How To Write Great Headlines

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Though the days of shouting paper boys have come and gone, the principle of spreading information is still the same. In order to get your content, product description, or latest blog post read, you have to want to entice the reader in. Consider your headline the first impression you make upon your reader. It’s the stop sign in the middle of a busy street, the taste of chocolate when you have a sweet tooth, and the offer of a free plane ticket to paradise.

So what makes up a good headline? The best way I can sum it up is by using the words of Al Tompkins of the Poynter Institute – I attended a journalism boot camp with him recently. His theory for writing anything informative deals with a simple formula. Narrow down your entire story to three words: who did what? By focusing your entire message down to these three words, you can develop a strong headline that tells the story. Make your headline say (in somewhat different language) who did what? What are you offering? How can it solve a problem? Why is this information valuable? Keep it short, simple and to the point.

After you’ve narrowed down your core message, it’s time to start choosing the words. Headline words are meant to arouse the curiosity of your readers, so make sure that you’re choosing very “active” verbs. Don’t say that you’re going to try to explain something. Say instead how it’ll be explained. Give your reader the reassurance that you know exactly what you’re talking about by being assertive, but not abrasive, in your language.

Next, review your headline to see if it’s personal. Does it target your audience well? Does it appeal to a central motivator like family, money, community, innate curiosity, or health? Choose words that make the headline seem personal. This not only increases its appeal, but also engages the reader on a much deeper level. If you were reading something on the Internet or in the morning paper, wouldn’t you want it to spark your interest? People want information that’s useful specifically to them or someone they know, so be sure that you’re giving them a taste in those first few words.

Headlines are for grabbing attention, filtering your target audience, generating curiosity, and promising benefits. When writing them, it’s important to remember these goals. Don’t promise something you can’t deliver. Tell the reader what you can give them in the headline and deliver it in the rest of the copy. Never mislead and never be untruthful.

So where can you find inspiration? How do you know what’s a good headline? For starters, take a look at other successful articles or headlines that pulled you in. The best way to learn is through example, so don’t be afraid to use another’s work as a guideline – note: this does NOT mean plagiarize the article or headline. Take what someone else did and make it your own. Make it unique to your message and your targeted audience.

Also note that headlines are not meant to sell. The minute you make your headline a sales pitch, your reader is bound to leave. A headline is not enough to make anyone do anything. You have to offer support for your assertion in the headline. Consider your headline to be an introduction. Tell people more about your topic throughout the body of the article or blog post and use that space to justify an action. Let the headline do it’s job – to get people to keep reading.