Create Attention-Grabbing Headlines!
Writing blogs and articles can help get your brand name out there and improves your SEO. Posts and links on your social media accounts can also promote your business in the form of sharing. However, to get real traction, the headline you use may be the most important words in them.
The headline you use must be such that it grabs the reader’s attention immediately to pique their interest. No matter how good the rest of the article or post is, it won’t get read if the headline’s no good.
Research has indicated that:
- 80% of readers never make it past the headline.
- Traffic can vary by as much as 500% based on the headline.
- 59% of links shared on social media are not clicked on. People are making the decision to share based on the headline alone.
8 Tips on Creating Great Headlines
Don’t ignore the importance of a headline in getting your point across. To help you, we’ve listed a few tips on how you can create a great headline.
1. Use Numbers and Unique Rationale in Your Headline
What we mean here is to use wording that defines why something should be done. Include words like “reasons”, “tips”, “tricks”, “facts”, “secrets” and other types of rationale. You can also add numbers or lists, like “5 Ways to Create a Great Headline”. It’s also better to use the numeric 5 instead of spelling it out.
One tip on numbered or bulleted lists: if it’s a step-by-step guide, don’t use more than 9 steps, as the brain typically finds it difficult to process more than nine items at a time.
2. Keep It Simple
Your headline must get the reader to continue to read past it. That is its true purpose. But it can’t be ambiguous or complex. It needs to be direct and get to the point without being too clever or mysterious.
3. Clearly State the Benefits
Specify how you will satisfy the readers’ needs or solve their problems. Convince them that they will get the answers they’re looking for in the article or post. The headline should motivate the reader to click and read.
4. Announce News
Get their attention with a headline announcing some exciting news. The information in the post doesn’t have to be brand new, just a topic that interesting and relevant to your audience. Cover recent events, with images, offer takeaways, etc. For example, a headline saying “Top SEO Trends for 2017” will solicit attention for those individuals looking to amp up their SEO capabilities.
5. Instruct Them
Using phrases in your headline like “How to” “Learn more” and the like works because many of us are looking to improve our lives or businesses. The body of the article will proceed to inform and guide them on doing just that.
6. Ask a Provocative Question
Writing your headline in the form of a question will generate reader involvement. The question must directly relate to the content, of course. It cannot be random or it will have a negative effect. The question should provoke the reader to want to get answers by reading on. An example would be, “Do You Want to Know How Your Business Ranks Online?”. Then proceed in the article with ways they can do that.
7. Tell Them What to Do
Look back at the headline to this blog, “Create Attention-Grabbing Headlines!” It’s a command statement that is direct and provides a benefit. Commands make people ask “why” or “how” to achieve what it tells them to do, thus encouraging them to read on.
8. Spend More Time on Writing a Great Headline!
Don’t waste an hour or more writing a great blog that never gets read. The additional time you spend creating a headline that provokes your audience to read further will be well worthwhile. Make the headline convey the potential benefits to your prospects or customers so that it draws them in.
Don’t make the mistake, however, of creating a great headline and your content has nothing to do with it. That will just turn readers off.
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