Content may be king online, but even the king is powerless without a powerful headline. After all, if your headlines don’t attract clicks, the content won’t get read. And if the content doesn’t get read, your website won’t generate leads and sales.
Lots of people may see your headlines in social networks or in search results, but it won’t matter if they don’t click. Here are 7 tips for writing irresistible headlines that grab people’s attention.
1. Go to the magazine aisle at the grocery store
Need a hefty dose of headline inspiration? Then look no further than the magazine aisle at your local grocery store. If you’ve ever waited in line at a grocery store, you probably know how tempting it can be to buy one of the magazines on the rack beside you. From enticing you to read about Jennifer Aniston’s latest outings or how to achieve the six-pack abs you’ve always dreamed of, magazine headlines are hard to resist. Women’s magazines, men’s magazines, and tabloids in particular are a great source of headline inspiration.
2. Use Numbered Headlines
List posts, like this one, are common because they work. People like digestible content online and list posts tend to be easy to swallow. The “7 ways to…” and “5 reasons why…” headlines are overused and abused, though, so only try them every once in a while. Friends don’t let friends abuse numbered headlines.
3. Highlight the benefit
People are enticed to click on an article if the headline highlights the benefit of reading that content. Answer the “What’s in it for me?” question in a headline, so people know exactly what they’ll get out of reading your article. Here’s an example: “Find out how to lose that pesky tummy fat, once and for all”
4. Ask a provocative question
Create curiosity in your headlines by asking provocative questions. For example, a good question-based headline would be, “Do you make these common mistakes in your business?”
5. Be Clear and Concise
Clever, quirky headlines may be fun to come up with, but try not to confuse your readers. Stick with clear, concise headlines that are easy to understand.
6. Use the “how to” headline
“How to” headlines are effective because many people have a desire to improve themselves and their lives. For the best results, highlight the benefit or final result of following the advice you’re giving in an article. For example, instead of writing a headline like, “How to start a courier business,” write, “How to become your own boss by starting your own courier business.”
7. Mention Hot Trends
People love to be in tune with what’s going on right here, right now, so don’t hesitate to write about hot trends in your industry and mention target keywords related to the trends in your headlines. For example, you’ll see lots of headlines about the social network Pinterest in online marketing circles because its popularity is growing by leaps and bounds at the moment.