Are your headlines paying off? Discover 8 ways to command attention

Arguably one of the hardest parts of content writing, your headline is the gateway for readers.

Most writers can spend more time on their headlines than the copy itself. But if you struggle to create an attention-grabbing headline, check out our tips below...

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1. Understand your audience

Before you even put pen to paper, have an image in mind of who you’re writing to. Is your key customer Linda with 2 kids and a disposable income, or 50-year-old Eric who is a project manager for a global manufacturing company? Figuring out your target character can make writing a headline or article a whole lot easier; because what grabs one audience, may turn another away.

In a similar way, do some research and dive into the analytics of your previous headlines. Which formats and words tend to get the most clicks?

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2. Be concise

You want to immediately let your reader know exactly what they will get. That's why it's best to be specific when it comes to writing your headline.

Take a look at this article for example - which of the following headlines makes you want to read more?

1. How to write a headline
2. Are your headlines paying off? Discover 8 ways to command attention

The second option lets the reader know exactly what to expect if they were to read on. You've got around 77 characters to make your point and grab your reader - use them to their full extent!

3. Create urgency

Adding urgency to your headline can make a difference to your conversion rate.

These types of headlines want to entice the reader to act now. Holiday-based headlines can be a bit short-lived, e.g. Black Friday and New Year. Check out the below options for a few timeless ideas:

1. Why You Should Start X Today
2. How To Do X in 4 Weeks
3. X Tips You've Been Missing Out On

Being able to offer a shortcut to the reader can often leave them with no choice but to click!

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4. Use your noggin’

Think about what grabs your attention. As you’re scanning through articles or emails, how many do you dismiss or delete without even reading the main content? A lot, right? Now put yourself in your client’s shoes - what can you offer that’s really going to grab their attention?

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5. Solve a problem

A great and easy technique for headline writing is to identify a problem, give a solution, and promise a result.

Here's an example for this article:

• Problem: "Tired of boring headlines?"
• Solution: "Try these 8 tips"
• Promise: "Boost Your CTR"

What's best is that you can use this technique for almost any headline!

6. Leave ‘em wanting more

A headline is maths. Now, we’re not saying it’s time to go back to school, but if you think about a headline like an equation, it can become easier to break down. You need to calculate the cost/benefit to the audience. Essentially, is the value of your content (headline) worth two seconds of your audience’s time (cost)? And, no pressure, you need to deliver that in a split-second. Well, after reading your headline, readers may question why they should read on or click through?

That's where you need to grab their interest. Whether that's through numbers, questions, or an impactful headline...

7. Know your place

A headline for a blog has totally different requirements when compared to a headline for an email, so knowing your place is vital to that all-important click.

• Email Subject - To achieve higher open rates, put your most powerful words towards the first five words so they're more likely to be seen.
• Article Header - To gain higher average time spent on your page, forefront the specific benefits that the page details.
• Title Tag - To rank higher, ensure you use the target keyword at the front and stay under 60 characters.
• Social Media - To increase your click-through rate, try using some of the tips in this blog to increase curiosity.

8. Supercharge SEO

If you could place one keyword to the entirety of your content, what would it be? Now take this word and build your headline around it using the above tips. Not only will it help your headline become more specific, but it will also help search engines pick up on your content (if it’s online - but who isn’t nowadays?!). Remember to keep the whole headline under 70 characters as any additions can be too long for Google to index.

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If you have no idea where to start and need some help with planning and executing your headlines - get in touch with us for a FREE quote or social media advice for your brand.