial shares.

Simply put: the more followers you have, the more shares you’ll get.

One way to make up for a lack of followers is paid advertising. But you’ll need a decent volume of one or the other.

The reason why understanding these factors is important is to help you keep your expectations realistic.

In this post, you’ll see headlines of content that has hundreds of thousands of shares. You may be able to produce similar content, but you may also be limited based on the above two factors.

Your goal should be to get as many shares as possible (based on your headline). If you do this well consistently, your site will grow.

While going viral is nice, consistently maximizing your shares and traffic is what will bring you reliable success.

Ready? Let’s get started.

1. The “ultimate headline”

This first headline formula is a great way to break down headlines into specific components.

Although it’s probably been defined many times over the years, I came across it in a post by the infamous Jeff Goins. Let’s call it the “ultimate headline formula”:

The idea behind this formula is that it can describe just about any highly effective headline.

There are five main parts to it:

• Number – You know what a number is.
• Adjective – A word that describes a thing (noun). For example: best, adorable, surprising.
• Keyword - A keyword or short phrase that tells us what the content is about (possibly also for SEO)
• Rationale - The main way that value is delivered in the content. For example: reasons, ways, secrets.
• Promise – What will the reader get from reading the content?

These are pretty simple, and you can probably get your head around the main components.

That’s actually the easy part—many bad headlines also have these components.

The hard part is combining the right parts together to produce something special.

And that’s why I started with this formula. Now you understand the main parts of a headline. It’s essentially an overall strategy.

However, for the rest of the headline types in this post, we’ll look at specific implementations of one or more of these components (think of them as tactics).

2. “X” Reasons why list headlines are amazing

Let’s start with the first component of most great headlines: the number.

List posts are not only highly readable but they are also very handy when it comes to writing an effective headline. You automatically have a number of items in your list to add to your headline.

In an analysis of about 1 million most popular headlines, it was found that list posts are by far the most shared.

People love list posts.

And we have more data to prove it.

A comprehensive Conductor survey showed that people actually prefer headlines with numbers in them.

 

These types of headlines make a specific promise, and the reader knows what to expect going into the content. This is likely why these types of headlines are preferred.

On top of that, the survey also had participants rank the clarity of different types of headlines.

As you might have guessed, list posts were viewed as the clearest:

While we’re on the subject, list posts not only attract extra attention (because of their headlines) but they are also typically read more.

Lists are much easier to read, and readers can skim them, moving quickly from one section to another to see if there’s anything they’re interested in.

List post headlines in action: Take a few minutes to visit some of your favorite sites. If they have a “popular content” section, pay attention to which headlines are list posts.

In most cases, a large portion of them will be.

If you go to Boost Blog Traffic, about half of their most popular posts (in the sidebar) are list posts (the number at the start makes it obvious):

In addition to the already mentioned reasons why readers love list headlines and posts, there’s one more great aspect to them.

You have the option of creating incredibly long lists.

Long lists automatically make people value the content higher.

Let’s say you saw these two headlines:

• “3 ways to lose 20 pounds”
• “178 ways to lose 20 pounds”

Which one would you be more drawn to?

In most cases, it’s the one with the bigger list.

Many bloggers have taken advantage of this to create content that automatically gets extra shares and traffic.

For example, Brian Dean made a list of all known possible Google ranking factors. It’s accumulated over 10,000 shares to date:

An article about five ranking factors wouldn’t be impressive. But 200? Wow, that’s incredible.

And that’s exactly why it has been shared so much.

Making your own list post headline: The good news is that one part of your headline is decided for you.

If you have a list of 25 items, then “25” will go into your headline.

So, that just leaves the rest. The other tactics in this article will help you fill in that part.

3. “How to” write a descriptive and interesting headline

Another effective type of headline is a “how to” headline.

The general format is:

How to + Action (do something) + Unique benefit

For example, “How to Fall Asleep In Under 1 Minute”, which is actually a real post.

