Creating Compelling Headlines

Headlines are the first thing that most readers see, whether this is marketing copy or content copy that you have written. Statistics show that 8 out of 10 people will read a headline but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest. Keeping this in mind when creating your headlines means that they need to be very targeted to the audience you want to engage or get them to take action on something.

This means that you need to take note of personality styles as well and how your current headline will appeal to the various styles of people. Consistency in your headline, your text and your font will make for a much smoother read. Make sure there is correlation between what you headline "announces" and what you text is about.

The same applies to marketing copy. The context of the body of your marketing content should tie directly back to your headline.

When it comes to the use of different fonts, then they should be in sync, one complementing the other. Using glaringly different ones will create a disconnect and then you message will be lost.

Great headlines are ones that form a cohesive message and whether you add or subtract a word, should not affect the power of what is being said.

Here is a great way to test if your headline works.

• Say the headline out loud and if you run out of breath, its most likely too long and your readers will struggle to recall what was being said.
• If you reader cannot process the headline in a single breath - they are not going to be able to process it in their heads.

Why are Headlines So Important?

Whatever content you may be sharing, if it doesn't have a good headline, it's not going to achieve its full potential.

• Headlines give the reader an upfront idea what is going to be shared.
• It gives the readers a good first impression
• Headlines are normally the one thing that are most visible on social sharing sites
• It's your best opportunity to market whatever you are sharing - a blogpost, an article, an offer or a marketing message etc.

 8 of the Best Headline Strategies

Here are eight of the best strategies you can use to engage successfully with your readers or target market.

1.   Using the element of surprise

2.   Asking great questions

3.   Making people curious

4.   Using negative superlatives

5.   The all powerful "How to"

6.   Using Numbers

7.   Referencing your audience - making it personal

8.   Making use of Facts

No matter what type of content or message you are sharing, these strategies are amongst the ones that deliver the best results. It's about using what our brains respond to the most and making them work for you.

Another very powerful element of your headline is making use of power words. Power words spice up your headlines and make people feel something. As we all know most buying decisions are made emotionally, so what better way to engage your target audience using language that is going to resonate with them emotionally. Keep in mind the personality styles here are well and you will have a winning formula.

Some of the most effective power words are the following:

Fear

Words like caution, collapse, danger, beware etc.

Pep Talk

Words like amazing, blissful, sensational, courage etc.

Safe

Words like secure, results, official, research etc.

Curiosity

Words like insider, secret, behind the scenes, banned etc

Using what you have learnt about the different personality styles, can you understand exactly how powerful it will be if you use the right power words for a specific style? Make full use of the time spent and create the most compelling message you can for your audience or clients.

To aid you in creating better headlines there are many "FREE" tools available to get you thinking or to help you get it right. We will share a few with you here but you need to investigate for yourself, which ones work best for you.

One of the best is the CoSchedule Headline Analyser that will give you a great breakdown and analysis for you to structure your headline super effectively. It covers all the bases.

See more about it here:

Another great one from the SEO experts - SemRush

A kickass Headline Generator from the guys at Sumo

Hopefully, these will aid you in creating super effective headlines that will connect with your clients, help build your credibility and increase your sales.

Now it's time to knuckle down and get the job done.

Have Fun!