
24 Aug How to Write Awesome Headlines – 7 Easy Steps
Why are captivating headlines so important?
In this day and age people are faced with an endless stream of information, every time they use social platforms. This often results in users skipping past your posts, or even worse unfollowing or unliking your account altogether.
So how do you make your post stand out?
It’s all in the headline (and of course the artwork – but our graphic design gurus will touch on that).
With all the different products and services out there, it is important to craft your headline in a way that suits you. Take a look at uShaka and JAM, for example, very different products and services on offer and very different headlines, but both use interesting and attention-grabbing post content.
Check out TNNG’s Headline Tips, just for you.
1. Urgency
No one wants to miss out or be out of the loop, do they? Make your readers feel like they will lose out on something if they don’t act now.
2. Adjectives
The use of adjectives can encourage people to read more of your copy, but this will require you use adjectives that are compelling. Use adjectives that trigger emotion, target senses & help people “feel something” through words. Adjectives are also a great way is to convey benefits to the user.
3. Keywords
Your headlines should be as specific as possible, so people know beforehand what they can expect from reading your post; don’t be afraid to use UPPERCASE so that they stand out more.
4. Personalise
Make the headline personal to readers by using pronouns such as “you” or “your” – everyone wants to feel special.
5. Questions
Get your reader involved with a good question. Using a great question in your headline can capture attention, provoke thought and entice people to read more.
6. Numbers
Our brains are attracted to numbers because they automatically organise information into a logical order, and stand out amongst text. They reach directly into our unconscious and say, “this message is important”. According to the experts, numbers as figures/digits (i.e. “5”) work better on the Web than words to display numbers (i.e. “five”). Odd numbers are also proven to be more effective than their even counterparts.
7. Keep It Short
Size really does matter – long headlines are harder to comprehend, are often cut off by search engines; if it’s too long, people will often scroll past before even attempting to read the content. In fact, posts with 80 characters, or less, get about 66% more engagement.
In the end…
Finding the right balance in order to master the art of writing great headlines, takes time & practice. However, using these tips should go a long way with improving post engagement and website traffic. Find the combination that works for you and stay with the times! And remember, like with everything else in the digital space – “Today’s headline might not work tomorrow”.
Good luck peeps!
Joel Magic >linkedin
Digital Marketing Guru
The No Nonsense Group