To say that it went viral on social networks is an understatement. It’s received over 300,000 shares on Facebook alone:

In this case, the “action” is falling asleep, and the unique benefit is that it can be done in under a minute.

The real selling point comes from the unique benefit. It has to be something desirable.

With this example, people are desperate to fall asleep quickly, so if you have a solution that works fast (as the headline claims), readers will be interested.

If you actually have a good article to back up your headline, it will get shared.

Why it works: There are a few reasons why more bloggers should be using “how to” headlines when possible.

First, they’re simple to write.

Break it down into the two main components:

• the action
• the unique, desirable benefit

The action is usually pretty straightforward, but spend a few minutes looking at different ways to incorporate it into the headline.

For example, with the action of falling asleep, you could follow “How” or “How to” with:

• “I learned to fall asleep”
• “Fall asleep”
• “Get to sleep”
• “I nod off”

The reason why the first one won in real life was because it included the word “learned.”

Think about it from the reader’s point of view. They don’t really care about your falling asleep quickly—they want to do it themselves. If you were just born with the unique ability to fall asleep quickly, it wouldn’t be an interesting article.

However, if you’ve learned how to do it yourself and can share that solution, all of a sudden the headline becomes much more intriguing.

Now, to the second part of the headline. This is a bit harder.

Make a list of all the potential benefits of the action you’re telling the reader to take. Again, try to focus on it from the reader’s point of view.

Let’s come up with a few for our example:

• “In under a minute” (the original)
• “In less than a minute” (a variation)
• “In under 60 seconds” (another variation)
• “No matter where you are” (a different benefit)
• “And wake up energized” (another benefit)

You could come up with a list of 20 headlines pretty easily, composed of different benefits and different ways to describe them.

It still takes practice and experience to be able to create and pick the best option. But at least this way, you have a formula that you can repeat over and over again and improve your headline writing skills.

4. Three common mistakes of headline writing

Okay, time to come clean…

This section isn’t actually about mistakes of headline writing.

But admit it, it made you curious.

What this is about is incorporating the word “mistakes” into your headline. It’s a magical adjective that draws the attention of just about any type of reader, which makes it versatile.

In general, people are afraid of making mistakes.

No, it might not be a crippling fear—many understand that everybody makes mistakes.

However, it’s ingrained into almost everyone that we should try to avoid making mistakes whenever possible.

So, when you see a headline with the word “mistakes” in it, you want to make sure that you’re not doing something that might be considered foolish.

Here’s an example:

20 Beauty Mistakes You Didn’t Know You Were Making

Even if you’re not in that audience, you can understand the allure of that headline.

So far, that post has over 204,000 shares on Pinterest.

Here’s another example:

Eight mistakes parents make to teach discipline

So far, it’s received over 148,000 likes and shares on Facebook:

I encourage you to go look at this second example. The content is very mediocre. However, the strong headline, combined with a solid social following was enough for this post to get viral traction.

What mistakes should you write about? The good news is that you have one word in your headline already decided for you: mistakes.

The part that requires some practice is determining if your audience is interested in a certain type of mistakes.

It’s a good idea to consider this before creating the content as well.

And to do this, you need to answer one major question:

What do your readers care about but are uncertain about?

First, your audience needs to care. If I write an article about mistakes marketers make when choosing their hairstyles, you probably won’t be very interested.

But if I write an article about mistakes marketers make when trying to sell something with email marketing, a very large portion of my readers will be eager to read it.

My readers care about revenue, traffic, conversions, social media shares, etc.

If I’m writing about mistakes, it needs to be about mistakes marketers make that could affect one of those primary goals.

Secondly, your readers need to be uncertain about it.

The parenting headline is a great example of this.

No one knows how to be a perfect parent—there’s no manual. And yet, people care a great deal about being a good parent.

So when readers see the headline about discipline mistakes most parents make, they are uncertain whether or not they’re making those mistakes. It forces the reader to read the article to find out.

If most of your readers are already experts on the topic you’re writing about, they will know that they’re not making any mistakes and won’t be interested.

