James SpillaneHow to get people to read what you write? It is more important that you have great ‘Headlines’ first than creating great content. People do underestimate the power of headlines, they put in all their efforts on creating the best content and a half hearted attempt for their headline. I’ve got news for you, headlines is the first impression you make on your prospective reader for them to go read your article!
It is a challenge to come up with catchy and interesting headlines. But there is no one-size-that-fits all strategy when it comes to your headline, you need to do your homework well and choose headlines which will grab your audience’s attention. This infographic from Quick Sprout gives you an idea how to come up with better headlines:
Here are some interesting statistics
- On average, 8 out of 10 people will read headline copy, but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest. This is the power of your headline and it determines the fate of your article.
- You should spend equal amount of your time for crafting a headline for your article, and it is of prime importance that it is in-tune with the subject.
Below mentioned are tips/examples on how you can create catchy headlines quickly.
1. Short & Sweet
Your headline is a tease of what the article is really about; normally when we see those teasers of movies can make or break the chances of people going to cinemas and watching it. Similarly a lot is riding on your headline, keep it short and simple not more than 6 characters for optimum effect on your audiences.
2. Use Interesting Adjectives
As people scan your headlines, make use of interesting adjectives so it catches their eye and compels them to read the entire headline before they take the call to read the article or not. Make use of the following words:
- Free
- Fun
- Incredible
- Essential etc.
3. Use Negative Words
A negative headline provokes the reader and piques their interest to read the entire article. Words like No, Without, Stop are powerful motivations if they are used correctly.
4. Use Numbers
Readers love numbered list, and with the inclusion of the number in your posts title indicates that your article contains a lists. Normally people skim through articles on the web, and with the help of the numbered list it makes them easy to do so! The bigger the number on your posts, the more it piques your readers interest and make sure to add a digit rather than words for maximum effect.
5. Write for your Audiences
Personalize your headlines in such a way that they speak to your readers and they feel it is directed towards them to solve their problems. It increases their curiosity and makes them read the article which is the prime agenda.
Formula for Catchy Headlines
Here’s a simple headline-writing formula: Number or Trigger word + Adjective + Keyword + Promise. It will give your boring and lifeless headlines into a magnet which will attract your readers.
Headlines are the windows to your shop (content), make sure you spruce it up and make it attractive so people will venture into your store. But at the same time do remember that your headlines should not be misleading, your visitors might soon stop visiting your site only. As content continues to grow and how we consume it continues to change and evolve, good headlines becomes increasingly important. Thus it is time you gave your headline a makeover!
Read more: 5 Tips for Writing Headlines that Speak to Your Audience
This article was written for Business 2 Community by James Spillane.
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I love this! And it’s quite shocking to see that only 2 out of 10 people will actually click on the link and read the article. (Even if these numbers are estimates, it’s pretty clear how big a difference a good headline can make)
I definitely agree with you about using numbers and adjectives – both are important.
Great infographic, thanks so much for sharing!
Great post, loved the way of explanation, it will really help me out to write catchy headlines on my blog http://techypakistan.com Thanks For sharing.