13 Oct Things You Must Know to Write Killer Headlines
Believe it or not, Your headline is the single most important element of your content. Why do you think world class magazines spend hours upon hours crafting the perfect headlines to put on the cover? Because they understand that without a compelling headline, you simply won’t give their content the time of day. You must make the most out of your content and use these four techniques to write killer headlines that demand attention.
Speak Benefits
This is huge. People always want to know what’s in it for them. So tell them. Put benefits in your headlines to tell the users what they can expect and what they’ll be getting. By simply adding benefits, you can increase your conversion rates by more than 100%.
Benefits jump out and speak to you. They also make it more tempting for readers to click through and read your content to see if you can deliver on that promise. Use benefits and start enjoying higher click through rates and more engagement.
Use Numbers
This is a huge secret that is so deadly. Pick up a Cosmo or Men’s Health magazine. What do you see on the covers? Numbers everywhere. If you ever want to see the perfect way to craft headlines, just look at popular magazines. Popular magazines have spent years, and millions of dollars on finding out what makes people look deeper than just the headline.
Numbers help the brain process exactly what to expect when you will read the content. Humans hate uncertainty. By using numbers, you giving the emotions ease but the brain excitement. Use numbers to better articulate your message and make more people read your content.
Be Concise
This is important because it embodies all the other points mentioned in this post. Your headlines must be concise. They must be as short as possible while explaining as much as possible. You want them to be descriptive enough to where they pack a strong punch, but short enough to where they leave just the slightest bit of unease.
Try keeping your title’s at about 70 characters or less. Sometimes it will require more but 70 characters is a good rule of thumb. Be concise in your headlines and watch your engagement go through the roof!
Use Demanding Adjectives
This is the icing on the cake. Using adjectives will hit your headline out of the park. Place an adjective directly in front of your offer and then follow them with a benefit and you will have a killer combination.
Use adjectives that will get people excited or keep them guessing. Use whatever it will take to make them want to read more and click through to your content. You can use words like, “Awesome, Killer, Dominating, Massive” the list goes on. Get creative with and make your headlines so compelling that whenever someone see them they just have to click through to the article.
Well there you have it! Here is the secret recipe to writing killer headlines that will drive you massive traffic and boost your engagement. Implement these techniques and watch your engagement and readership grow. What are some techniques you use when writing great headlines?
Mike Calloway is the founder of Trinity Digital, a web design firm that specializes in digital marketing and web design in Washington, DC.