This is why these headlines work best on readers with little formal education in the subject (like parents).

One other bonus: While you can write articles about a single mistake your readers might be wary of making, you’ll often create content around multiple mistakes.

Reminds you of something? That’s right, it turns into a list post.

You can combine using “mistakes” in your headline with the number of elements in your list (for the reasons I showed you before).

5. What is the secret to a great headline?

One type of headline that can help you get more social shares is a question headline.

You ask the reader a question that they would be interested in learning the answer to, and it’s implied that your content will provide the answer. The subheading to this section is a basic example.

Here’s a more complex one:

A Renowned Psychologist Says There Are 4 Personality Types Based On 4 Colors. Which Are You?

Since being published, it’s been shared on Facebook over 3.6 million times (3,600 thousand times!):

Social media is a great platform for headlines like these to spread because they are all about the user.

It makes sense that they see headlines asking them questions on social media.

In particular, you’ve probably seen question headlines for just about every popular quiz on Facebook.

One key note to include: The best question headlines are the ones that speak to your reader directly.

Don’t just ask them:

What is the best way to fall asleep?

Ask them:

Do you know the best way to fall asleep?

It forces them to answer the question, and if it’s “no”, it often makes them seek an answer.

6. This is the best type of headline EVER!

A famous researcher Dr. Hakim Chishti taught the marketing world a lot.

He was most interested in figuring out what causes emotional reactions in people.

And what he discovered was that certain words evoke emotion more than others.

He also found that emotion drives action.

When people have a feeling about your content, positive or negative, they will take action. It could be a comment, share, or anything else. Typically, it’s something that you want to encourage.

And most of that emotion will be stirred up when they read your headline.

This is why you should focus on making emotional headlines.

Try to get your readers to get as positively—or as negatively—charged as possible.

The EMV index: The emotional marketing value (EMV) index was created to try to quantify the emotional impact of words in a sentence (or headline).

According to an analysis of 1 million of the most popular articles, an EMV score correlates very well with the number of shares an article gets.  

The higher the EMV score, the more shares an article typically gets.

Technically, the highest score is 100, but that’s not realistic.

Instead, good copywriters usually get 30-40% with their headlines.

To check your headline, use this EMV headline analyzer. Type in your headline, select a category, then submit it for analysis:

It will promptly spit out an EMV score for your headline:

How to use this tool: My best advice is to create at least 20 different headlines for your content.

Then, get the EMV score for all those headlines to determine how emotional they are.

Pick from the top scores.

7. Can’t explain complex topics? Here’s how to write headlines like…

One of the most difficult parts of crafting a great headline is figuring out a way to stand out from all the others who have written about your topic.

If you need a post about writing faster, you don’t just want to say:

5 tips for writing fast (really, really fast! I promise!)

There are thousands of articles about the topic, so even if your content is great, it’s really difficult to convey just how useful it is.

But here’s a simple solution: start name dropping.

What if you wrote a headline like:

5 tips for writing as fast as Neil Patel

Assuming that your audience is interested in marketing, just adding my name makes it easy to add emphasis to the result your content can bring the reader.

Here’s an actual example:

It’s not the most concise headline, but all those highly recognized brands significantly up the amount of perceived value for a reader.

There’s only one key to using brands in your headlines: This is a very simple, but effective technique.

However, you’re probably wondering which brands to include in your headline. It’s crucial that the brand is well-known among your readers.

And not only that, it should be related to your topic.

8. One simple way to cure your headline problems forever

Did that subheadline get you excited?

If so, I’m sorry.

There’s no simple way to become an expert headline writer overnight. Although if you use the tactics in this article, you’ll be ahead of 90% of other marketers out there.

This technique, in particular, is to say that you have a simple way to solve a fairly complicated problem that your readers have.

For example, how about a “simple way to cook rice that could halve the calories”?

Or how about “5 simple and healthy ways to cut portions”?

