4 Forbidden Secrets to Writing Irresistible Headlines
We’ve put together a few tips about writing headlines that your readers won’t be able to resist.
Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash.com
Ah ha! So we got you to click through to this article. And that’s just what good headlines are supposed to do. They tantalize and tease, inviting readers to click through to your full article. Even though it’s just one line, quite a few people find writing a headline to be the hardest part of article writing.
Writing a captivating headline, like any kind of writing, takes practice. And even if you think that your headline writing skills are pretty shiny, chances are they could use a little polish. So let’s go over the forbidden secrets to writing irresistible headlines.
Start with the headline first. Yes, we know this is a tough one, but you can always go back and tweak it as your article starts to unfold. A good headline at the start will help with the structure of your article and remind you that your article has a purpose or “promise” that you need to deliver to the audience. And when you’re writing your headline, keep your SEO keywords in mind. You’ll want to use one in the headline.
Put the benefit front and center. What is the one big benefit of the post that you’re writing? Highlight that bad boy by putting it in the headline. Like in this post, it would be “Forbidden Secrets,” which implies that not many people know about what we’re telling you here. Only the select few are lucky enough to have access – and it’s true! We’re sharing these with you because we know you’ll use them for good, not evil.
Don’t be too clever. There’s nothing wrong with being witty, but sometimes your creativity can be your downfall. When you write over people’s heads, you’re writing for your pleasure, not your readers’. You’re no longer writing for the target audience and that’s when you start to lose readers. Stick to the facts. Sometimes all you need is a good ole How-To in the headline to draw people in. Peeps love How-To articles. You should totally write one.
Expert Tips and Advice. When tips or advice come from an expert, people take notice. And since you’re an expert, you can totally offer them. So put that in your headline and smoke it. Tell readers that inside a particular article, you’re going to hand down advice that you’ve learned in your climb to the top of your particular industry. And you can tell them that right in the headline.
What do you find is the hardest part about writing a headline? Do you dread them? Tell us what your biggest headline-writing concerns are.