How To Write Headlines That Actually Get Clicked (Content Creation)
The easy way.
I bet you don’t know just how important a headline is.
I didn’t until I did some research for this article.
7.5 million blog posts are published online every day.
Traffic can vary by as much as 500% based on the headline. This means the right headline could 5x the amount of people who’d read your post.
A headline affects not just the numbers, but also how people understand your article, according to this analysis by the New Yorker. It shows that first impressions are hard to change, and altering only the headline makes readers remember different parts of the article.
This means that if you want:
A lot of readers…
Remembering the right kind of information…
And taking action after reading your post (i.e. subscribing)…
You should get the headline right.
But there’s so much advice about headlines already…
It’s insane. There are templates, power words and headline analyzers. Tips, tricks and hacks. Why would I add to this??
Here’s why: since I started offering direct messaging coaching to my paid subscribers, and they began sending me their writing for review, I noticed a problem.
Indeed, most beginners don’t know how to write headlines.
Maybe all the information that already exists is confusing?
Should you be clear or create curiosity?
Should you include credibility or focus on the reader?
Should you use fear or positivism?
Shh, don’t worry. By the end of this article, you’ll know the basic principles of writing expert-level headlines, easy.
But first, let’s make this one thing clear…
The purpose of a headline (and what a “click-bait” headline really is).
First and foremost, you must understand this: the purpose of a headline is NOT to summarize the article.
The purpose of a headline is to make people click on it.
I’m sure as you’re reading this, the term “clickbait” comes to mind. Clickbaity headlines are bad, you’ve heard. You shouldn’t write them, you’ve heard.
Hold your horses. There is a difference between a clickalicious headline (love that made-up word) and a clickbaity headline.
Clickbaity headlines lie to you. That’s it, plain and simple. It might be subtle, but it’s a lie.
“Air pollution now leading cause of lung cancer,” ran a headline last year in the U.K. paper Daily Express. The article, however, said no such thing, or, rather, not exactly. Instead, it reported that pollution was a leading “environmental” cause; other causes, like smoking, are still the main culprits.” — The New Yorker
Clickalicious headlines are headlines that are all true and represent the absolute best part of your article.
Once people click on your article, there are other factors that determine how long they stay.
But your first job is to get them to click. Hard to read something you don’t even open, right??
Now, the question remains: how do we write clickalicious headlines? Trust me, they’re not that difficult to write if you know what you're doing.
Keep reading to learn:
Basic Headline Principle #1: Why does this matter?
Basic Headline Principle #2: Who is this for?
The headline writing habit of millionaire online entrepreneurs
Assess your headline
Should you consider SEO?
Why does this matter: the ultimate clarity.
When someone tells you your headlines need to be “clear” — don’t think of it as telling us the what of your article.
5 important social media trends in 2024 might be a clear headline, but it’s not effective in achieving the purpose of a headline.
Potential readers are confused.
Do I really need the 2024 SM trends?
Do these even apply to me?
How would this help me?
Aren’t trends too difficult to follow?
Pff, I don’t like silly trends anyway…
You see? Your potential reader has too many questions, even though you think your headline is “clear.”
To be clear in your headline means to answer the question “Why does this matter?” Here’s how.