Menu

Blog

How to Write Eye-Catching Headlines That Work

Liliya Smirnova / 06.23.20161383

How to Write Eye-Catching Headlines That Work

To sell something right, you need to market it right. For that, you will definitely need headlines that work.

Headlines are always tied to the content you post. People nowadays don’t want just «information» - they want their content fresh, interesting, and glossy-looking. In fact, amount of your sales may depend on how well you present your content.

One of the most important aspects of nicely presented content is a headline - it’s actually the first thing that people see, even before they read the article or see images.

There are certain tricks on how to write headlines that work, and they differ - for websites, for landing pages, for blogs, for online e-shops, for emails, for contextual ads, and so on.

Here’s what we’ll talk about in this article.

What Are The Components of a Successful Headline?

  1. It points out value. It’s sales, marketing, and advertising, after all - you want to sell stuff or what? Don’t be too vague with your message - go straightforward without beating around the bush. Your headline should be eye-catching and worthy of user’s attention. Oh, and did I mention unusual? People see so much stuff on the Internet today it’s very hard to amaze and strike them with something but you’ve got to try. Go for the headlines that contain CTA (call-to-action) words like «get», «buy», «unlock» etc
  2. It’s umber-specific. Add some real numbers to the plate to show that you mean business. For example, «Learn 11 Simple Rules to Write Headlines That Work», «9 Things You’ll Definitely Want to See in Your Future Husband» etc. People like specifics.
  3. It’s targeted for a certain audience. Pick a certain group of people - your target audience - and start tailoring your message for them. You can’t be universally appealing so don’t even attempt at it.
  4. It’s Catchy As F**k. Everything that’s mediocre falls below people’s radar. If you want to make it, you will need to stand out with your headline. Ideally, your headline (or, at least, the main part of it) should be duplicated somewhere further down the text. Absurd or controversial headlines are a way to go too - something like «69 Things You Absolutely Need to Do Before You Die in Agony» or «How to Earn $1,000,000 in 3 months and Not Get Caught».
  5. It motivates. Don’t just tell people WHAT you want from them, also explain WHY they should go for it.
  6. It suggests dialog. Appeal to your visitors with headlines that contain questions, which they could relate to. Then, substantiate them with factual information. For example, «What’s Wrong With Drinking a Sixpack Every Day? Doctors Come Out With Shocking Facts»
  7. It offers a brief explanation. People read headlines to scan the information and decide whether they want to continue reading. To get your point across, you can employ the explanation tactics by using a colon: it makes things easier.
  8. It creates urgency. If you want to throw in another stimulus, you can create a sense of urgency by adding words like «Get Now», «Offer Valid Till…», «Only Today», «Buy One - Get One Free» - you’ve heard them all. The funniest thing is that they actually work despite the fact that all people know about them.

SEO Aspects of Headline Writing

Much like with copywriting, you need to pay attention to how you treat your keywords in the headlines. Before coming up with the final version, look through the top search keywords and phrases and make a few variants while keeping them all readable and unique.

More Good Stuff For Ya

Additional tips that don’t fall into any other category.

  • Make sure your headlines match the content you have on the page. A lot of times people would change one thing forgetting to change another.
  • Keep your headlines free of toilet humor and offensive language. Well, predominantly free:)
  • Stick to odd numbers when you use them - «11 Tips on…» looks better than «10 Tips on…»
  • Try to be unique. Pay attention to what your competitors do, steal ideas - not implementations. You can’t fake originality.

Conclusion

If you know how to write headlines that work, you stand a better chance of winning the market competition battle. However, it’s not always about money and stuff - allow yourself unleashed creativity sometimes.

If you’re from Canada or USA and still have doubts about way of making it on the Internet with your business in 2017, do contact us for a professional consult and friendly advice.

Write your comments or questions below – let’s talk about it!

Subscribe to our newsletter

Follow Us

Are you ready to increase your revenue using online marketing tools?

Let's make something amazing together

Start Getting Results Online Today!

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROJECT

Brief Please fill out a brief for the service you're interested in, and we'll get back to you shortly with our quote.

Оставьте свой номер

и мы свяжемся с Вами в ближайшее время