How to write head-turning headlines

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I can't believe I'm writing an article about headline writing. Tens of thousands — wait — hundreds of thousands of blog posts, articles, courses, email newsletters, and more have covered this topic.

Why me? Why now? Why should you read this one?

This take is unique, I hope. Some organizations have liked my headlines enough that they awarded me for them (like the three on the right from my newspaper days). One of the biggest newspapers in the country trusted me to write their digital front-page headlines for several years. Now, as a senior copywriter, I write headlines that convert for some of the country's biggest and fastest-growing industrial manufacturers.

Let's get on with it, shall we?

10 Let 'the people' speak

Are you writing a headline for a piece that includes quotes? Maybe a case study or news story or press release or landing page with testimonials. Use the strongest word or phrase from one of those quotes and use it in the headline.

If someone is "flabbergasted" with your product or service, that's a gold-medal word you could poach from your copy and place in a headline. Or, something like this headline from CNN:

NY attorney general's office says it's nearly done unraveling Trump's 'Russian nesting doll'

?? Mistake alert ?? This is one of my pet peeves. If a headline contains a partial or full quote, that quote should also appear in context in your copy. I often see quoted material in a headline that never appears in what I'm reading later. You tricked the reader; they don't like that. That's like a movie trailer that is released 7 months before a movie's premiere containing some jaw-dropping scenes that end up getting cut from the film. I hate that.

9 use surprising, supportable numbers

Look, anyone can throw an arbitrary number into a headline, but numbers backed by data make convincing headlines.

As I was writing this column, this headline from CNN made me click:

"Central Mississippi faced 76 tornadoes in just 35 days this spring."

That's pretty incredible. I'm no mathematician, but that's, like, more than 2 tornadoes a day. Hard to believe. I wanted to read more.

Some very smart people — smarter than me — have researched this topic to death. One finding: Readers trust odd numbers.

8 Say what you need to say, then stop

Ever got stuck listening to someone tell a story that JUST. WON'T. END. Don't do that with your headline. Give your reader just enough information to get them interested in what you're writing about.

Now, there's a flip side to this. Don't give readers so little information that they don't know what to expect. They need to be able make a decision about what comes after your headline.

"President loses election" would be a terrible headline to refer to the drama surrounding the United States' 2020 election, for example

7 Include punctuation to catch readers' eyes

I love a good em dash in a headline — who doesn't? Punctuation makes your headline stand out and makes readers stand up and take notice. If not a long dash, perhaps a period or a series of periods in single-word-style headlines: "Bold. Brave. Bright."

Be careful with this one. Too much punctuation or using this tactic too often can backfire and turn off readers.

6 Be consistent with capitalization

I dislike with a passion headlines with inital caps on every word, but if you want to go that route, so be it. This headline style is otherwise known as The New York Times headline, like this one:

"Who Ended the Travel Mask Mandate?"

I prefer sentence case headlines, in which only the first word of the headline is capitalized and proper nouns, if they're included.

I know it's trendy for websites to use intial caps, so I can live with it. But be consistent. Too often, I see websites with no discernible headline style. Some words are capped. Some aren't. There's no rhyme or reason for it. That's bad.

5 Spend time on it

The headline is the most important part of your project. I know you are madly in love with that catchy lead, but no one will read it if your headline doesn't draw them in.

Spend some quality time on your headline. Brainstorm multipe options. Pick different headline styles. Ask people how they like your headlines. Take a break from it and come back at it with a different mindset.

4 Discard worthless words

Make every word of your headline count. If your headline has an "a" or an "an" or a "the" or other flat words, cut 'em out. Be ruthless.

3 Don't make readers think too hard

It might be tempting to use a clever play on words or an applicable cliche in your headline, but don't. Be clear about what follows your headline. If your readers don't "get" your joke or understand your fantastic pun, they'll just move on.

Your headline also should avoid jargon or terms that are industry specific. Similarly, avoid acronyms unless they are instantly recognizable.

2 Put your reader in your headline

In journalism, this is a no-no, but don't be afraid to use "you" in your headline. Make the reader part of your story. Get them invested right away. Let them know how reading further will enrich their life personally or professionally.

1 Promise a 'big reveal'

Why do "how-to" headlines work so well? Why did I start the headline of this article with "how to"? Those headlines promise the reader will learn ways to accomplish something they have trouble doing themselves. Or, they are expecting to learn new skills to advance their existing skill-set.

Other ways to promise a big reveal:

• Use the words "tips" or "secrets" or "trick"
• Use pharses such as "learn to," "the easy way to" or "how [subject] did [big thing]"
• Use interesting verbs like "unlock," "discover," "master," "access," etc.

Get your words working for you

Need head-turning copy for your brand or business? I do that. I will write the words that sell your stuff and tell your story.?[email protected]

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