How to write headlines that stand out
What’s the ONE thing you need to get your content read? You guessed it! A great headline.
The hardest part about content creation isn’t the writing part, it’s getting what you’ve carefully written read by your audience.
If you’re good at producing fantastic content and you feature “ace” copywriting skills that get your readers excited and willing to share your posts, then you’re on the right track indeed.
However, if you aren’t using the power of an attention-grabbing headline then you are surely missing out on readers.
In today’s post, we’re all about headlines and titles to help you get better results and more readers and viewers.
Why good headlines are essential
Sometimes you can write an amazing piece, only to realize that it hasn’t even made it out the reading list yet. So why is it that your content isn’t “moving up in ranks”? If it’s so brilliant and fun to read, why has nobody even bothered to open your email, or click on the text?
If you’re reading this, I’m certain that you’re eager to know the reason too, else you wouldn’t be here in the first place. We’re going to focus on a very important part of content development and that spans over more than just your articles. Instead, it applies to your videos, Facebook Lives, email newsletters, and whatever else you’re looking to post in the hopes that it’ll add to the click-through rate and sharing efforts.
Headlines or titles are the very words that can sometimes do more for your business than the other content itself. Your heading is what’s going to convince time-strapped people to learn more about your products or services.
Headlines and your marketing stragety
Digital marketing comes with various advantages as well as disadvantages. Sometimes the disadvantages only become an issue when certain aspects aren’t applied correctly. So, when digital marketing isn’t applied properly it may cause other problems. A title or heading, for example, is an aspect of content marketing that can be time well spent or a complete waste of effort, energy, and money.
Content specialists agree that a good heading is something that can explain or describe what the content is about without the person even having to read the entire text.
Many people only read headings and sub-headings and ignore the bulk of the content.
Other people are “drawn” into reading or watching the rest of the content because the heading is so captivating and enticing.
A good heading is able to:
- Grab the viewers attention
- Predict the content in the body
- Establish a suitable tone
Those are very crucial aspects that many journalists and bloggers, as well as copywriters, spend years mastering.
Most readers decide on whether they will read or watch a piece of content based solely on the given title. You definitely don’t want them to abandon your content because you wrote a boring title, do you?
It is easy to confuse “topics” and “titles”. The fact is that these two play very different roles from each other:
- Title – this is the heading of your content that you’re going to post and it explains or gives the reader/viewer an idea of what they’re about to read or view.
- Topic – a topic is an idea for the post or content that you’re about to create. The topic gives the content a sense of direction.
How to write a title that scores!
Add specific elements
Instead of simply writing a statement, make it count by adding a “how” or “why”. These are powerful words when it comes to giving your viewer a reason for being where they are.
Examples:
“The flu vaccine is important.” This is a statement and does not convince the reader to want to read more.
VS
“How the flu vaccine will keep your family safe this winter.” This one piques the interest and also pulls on the reader’s emotions.
Add numbers
Sometimes people prefer numbers to give a more specific read.
For example:
“Reasons to take the flu vaccine.” (boring).
Or
“8 reasons why you should get the flu vaccine this year.”
“Powerful” or “action driving” words compel people to take act
Action driving words are very important to have in your heading. They make a sentence work better and they help a viewer or potential customer to make their decision.
Some persuasive or compelling words include but are not limited to the following:
- Easy
- Limited
- Exclusive
- New
- Free
- You
- Because
- Compare
- Best
- Facts
- Mistakes
- Must
- Free
- Simple
- Tips
- Ste-by-step
- Tricks
- Ultimate
- Myths
- Infographic
Lists make reading easier
Lists make it easier for readers to assimilate your article. Being able to process large amounts of content is simpler with a “listicle” element.
Because they’re better for mental processing, listicles make it easier to remember bits of information.
Adjectives are essential
The job of an adjective is to make something interesting and provide clarity. Great adjectives to use include words like effective, incredible, essential, amazing, and fun to name a few.
Tips to remember when creating your headlines
One of the most fundamental “rules” when it comes to writing persuasive copy is by keeping it simple.
There’s no need to use complicated words or industry-specific lingo in order to have your readers click or view the content.
In fact, when you keep it simple and easy to read, you’re actually doing a better job at getting your readers or viewers to show interest.
Get to the point
Instead of going into a long explanation, create a title that gets to the point. Don’t make it too short though, because you want your headline to be SEO-friendly.
Make the overall picture clear
Just as your content will explain in-depth about what your title was introducing, so too will your title give your viewers a clear picture of what they need to learn.
It should have a sense of urgency
Urgency is important as it drives people to take action. An urgent-sounding title will encourage your viewers to watch or read without delaying their decision to do so.
Examples of urgent titles:
“10 of the best fashion hacks that you cannot afford to miss out on.”
“Don’t miss out on an opportunity to save money: Our DIY secrets revealed.”
Make it error-free
Because your title is so important, it’s only right that it should be error-free too. Grammatical errors will put off the most interested reader.
Use a strong keyword
When we say a “strong keyword”, we mean that you must find a keyword that has a high-volume search rate.
Many keyword search tools can help you find which words rank higher in volume. In this way, you also make your content suitable for SEO.
Call to action
It isn’t always possible to add a CTA in your choice of words but when you can then you should use it for added effect. However, research suggests that the right words influence sharable action and more.
The takeaway
You don’t have to be a copywriting boffin or certified copywriter to write great headlines. Following these easy pointers are going to take you a step closer to perfecting your overall marketing abilities within your business.
Sticking to the essentials can help you get more views and engagement. It all starts with a simple yet powerful content heading.
Applying strong sub-headings throughout your content will definitely add to your goal of getting your audience to actually read what you’ve written.
Mastering the art of effective headlines doesn’t happen overnight, but including these little rules will go a long way.
With time, you’ll be able to write a strong heading from scratch without even having to go over these tips.
If you’ve read this far, well done and thank you!