It’s no secret that if you want to add value to your readers’ lives (and get the rewards of that), you need to solve problems in their lives that they care about.

However, what’s just as important is the way you solve them.

The vast majority of people want a simple solution.

If someone needs a computer, they don’t want to learn how to build one from scratch; they want to know which one to buy.

They’re both solutions, but one is much easier than the other.

And that’s why using “simple” in your headline is a great way to capture attention.

The second benefit of simple solutions: When you’re creating your headline and describe a solution as simple, it forces you to define the problem really well.

You can start with something like:

I’ve discovered a simple way to (solve a problem).

People want a solution to one problem at a time. Otherwise, they get overwhelmed, so this works perfectly.

Try to get as specific with the problem as possible.

9. A way to combine headlines and subheadlines

The reason why creating great headlines is so difficult is because your goal is not only to induce curiosity but also provide clarity.

If you read about copywriting, you already know that being too clever is a bad thing.

At the same time, a certain level of cleverness is how you create the intrigue.

So, you need a bit of both.

One of the best ways to accomplish this is to write a really short clever headline and include a more traditional subheadline, all in one.

I do it fairly often for my blog posts.

Here’s an example:

“Get more out of Facebook” is a little abstract, but it’s a phrase my readers would use, and it provokes a bit of curiosity.

That part is immediately followed up by a more traditional headline for a list post.

That post, in particular, was shared over 1,000 times on just Facebook and Twitter alone.

10. Social proof works everywhere, especially on social media

Here’s a very simple way to write a good headline.

You can’t use it all the time, but it does work well consistently.

Start your headline with “Who else wants…”.

The reason why it works is because it shows that at least one other person wants something already.

Most people follow others, so if they’ve approved an idea or product, most readers will give it a chance.

The second reason it works is because it asks the reader to join a group. Do they want to join this group of people who want something?

People are social creatures and like belonging to groups, which draws even more attention to your headline.

11. Make your headlines SHINE with this method…

A final check that you can do to make sure your headline covers all of its basis is to see if it meets every point on the “SHINE” list.

SHINE is an acronym often used for headlines. It stands for:

• S: Specificity
• H: Helpfulness
• I: Immediacy
• N: Newsworthiness
• E: Entertainment value

1. Is your headline specific? It should be clear that your content is about one specific topic.

Consider the headline, “What’s the best way to cook it?”

That could be about anything.

A better headline would be, “What’s the best way to cook steak?”

Now, it has a specific subject.

2. Does it display helpfulness? At the heart of every piece of content, there needs to be something of value to the reader.

Your headline should make it clear that your content will solve a problem or provide something else useful.

3. Is there some sort of urgency? There should be something that encourages the reader to read the content right away.

If a reader isn’t compelled to do it right away, it’s unlikely that they will later.

If you’re solving a big problem, the urgency is built in.

Otherwise, you need to promise some sort of immediate benefit that a reader will get out of the content.

4. Does it need to be said? All content should have something new in it, no matter the topic. Otherwise, why should someone view your content when they could have seen it in the past?

What is about your content that’s newsworthy?

To show that you have something of value to share, use the following words:

• dates (e.g., an SEO guide for 2016)
• “updated”
• “discovered”
• “new way to”

5. Does it sound fun, even a tiny bit? Unless you have extremely motivated readers, no one looks for content that bores them.

If they get the impression from the headline that your content is boring, they’ll likely pass on reading or sharing it.

Some topics, admittedly, are a little dry. Use adjectives to spice up your headline to make it sound a little more fun:

• “attract”
• “clever”
• “fun”
• “inventive”

Conclusion

Your headline is the most important part of your content when it comes to getting traffic and social shares.

But creating a great headline isn’t easy; it takes a lot of practice and knowledge.

I’ve shown you 11 different ways that you can immediately apply to start writing better headlines.

Start using them as soon as possible. You’ll improve right away and will continue to improve as you use the tactics over time. 

Do you have any questions about what makes a headline great? Let me know in the comments below.

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