What makes a good headline?
- 8 out of 10 people will read headline copy.
- But only 2 out of 10 will read the rest.
- A writer should spend at least a quarter of the entire time (if not half) its take to write a piece of persuasive content on the headline.
Short and Sweet
- The maximum character count is 65 before it gets cut off in search results
- The perfect length for a headline is 6 words
- (people scan headlines and take in only the 1st and last 3 words)
- (less to read so higher chance of retaining attention)
- Example: IS PLANNING MEALS GOOD OR BAD? is more effective as it speaks directly to the reader like a personal conversation.
Use interesting adjectives and keywords, examples:
- unique
- essential
- effortless
- revealed
- strange
The use of negative keywords
- Negatives tap into our insecurities
- The use of “NO”, “WITHOUT”, “STOP” lead to many more shares.
- Example: Before your next exercise session STOP and read these tips! It could save you from injury.
The use of numbers
- People want to increase efficiency, seeing a numbered list (easy steps) fulfils this need.
- The bigger the number in a post the further it spreads.
- Use digits rather than words
- Example: 100 things to do in Ibiza
- You can also expand of this to increase the readers curiosity, however if you do this too much it loses its effectiveness
- Example: 20 ways to stop your boyfriend from cheating. Number 9 is must!
In summary here is the formula for creating a perfect headline.
Number or trigger word + Adjective +Keyword + promise
Examples before and after
Before formula
How to get laid on a 1st date
Before formula
How to get laid on a 1st date
After Formula
16 Unbelievable ways to get laid on a first date without spending a penny.
Before formula
How to sell your used clothes online
After Formula
How to effortlessly sell your used clothes online within 24hours.
How to effortlessly sell your used clothes online within 24hours.
Happy Blogging