Here are two before and after examples to show you what works and why in a teaser, along with 5 tips.

Example #1

Which teaser makes you want to read on? What's the difference? Thanks to BizJournals.com above for letting me mess with their copy.

The before & after rewrite above illustrates a few of the key ingredients of a good teaser. It should include:

- specific and relevant details (a name, an occupation)

- actual dollar amounts (if available)

- a twist or unexpected comparison (in this case; he was a successful salesman but couldn't raise money for his startup through a traditional bank loan)

The intro should set the scene so you want to read on. Here's another example, using a teaser I wrote for a WordBiz Report article on "online marketing tips from an offline pro."

Example #2

I didn't actually use the "before" teaser in the example above. But that's what I started with in my head. I had to force myself to come up with some specifics and an element of drama to make this teaser work. Notice how I added a "kicker" at the end. "It sounds straightforward... but it's not." This intro got a high click-through.

WHAT ABOUT SEX?

Sexy in this case means an intro with that extra something, a dollop of intrigue, a bit of suspense. These attributes are key and you usually have to give something away in order to create them.

Note how I included the following sentence in the teaser for this article:

"Hint: reveal a choice tidbit or two in those first 50 to 100 words... "

It may seem counterintuitive but this is as an essential part of the intro. Why? I'm offering a taste of the specific tips the reader can get by clicking through.

ANN HANDLEY'S FORMULA FOR WRITING TEASERS

I checked in with one of my favorite editors, Ann Handley, to see what her formula is. Ann was co-founder of ClickZ and is now chief content officer of MarketingProfs.com. Every week she writes six to eight short (50 words or less) teaser blurbs for MarketingProfs' e-newsletter. Here's her formula:

5 TIPS TO WRITE COMPELLING TEASERS

Let's recap five specific tips to write can't-resist teasers and increase your click-throughs to the full article:

1) Include specifics

As explained above, this may seem counterintuitive. You have to reveal enough information to make the reader long for more of the same. Include dollar amounts, numbers, specific sizes. Generally, bigger is better.

2) Give away a choice tidbit

Tell just enough of the story - and make it intriguing - that the reader begs for more.

3) Use a twist

This is my secret ingredient to a successful teaser. It means to "invert" the expected outcome. It's a classic device in newspaper journalism. And it works just as well online.

4) Apply the gotta know test

This is key. Ann Handley nails it above. Your article has to address a pressing business problem and offer a solution. Back out of that and into your teaser. Now you're dangling a tidbit that leads to something the reader has just gotta know.

5) Cut and cut again