Headlines are sometimes written by a copy editor instead of the writer of the content itself, which is quite prominent in magazines and newspapers. The main drive behind creating a powerful headline is to quickly draw attention to a story or a piece of news amidst the ocean of other pieces of content. The art of headlines didn’t diminish thanks to its interconnection with SEO and many other digital marketing practices.
If you’re in the line of creating headlines, whether it’s for your content or someone else’s, you may want to keep reading this article to learn about the various methods used to create captivating headlines.
Using Numbers and Statistics
Even the most mundane statistics can suddenly become eye-candy for many people. You wouldn’t believe the power of percentages, numbers, and statistics on readers until you’ve tried it yourself. According to research done by LinkedIn, shares and engagements increase over 70% when numbers are implemented in the headlines. It’s believed that the brain likes numbers and percentages because it can allow it to logically categorize and organize the perceived information. In web content, numbers are easily scanned by both search engines and readers, compared to words, making them much more powerful in captivating your audience.
Give Readers Hints
Headlines that provide readers with a transparent and clear view of the content of the article are very popular with successful blogs and newspapers. Since there are a lot of dishonest headlines acting as ‘clickbait’ to bait people into opening the website, people are becoming wary of them as they increase. You might want to make sure that your headline is very relevant to the topic discussed, in addition to providing an overview of the purpose of the article. You can improve your vocabulary by playing crossword puzzles consistently, allowing you to find more innovative words to reach the target. Similar to how you would unscramble letters in solving the dilemma of finding a word on the tip of your tongue, headlines should help the readers figure out the true purpose of the content they’re going to read. While this may not produce the same number of readers compared to clickbait headlines, it will ensure that every reader who clicks on the headline will read the article because it has already interested them. Some people rely on headlines alone to get their information, which means that they expect that the headline is conclusive enough to formulate an opinion or piece of knowledge.
Unraveling and Distrust
Believe it or not, headlines that attract most people are often related to a common misconception or bad news. Your readers can be quite surprised to learn that something they’ve always thought true to turn out wrong in the end. They can also be shocked yet glued to dark or gloomy news. This formula can be used in many formats, whether it’s for a listicle or a blog article, using facts that work against many common misconceptions can create a very curious and captivating headline. It can show readers how to avoid getting manipulated into believing myths and other harmful information, especially if it’s popular among many people.
Showcasing Value
In a way, your content is designed to showcase and demonstrate your value to the readers. The headline should prove them with the same experience, but it has to be done through a more subtle approach. Piquing the interest of readers through a promise is a very popular way to demonstrate the value of an article or guide. A fast and efficient way to do something that can help the readers progress in their life can be a very attractive offer. A promise that is tied to a time window is also a great addition to your repertoire of captivating headlines. Crafting these shouldn’t be that hard because you’ll need to summarize the article’s purpose in a few attractive words and a reasonable time frame.
Interesting News
Announcements that are irrelevant to your audience will always go to waste. Unless the announcement is related to something that your readers are interested in, you’re pouring your energy into the wrong place. Start by thinking about the type of news that your target audience would like to hear. If you’re in the tech industry, it can be about new product announcements or updates of existing features. This can be coupled with discounts and other offers that can increase the likelihood of having interested buyers click on the headline. You can survey the comments to know what products or news your audience is anticipating the most.
Writing a headline is considered an art or craft of its own. Aside from a well-written article, a headline is an essential element that can increase the number of readers of an article. A few words can transform an article or book into a very attractive read, making it a reader-magnet.