How to write effective headlines

Attention getter

Headlines have a few purposes but the first and foremost purpose is to generate interest from the reader. The reason is this: about 80% of your readers will choose whether to read on or ignore your ad/article/webpage when they read your headline.

That doesn't mean you should do this:

SEX!
Okay, now I have your attention, let me tell you about my products...

I think - nay - I know that sucks as a strategy because the readers who got interested in reading the article because they wanted to read about sex are going to be very disappointed.

There are a few emotions people bring to reading an ad/article/webpage. The first one is curiosity. Create interest, pique curiosity, and then make sure you've got something to back it up with. So sex may be interesting to some people, while your product's features might be interesting to others. Why disappoint one group and confuse the other by promising sex in your headline?

The second emotion is suspicion. Suspicion means people will not read your writing if they don't get enough information in the headline. For example, say you write an article about search engine optimisation and call it "Olly Olly Oxenfree!" Now that's kind of cute because it reminds us of Hide and Seek, and seeking is of course what searchers are doing. But it is too obscure for people to look at your content more deeply, just going on the headline. People will think "what's that got to do with me?" (or indeed anything).

And the third emotion is impatience. People seek speedy gratification when it comes to searching for information or product data. So unclear, misleading or obtuse headlines annoy those people because you may have just wasted their time leading them to something they don't want or need.

Are there 'formula' headlines that always work?

The short answer is no. The long answer is: there are certain headline formulas that often work when used in certain contexts. There are ways to word headlines that make them appealing. Here are some examples of headlines that people tend to like:

1. How to ... e.g. How to lose weight while you eat
2. Using numbers e.g. 7 vital reasons to start drinking black tea or The 3 top strategies for writing great headlines
3. The 'Psst, I've gotta a secret' approach. e.g. What car salesmen won't tell you about fuel efficiency
4. Benefits, benefits e.g. One utensil to save you time and money in the kitchen
5. Human interest e.g. Sarah had tried everything to cure her acne

This article on writing headlines has a few more tips. But remember, your context has got to be right. Think about what you're writing -

Is it an ad? Keep it snappy and use the above formula to your heart's content.
An article? Clearly specify your topic and spell out what's in it for the reader if they actually read your article.
A blog post? Optimise for web and again, be clear and simple.
A webpage? Think about usability. Your users don't generally want to learn how to navigate around your funky page titles. They don't want "Creedo" - they just want "About Us." They don't want "Offerings" - they want "Services."
A white paper? Give it a title with substance. Not Selling through Twitter but Using Twitter to sell your products via word of mouth: a Case Study.

Headlines are a critical element in the success of an ad or article, so they are definitely worth spending time and thought on. Next time I'll explain how to use headlines throughout your articles and webpages to help people read your writing.