One of the most important aspects of any story is the headline. Just like book and movie titles, headlines are the entryway to the reading journey.
A lot has been written about the proper way to construct headlines for today's digital, SEO-driven world. From my years of experience as a business writer, editor and content marketer, I have learned that captivating headlines embody the following principles:
They have a hook.
They are scannable.
They are visual.
They address a need.
These principles apply to all headlines, whether you are writing marketing copy, a blog, a white paper or a magazine article. This post explains how you can leverage each of the four principles and start using them today.
The Hook Approach: Illustrating What’s In It for the Reader
While I am not a proponent of click-bait copy, a great headline should be able to immediately capture your readers' attention. Two important elements to consider when drafting the right hook include:
Looking-Ahead Words. These words help show readers what they can expect from your content before they even get to it. In other words, they clearly articulate what the key takeaway is from the start. For example: "Free Checklist to Organize Your Editorial Calendar" or "The Truth About Renting Vs. Owning a Home."
Trigger Words. In general, trigger words initiate a process or course. When it comes to headlines, commonly used trigger words include why or how. Examples include: "How to Clean Your Room in Under 5 Minutes" or "Why You Should Care About Your Post-Workout Drink."
The Scan Approach: Previewing the Main Course
In addition to providing the right hook, captivating headlines are scannable — they allow readers to quickly identify what the story is about. This is particularly important for section headlines and sidebar content. Great examples of scannable words include:
Identifiers. In the world of programming, identifiers are strings of alphanumeric characters that represent different programming elements, such as variables, functions and structures. While the term identifier is mostly used in the programming field, the same principle can be applied to prose.
When writing, I refer to identifiers as the words or set of words that quickly describe the subject, such as adjectives. For instance: "Must-Have Accessories for Your Next Beach Getaway" or "Easy-to-Make Berry Compote Recipe." In these headline examples, must-have and easy-to-make serve as the identifier letting readers know the type of accessories to get or the recipe's difficulty level.
Numbers. Listicles are all the rage. Why? Because they easily quantify what readers can expect to learn. Consider these headlines: "5 Copyediting Hacks to Improve Your Content" or "3 Steps to Producing SEO Friendly Copy."
Numbers are also great elements to consider for section headlines (i.e., your H2s and H3s in SEO terms). For example, assume you are writing a blog aimed at college students that describes the most efficient way to boil pasta. Your post’s title can be, "3 Easy Steps to Boil Past in a Hurry." Your first section title or H2 could then be, "Step 1: Fill Up Your Pot Half-Way With Cold Water."
The Visual Approach: Showing Rather Than Telling
You've probably heard this before: When writing a story, it's best to show rather than tell. The reason "show words" are great attention grabbers is because they easily help readers paint a mental picture. If you're not convinced about the effectiveness of showing rather than telling, consider this: People remember photos six times more than text.
Translating this concept into crafting a headline, your aim is to incorporate action words such as verbs, adjectives or adverbs that clearly illustrate what your content is about. Let's examine the two key elements of showing rather telling: motion and description.
Motion. Transporting readers doesn't necessarily mean taking them to a brand new place in a galaxy, far, far away. Motion also refers to shifting one's mindset toward something new or unique. When it comes to headlines, therefore, motion is more about:
What happened (as it pertains to your content).
What is happening.
What's about to happen.
For example: "10 Hacks to Landing the Job of Your Dreams" or "What to Do When You Run Out of Gas."
Description. You probably guessed it: Descriptors consist of words such as adjectives and adverbs. However, these words need to clearly illustrate what it is you are trying to say and why people should read your content instead of something else. For example:
The Top 5 Highest-Paying Jobs for Marketing Graduates in the County.
The Most Romantic and Budget Friendly Restaurants in Miami.
The Needs-Based Approach: Meeting a Specific Demand or Gap
The final principle all captivating headlines incorporate is that of need — captivating headlines demonstrate how the content will fill a knowledge gap. Common elements used to write a "needs-based" headline include questions and exclamations, trigger words and words identifying degree or level.
Questions and Exclamations. Questions make great headlines, because most keyword searches are written in the form of questions. Let's say your company specializes in providing mold remediation services, and you know from research that the main differences between green and black mold is a common, long-tailed keyword search item. A captivating headline for your next blog post could be:
Do You Know the Difference Between Black and Green Mold?
Should I Worry About Black Mold in My Basement?
Exclamations can also be used when crafting a needs-based headline. Although I don’t recommend the frequent use of exclamations, these types of headlines can serve as impactful attention grabbers if properly crafted. For example:
Help! I've Been Bitten by a Poisonous Spider — Here’s What to Do.
Don't Forget to Advance Your Clocks! Is Daylight Savings Time.
Trigger Words (Again). Trigger-word-based headlines, such as those starting with why, how, what and even who are great at conveying a sense of need. When paired with some of the other elements described earlier, these types of headlines can help attract readers to your content:
How to Invest for the Future — A 10-Step Guide to a Secure Retirement.
Why a Healthy Diet Is Vital for Success.
Who Are the Most Dangerous Comic Book Villains of All Time?
Words Describing Degree or Level. These words are basically descriptors. However, their use in headline writing is to indicate a degree or level of need that is currently present, and how the content will satisfy it. For instance:
Ask the Experts — Finding the Most Beautiful and Less Visited Beaches in Florida.
What Is Best — Rock, Paper or Scissor?
The Toughest Challenge All Content Marketers Face.
Bottom Line
Creating a captivating headline should not be time-consuming. Once your content strategy and editorial calendar are in place, headlines should easily flow from the types of content your readers want and need. Incorporating two or more of the elements above will help you craft a headline that is captivating now and for months to come.
As with other types of content, it is always a good idea to track the performance of your headlines and, if possible, test different headlines for the same piece of content. This will help you to measure the performance of your content and optimize future headline-writing efforts.