Headlines are really the most important part of your article writing. It is the first thing that can grab the attention of your reader or web visitor.
Your headlines, in effect, are your first real point of connection with your prospective customer, so you need to get them right.
Your headline is important to your reader as it is a great indicator of your true ‘behaviour’. It should NOT try and sell to your reader, but should draw them towards wanting to continue reading the rest of your article. Don’t try and say too much in your article – make one point and do it well!
Using a ‘question’ in your headline is the most effective way of doing this. This is also something that the search engines like – especially when the rest of your article contains the answer!
A question, if written well, should be able to attract, intrigue or even to gently provoke your readers to want to read more. Using more ‘interesting’ verbs will help you do this.
Here is a quick example of how we would aim to attract architects to an article about the benefits of using design software. In this case, we use two powerful verbs – inspire and achieve.
“New Software Inspires Architect to Achieve Top Award“
The headline is not only intriguing, but it also alludes to the success or ‘legacy’ within the story.
Writing Headlines – Keep It Simple
There are different elements within any headline that readers will ‘connect’ with. You can’t squeeze all of them in at once, otherwise you could actually lose the impact you are wanting to create.
Some people suggest headlines should contain no more than seven words, but we have had equal success with longer titles. We would, however, suggest you keep them as simple and ‘to the point’ as possible.
Here are some simple guidelines:-
- Ensure the message in your headline is clear and ‘to the point’
- Your headlines should highlight the ‘benefit’ to your reader of reading your article
- Get your headlines to ‘resonate’ with your reader by showing that you understand theirpains or particular business issues
For help with creating powerful and attractive headlines for your chosen target audience, please call us on 08450 519 374. Alternatively, fill in your details below and one of our team will contact you.
Good Luck!
David Lomas, CEO
M3 Media Publishing
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FAQs
A compelling headline not only grabs readers' attention but also conveys the essence of your content, enhances search engine visibility, and contributes to a memorable brand image. As a content writer, mastering the art of crafting effective headlines is paramount to achieving success in the digital landscape.
How headlines change the way we think answers? ›
By drawing attention to certain details or facts, a headline can affect what existing knowledge is activated in your head. By its choice of phrasing, a headline can influence your mindset as you read so that you later recall details that coincide with what you were expecting.
What's the golden rule of writing headlines? ›
A good headline should tell the reader why they should read the piece that follows. It should make explicitly and uniquely clear what value will be gained from the work.
What are headlines and why are they so important to news journalistic writing? ›
Headlines basically give you the outline of a news story. They play a very crucial role in building up a news story and attracting readers to read the article. A headline should be very short and should convey the meaning in few attractive words, It should inform the reader of what the story contains.
Why are headlines important in an essay? ›
Your headline is important to your reader as it is a great indicator of your true 'behaviour'. It should NOT try and sell to your reader, but should draw them towards wanting to continue reading the rest of your article. Don't try and say too much in your article – make one point and do it well!
What are the four important functions of headlines? ›
Functions of Headline
It attracts the attention of the readers, holds their interest, and tells them about the story. A headline should: o Attract the reader's attention, o Summarize the story, o Depict the mood of the story, o Help set the tone of the newspapers, and o Provide adequate typographic relief.
What are the negative effects of headlines? ›
The headline effect refers to the effect that negative news in the popular press has on a corporation or an economy. Many economists believe that negative news headlines make consumers more reluctant to spend money.
How can headlines be made more effective? ›
Headlines should be clear and specific, telling the reader what the story is about, and be interesting enough to draw them into reading the article. Avoid repetition - Headlines summarize; they don't repeat the lede.
How do headlines attract readers attention? ›
Writing killer headlines is essential if you want to grab your reader's attention and get your content read. By using numbers and statistics, power words, controversial topics, keeping it short and sweet, and using questions, you can create headlines that will make your readers want to learn more.
What should be avoided in the headlines? ›
Avoid these common headline mistakes
- Avoid vague heads. These are actual headlines that appeared in actual publications: ...
- Tighten loose heads. ...
- Reverbify label headlines. ...
- Stop ing-ing. ...
- Skip the buzzwords. ...
- Skip 'headline words. ...
- Don't drop key elements. ...
- Don't make the reader groan.
Headline Writing Guidelines
- Summarize in one line.
- MUST include a specific subject and an active verb.
- Show how this particular story differs from others.
As Betteridge's law of headlines dictates; “Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no.” Can New Haven's Legendary Pizza Joints Play on the National Stage?
Which headline is the most powerful? ›
An effective command headline starts with an action verb and implies a specific benefit of doing the action it's compelling you to do. The command headline is one of the most effective types of headlines to use on your website and landing page, but it also works well as a blog article title.
What makes a good headline in journalism? ›
Unique: Your headline should convey that your content is different from other pieces of content. Useful: The headline should make it clear that your content will offer value to the reader. Ultra-specific: The reader should be able to understand exactly what they'll find in the content.
What does the headline tell you? ›
The headline is the text indicating the content or nature of the article below it, typically by providing a form of brief summary of its contents.
How does the headline affect you? ›
By drawing attention to certain details or facts, a headline can affect what existing knowledge is activated in your head. By its choice of phrasing, a headline can influence your mindset as you read so that you later recall details that coincide with what you were expecting.
Why is the headline important in a landing page? ›
Headlines serve as a hook to draw visitors into the content of a landing page. A clear and relevant headline can provide a quick summary of what the page is about and why it's worth reading. It gives visitors a reason to stick around and explore further.
