Who Else Wants To Write Great Headlines?
Do you think it takes magic to write a great headline? Nothing could be further from the truth. It just takes a touch of talent, mixed with a bit of technique. And great writers are highly sought after and highly paid.
The number one rule in copywriting, according to copy legend Joe Sugarman, is every single sentence must compel the reader to read the next sentence. This includes the title. Your heading should make a promise to the reader, and your article should back up that promise.
You want to tap into your reader’s emotions. Your writing should be passionate and emotional, taking advantage of their wants, needs and desires. You convey the article’s main idea by creating titles that are short and punchy.
Your title doesn’t need to be creative or funny. It’s actually better if they’re not. A good headline is almost never cute or clever… that rarely pulls readers. (One of my most amusing was Roasted Penguin Tastes So Good It Would Make Gandhi Slap His Kids! It was cute; it was clever; and it failed miserably.)
There is a bit of art involved, so you’ll need to spend some time getting this component correct. The good news is not one in a thousand can draft attractive, eye-catching titles successfully. Get it right, and you’ll practically eliminate your competition.
It’s like crafting a great song… the words and music work in harmony. Good copy is no different. Make your titles sing. Make them harmonious with the story and satisfy the appeal of the reader.
Short, sweet, and active. That’s the sign of a good heading (and good writing, in general.) Say only what is needed to make your point and give a benefit to the reader. Support that point with short, active paragraphs. Promise even more benefits in the body, too.
Their purpose is to entice us to read on, to rouse our curiosity. I once heard a good headline is like a good pickup line. While they never get you the girl, they buy you a few more minutes to plead your case.
Don’t get me wrong. Funny headlines can sometimes work. I’ve used them myself. But they work best offline, like a direct mail piece. Online you want to think about how people use the search engines. I promise you no one is typing in your clever headline, so the chances of it being seen are nil. They’re using keywords… words relevant to what they want. So use the same words to attract them. And you’ll get the added benefit of higher rankings from Google; they’ll see you as more relevant. Good stuff. After all, higher rankings means more traffic… and that’s what you’re trying to get, right?
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