So you’ve written a kick-ass blog post, or you want to write a social media update to entice readers to click your link. What now? Well, you’ve got to move the reader to action somehow. You’ve got to write a great (read omigodivegottareadthis) headline.
Of course, if you search the Internet you’ll find somewhere around 3,302,382 x 10^8 articles and blog posts titled “Dos and Don’ts of Headline Writing,” or some variant. You’ve already done this though, right? That’s why you’re here. You’ve either done a search or you saw a social media post—either way, the headline for this blog post is the reason you’re reading right now. It caught your attention, filled a need, and drew you in.
Read This
Before we move on to our (omigodivegottareadthis) list, consider this: people don’t want to read your article. It’s true. You don’t want to read this one either, but you are. You’re reading because the content is broken down into manageable chunks; each with an appealing heading and a promise of useful information.
When we read content on the web, we tend to skim. We’ll look for headlines, lists, italics, bold copy…anything that’s easy to digest and/or seems important. Then, only if we’re intrigued, we will read the actual copy of the ad, article, or webpage. Even then, if we’re not constantly being drawn to the next sentence, it’s all over. There is too much content on the web for people to wait and see if your blog gets interesting.
Try these 7 things next time you’re writing a headline, title, or social update.
Lead with a List
People either love or hate numbers, but we all love lists. A list promises a grouping of information that is usable. It breaks that information up into delicious nuggets of usefulness and it only takes one taste to know if one needs to move on to the next bite.
Use Strong Adjectives
It’s amazing, beautiful, powerful, and life-altering when the right adjective is found. The artful use of adjectives in a headline helps to let the reader know you’re serious and your content is worth his time. Avoid the toxic cliché.
Don’t USE ALL CAPS
When we’re reading, we don’t usually read every letter of a word. Rather, we look for familiar word shapes and fill in the rest. All caps breaks up these familiar shapes and makes reading more difficult. If it’s too hard, we won’t do it.
Name Drop
It’ hurts us, honestly it does, but this is actually an effective way to get clicks. If you can relate your content to a celebrity or a popular brand and include that name/brand in your headline, more people will click.
Make it Urgent
Just letting people know your information is the information they’re looking for sometimes isn’t enough. If you’re offering the same or similar content as someone else, let the reader know they won’t be able to function properly until they read your post.
Do a How-To
We all have questions, and chances are the answers are somewhere on the Internet. You’re an expert; let your readers know how to do something in just a few steps. “How to Boost Your Internet Traffic in 5 Steps” will probably get more clicks than “Boosting Internet Traffic.”
Explain Why, What, When, Who or How
By doing this, you can answer a question the reader didn’t even know he had. In answering this question, you can persuade or enable your reader while at the same time allowing him a sense of accomplishment. Give the reader an “I did it!” moment, and then leave enough room for him to formulate his next question—that you’ve already answered in another post.
Most importantly, be honest. Don’t deceive the reader. Nobody wants to feel duped, and if you make a promise and don’t deliver, you’re likely not going to get another chance.
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