Tag: headlines

Are your headlines performing better as you’d like? Do you want to write more effective headlines? If you are a content manager, the best way of promoting your content is by writing titles that drive traffic. Create headlines that capture attention and convince people to click through to your content. A short, catchy headline or Meta description promises the reader they will find useful information. In this guide, you will discover six tips for writing better headlines.

1. Start with Numbers

Headlines that contain numbers often perform better than those without. Numbers represent facts, and that’s what users are mostly looking for. Including numbers in a marketing copy will often stop wandering eyes, even when those numerals are inserted within a mass of words. Numbers also tend to stand out in a reader’s peripheral vision. 

2. Simplicity Is Best

Long and complicated headlines are usually hard to promote through social media. This is because you only have a couple of seconds to attract a user, so it’s better to use a short, promising headline instead. For instance, a list-type article promises to be quick and easy to read, and that’s important in today’s busy world. If you are using numbers, make sure you use a numeral rather than spell out the number. This is because numerals stand out better in headlines and take up less space.

3. Highlight Value

Why should people read your post? The benefit should be simple, direct and clearly defined in the headline. For example, “how-to” titles always work well because the user can see the benefit instantly to be gained by reading the article. So, your headline should promise something and, if possible incorporate drama, excitement, or humor. But don’t lose credibility because readers distrust outrageous claims.

4. Use Trigger words

Headlines that start with questions usually arouse curiosity, which is a powerful emotion. Using words like HOW, WHY, WHERE, and WHAT in your headlines will always attract the attention of your readers. These elements will give you a sharp and striking headline. Instead of sticking to the same boring title, mix it up a little. This lets a reader know that they can find useful information in your post. Trigger words tell a user that your post is not just a regular post, but a treasure trove of information. So when you use them in your headlines, readers will know they will be able to find exactly what they’re looking for. 

5. Avoid Positive Superlatives

We are conditioned to always be positive in our communications. This tactic is however not effective in headlines. Besides, the average click-through rate on headlines that contain positive superlatives usually performs worse even when compared with titles that include negative superlatives. This is because the excessive use of superlatives such as the cheapest, best or fastest in marketing has led to them being ignored. Negative terms are more likely to be viewed as authentic and genuine.

6. Add Adjectives and Power Words

Unlike superlatives, adjectives (if used correctly) can grab the attention of your readers. Adjectives such as essential, useful, strange, valuable, effortless, and fun will make your headlines interesting. Titles that contain such words will intrigue your readers urging them to read on. Power words such as new, free, instantly and you will also boost your click-through rates.

Only 20% of people who see your post will read beyond the headline. A great title, therefore, makes the difference between your post being read and shared or ignored. With these 6 tips for writing better headlines, you’ll never go wrong.

You might be a terrific copywriter, but if you canít write great headlines, no one is ever going to know. Why? Because it is a headline that stands out that leads to the content being read. Boring headlines that blend is almost always skimmed over, whereas great headlines get the reader’s attention, and they stop to find out more by reading the content.

Think about this for a minute. Which of these are you more likely to read? “Man jumps from 20 story building.” Or “Man launches himself from a 20 story building and survives through ingenuity.” The second one, right? Thatís because the first headline is boring and mundane. Thereís nothing that makes you want to read further, whereas the second heading, grabs your attention “he launches himself” what does that mean? And ingenuity “what does he do to survive” you want to know.

This isn’t news; those who have been writing sales copy have long known the power of a heading and that doing their heading work for them was tied directly to the success of the sales copy. This applies to all writing, actually. Give it a proper heading, and the reader will appear.

One technique to making a good headline is to use keywords in the heading that are relevant to what the content will be about. That will help your writing place better in the search engines, and that means readers interested in your specific topic will have a much easier time finding what you have written.

You can be a fantastic copywriter, but if your writing is not placing well in the search engines, no one is going to be able to find you, and so your writing will not get read. That’s not what you want to happen. So not only should you tweak that headline with your keyword, make sure you have about a 2% keyword density throughout your content to help you place well in the search engines.

While our example used an overly long headline, it is best if you can keep your headline on the shorter side. Thatís because more concise headlines are easier to read and more comfortable to grasp, especially online where readers are spending most of their time skimming and spot reading.

A career as a copywriter can be gratifying and pay well, but the competition is high, so you are going to need to be the best of the best. Remember, it all begins with a good headline, well at least that’s an excellent place to start.