When writing a blog or an article, there are certain words or phrases that will make your piece more compelling than others. This means that your article stands out among the rest.
Capturing the Reader’s Attention
When someone reads your article, what is it that makes them glued to it? Is it because of the topic that they like or because of something else? The headline perhaps?
A headline is like a magnet to metal. It is the thing that attracts someone to read on. When the article is published online, it has a direct influence on the traffic to your site.
The headline is the trigger
Remember that the words you use in your headline will also be used by hundreds or thousands of other articles. So, what was it that made yours stand out?
The headline is predominantly a trigger point for your readers. At some point, even a single word difference could determine if the reader wants to read more. If you are planning on writing a headline, use a simple formula like the below:
- Kickstart with a strong word (often called the trigger). Use words like WHAT, HOW or any word that can capture attention.
- Use an adjective which is a descriptive word like beautiful, smooth including numbers too.
- In your headline, the keyword is crucial.
- Make a suggestion that works!
Here’s how it can be done.
5 Reasons WHY your website is failing and how you can change that!
- 5 = the adjective
- WHY = Trigger Word
- website is failing = Keywords
- How you can change that = Suggestion which works!
Important rules for a great headline
When you are designing your headline, take note of the following:
Straightforward to capture the attention
There are very few reasons to use flowery language in your headlines. While fancy words can seem very creative, they don’t work well for headlines.
You want to be as simple and straightforward as possible and be self-explanatory. Leave the fancy language for the body of the article.
Deliver what you are promising
If your headline reads “Top 10 Richest People and how you can be one of them”, then be sure that your content actually reads so.
List out the Top 10 richest people and explain how your readers could learn from them (and perhaps aspire to become like them). While it might not be possible to become the Top 10 richest people, at least you could let your readers believe that nothing is impossible.
Use keywords and ask questions
The main idea of using keywords is to have your article discoverable by search engines. Use the right keywords and incorporate the popular ones so that the right target audience will be able to find you.
If your headline does not have the right keyword that your audience is searching for, then no reader will want to explore further in your post.
Meanwhile, you could ask an interesting question in your headline. This is a very common and popular method used in headlines and very effective too. You want to ask questions (with the right keywords) so that your readers will be intrigued and curious.
A promise of what is to come
A lot of headlines work very well when they give an indication of what the reader can expect in the future. For instance,
‘3 Marketing Ideas to Consider for 2023’.
This type of headline will arouse the curiosity of the readers for sure and some might even follow quite religiously as they are inspired and informed.
At the end of the day, you want to tell your customer something, propose to them and then be able to deliver what you promised because it will build trust for the long term.
It is extremely important to capture your prospects’ and customers’ attention in order to generate traffic for your web site.
First and foremost, you have to ensure that your company offers something unique and extraordinary solution for these customers.
In order to capture customers’ attention, you need to create a punchy headline. Once the customers click on your article, they will just scan through the article for important information. Thus, a punchy and catchy headline is the key that will determine the success for your brand and product.
So, bear in mind that the most useful tool to capture customers’ attention is headline. Here are few effective and practical tips to create a punchy headline.
Tip 1: Understand the purpose
As a marketer, you need to understand the purpose of your headline. Bear in mind that all headlines have the same core objective; to capture attention of your prospects. An effective headline is always brief, clear and concise, filled with information.
Usually, marketers use “How to” headline and consumers can get the answers subsequently by reading the article. Headline must also present in a verbal presentation, verbal in-person presentation as well as telephone presentation.
If you fail to capture attention of your prospects, you have lost an opportunity to make a sale. You should grab attention with your headlines immediately.
A powerful headline can make people stop and read on for more information.
Think from customers’ point-of-view. What makes you stop and take a second look at a particular headline of an article? Probably because the headline is interesting or it offers a solution. The same theory applies to all your marketing materials that include ads, flyers, brochures, sales letters and also web site.
Tip 2: Prepare a headline for all marketing vehicle
People look at the headline and determine whether the piece will offer them anything unique or interesting. Thus, bear in mind that marketing piece without headline is useless.
Marketing piece without a headline is commonly known as “headless wonders”. Thus, never create a marketing piece without a headline. Always prepare few potential headlines for a marketing piece.
Tip 3: Do not use your business name as the headline
The core purpose of marketing is to help the people to get what they want. When your company decides to use the name of the business as the headline, this tactic seems desperate.
Marketing piece with the name of business as headline is bound to doom sooner or later. People need and want a solution from your marketing piece, not the name of your business.
Using the name of business as headline is a complete waste of time and money. Notice that a number of small business ads in the newspaper use their business’ name as headline.
As explained earlier, headlines must capture the attention of your prospects. Hence, marketers should write and create an attention-grabbing headline.
Tip 4: Do not use a joke as your headline
Marketing campaign should be clever and creative, not funny. Thus, if possible, avoid using puns as your headline. Yes, many of the advertisers that produced funny commercials often win awards.
However, these products failed in the market because the prospects don’t buy from ‘clowns’ but they laugh at them.
Tip 5: Identify the purpose of your marketing piece before creating a headline
Understand the core purposes of a marketing piece; to capture attention of your prospects, convert prospects into first-time customers as well as increase the profits of your company by selling more products and services to current customers.
Before you create a headline for your marketing piece, identify the main objective. For example, if your marketing piece is meant to capture attention of prospects, you may offer free tips to get them to respond to your campaign.
However, if your campaign aims to convert prospects into first-time customers, you may offer an incentive to encourage them to try out your product.
If your marketing piece aims to sell more products or services, you have to come up with a special package deal or discount for early birds.
All in all, marketers should learn how to use this tool correctly to attain more new customers and retain the current customers.
