A headline is the title of an article or any other publication the purpose of which is to get the audience’s attention and tell the visitor what the content body is about. A well-written headline motivates the user to read the article or watch the video—it must be interesting, clear, catchy, and intriguing. That is why writing a headline is sometimes more challenging than a text.
You should dedicate enough time to create an exciting title. At the same time, a bad headline can kill even the most amazing blog post from the best translation company or social media publication.
Fortunately, today we have access to research results in this area. Successful authors are constantly experimenting with headlines and sharing the results, and we can also take note of these tests. Here are just a few helpful tips for creating catchy titles for your articles.
The title should outline the benefits for the target audience
Ensure you choose a headline that shows the benefits that your readers will get from your product or service. The ideal headline solves problems or helps your audience achieve their desired goals or provides solutions they can get with your products/services.
Let’s go ahead and compare the following headlines:
- Graphic Design Tools and Techniques.
- Improve Your Design Skills: An Essential Guide to Fundamental Design Tools and Techniques.
The first title simply mentions the topic of the article, while the second explicitly focuses on the benefits the reader can receive from reading the publication.
Add relevant keywords and key figures to show the content value
Adding precise details like key figures and high-volume keywords in your headline can significantly enhance engagement with your content.
People are likely to get their attention towards well-organized information. Including such details in your title creates a certain content structure, promising that the content will offer something valuable. Commonly, numbers catch attention more actively than plain text, for instance:
- 10 methods for boosting emotional well-being.
- The 5 essential secrets of human productivity.
- 7 helpful tips for enhancing your sleep quality.
Create an engaging element
A captivating headline provides a sneak peek into the content but doesn’t reflect the whole picture, which makes readers want to finish reading.
However, it’s essential to note that the content should provide answers to the reader’s curiosity that the title generates. For example:
- Unveiling the real reason why low-carb diets don’t work effectively.
- A disastrous car-buying experience: my cautionary tale.
- Breaking news: deadly virus outbreak in China—here’s what we know so far.
Display the positive and the negative components
Have you heard the story of a radio station that broadcasted only positive news? It went bankrupt since it turned out that people expect to be aware of negative news as well.
Thus, to add some diversity to your content, consider presenting a list of insufficient advice or beginning with a story of life and business challenges that later turn out to be a success story. This approach has been successful in the past, and it continues to be effective these days.
Common mistakes to avoid when writing titles
Headline writing can be tricky, and content creators sometimes can make common errors. Here are some mistakes you should avoid:
- Using wordplay in the headline: while a clever headline can catch attention, it’s not always easy to create. If you’re not confident in your ability to write a good wordplay headline, it’s better to avoid it.
- Relying on clichés: try to avoid hackneyed phrases in your headlines. If a popular phrase is stuck in your head, think twice—readers are often more interested in an original title.
- Creating titles without a call to action: often content creates headlines that merely state what the article is about, like a research paper headline. However, this can make it unclear what the article is really about.
- Using too short titles: the headline should accurately outline the content of the article. If you try to keep it brief too much, it may be difficult for readers to understand what the article is about, and they probably skip reading.
Final thoughts
The aforementioned tips and tricks might not be brand new for you. But the approaches and techniques we describe in this article always work beneficially for your content and its promotion. So, you should definitely consider them for your writing practice, like writers from custom writing GrabMyEssay do. We hope, after reading this article, you’ll realize that creating a great headline is not as difficult as it may seem.
Nancy P. Howard has been working as a journalist at the online magazine in London for a year. She is also a professional writer in such topics as blogging, IT, and digital marketing. She loves travelling, photography and is always welcome to meet new people.
