To get your work read, whether it’s articles, blog posts or books, you need a compelling headline that reaches out and grabs the attention of your target audience. Creating those headlines can be tricky but once you’ve gained some more knowledge and experience they will come much easier and you’ll soon be creating powerful headlines that will stop your clients in their tracks.
- Firstly, start off with getting to know your audience really well so you can structure your content to appeal to your key demographics.
- You only have a few seconds to grab you prospective customer’s attention so tap into their emotions. People buy based on emotional benefits not features so make sure your heading offers a strong emotional benefit or reaction.
- Use active language that shows movement and commands more attention; make sure you are using those active words in your headings to engage your reader. For example: quick, easy, courage, proven.
- ‘You’ is one of the most powerful words you can use in written communication; if you weave that word into your heading it gives the reader a sense that you are talking directly to them.
- Play with words so that they have a double meaning like ‘Beech sale this Saturday’ – furniture sale.
- Ask a question. It will make people stop and think and encourage them to read the rest of your post and maybe comment e.g. Are you still trying to break through the glass ceiling?
- Headlines which contain the words ‘How To…’ and ‘Top Tips…’ are winners as they are providing advice and outcomes which your readers can put into practice. However, if you take out the word ‘to’ and replace it with ‘I’ more people will read your article, blog post or book. Go on try it!
- Don’t fall into the trap of using cliché like ‘number one’, ‘high quality’ and ‘top of the line’ these have been done to death and people just glide over them.
- Use humour in your headlines. It will definitely get you noticed but make sure you do your homework first, you don’t want to offend anyone.
- The most important thing is to give your reader what they want but don’t be scared to express yourself and be as authentic in writing as you would be in person.
Creating fantastic headlines that grab the attention of your reader can take time to master. Often you need to try out your headlines so that you can gauge the response of your audience so that you have a better idea of what works for your market and customers and what doesn’t. Don’t worry if you don’t get it right straight away eventually you will get there. In the words of Danielle LaPorte “launch and learn”.
