How to Write an Irresistible Headline in 3 Easy Steps?
The Internet is full of articles being constantly shared, retweeted and forwarded on social media apps. More often than not, people share the articles without even reading them. They share it based on just one line visible to all: The headline.
The obvious question is: What are headlines? And why do they make people share these articles without even reading them?
Headlines, to put it plainly, are the titles you give to your articles. It is often a single line that you can read and know what the article is about without opening or reading them. Headlines are usually snappy one-liners – written to intrigue the reader’s interest by a single line and read through the article.
- Why Are Headlines Important?
In today’s digital marketing, we are fighting for the audience’s attention. And the only way to stand out in the mess of news and tweets is a headline. The more the headline stands out, the more chances that the reader will read the article. They might share it, and if the cycle continues, we have a viral article on our hand.
- How To Write Headlines?
Now, if the headlines are this important, how do we write them? Fret not, here are three easy steps you can follow to write an irresistible headline:
- Select Your Format
- Find Your Angle
- Make It Approachable
- Select Your Format
Internet is oversaturated with articles and headlines. You need to know what sort of article you are working on before you decide on a headline. Is it an opinion piece? A listicle? A review? A How-to? Or a comparison? Are you reporting on something new that happened, or are you looking back on something with hindsight?
The answers to all these questions are important. For example, this article will be considered a How-To piece, and the headline reflects that. However, if this article were to question the importance we give to headlines, that would make it an opinion piece.
Another example is a listicle about how to cook breakfast dishes and “7 Breakfast Recipes” can be the headline.
When it comes to headlines, knowing the format of the article can be helpful.
- Find Your Angle
If you are new to writing, chances are whatever article you are currently working on already exists. So, you need to find your angle to the article. Why are you writing something that has already been done before? What do you have to say about it that no one else has? Are you writing it for a specific community? If yes, you need to find a way to incorporate it in your headline.
Humans love the specificity. We especially love seeing ourselves being represented. Use that to your advantage. Who are you writing this article for? The word that comes after “for” will be your specificity.
For example, “7 Breakfast Recipes For Students”
Here, the headline shows that the angle of the article is for students.
- Make It Approachable
To relate to your readers, you need to add a humane touch to your headline. You need to show them that you empathize with them and their situation without being condescending. The use of adverbs and phrases in your headlines will help you here.
For example, “7 Easy-To-Follow Breakfast Recipes For Students”
Here, “Easy-To-Follow” makes it the headline approachable for students who find it hard to cook,
It may be said that writing headlines take a lot of skill and the willpower to adapt to the constantly changing environment of the Internet. It sounds daunting, but with enough practice, you can do it too!
