The Unspoken Rule in Writing

Do you know one of the unspoken rules in writing? The weird thing is, I’ve never seen anyone talk about it before — maybe because it’s so common they expect every writer to know about it.

It’s a rule that’s so prevalent yet hardly anyone discusses it — not expert writers, not copywriters, not even on the internet or social media. Even though this rule remains unspoken, you should know it as a writer especially if you’re starting.

You might be thinking, “Yeah, stop keeping me in suspense; just tell me what the rule is already!” Chill, dude! That’s why I’m writing this — to unveil the unspoken rule that nobody talks about.

And I apologize for the suspense; my bad! The unspoken rule is: Never use a full stop at the end of your headline. Yep, that’s it! I know it may seem trivial, but trust me, this rule is important because it sets the first stage of your message. I will explain why it’s crucial, so without further ado, let’s dive in.

Encourage Curiosity

In copywriting, your headline is the most important part — even more than the first sentence of your message. Think about it this way: when scrolling through your Google feed, what’s the first thing that catches your eye in an article? It’s the headline! The headline makes you click and read any article before you get to the first sentence.

It’s the same for copywriting, emails, books, newspapers, and advertising. What first catches your attention and draws you in? It’s the headline!

A headline without a full stop prompts your reader to seek more information; it piques their curiosity and makes them want to click and read further.

Putting a full stop at the end of your headline signifies that you’re done, and there’s nothing more to read. It’s a psychological trigger that tells your readers they don’t need to read further — the message is already finished.

Remember, in marketing and life in general, the smallest things can make a big difference. In this fast-paced world where the human attention span is getting shorter, you must pay attention to the little details to gain a significant advantage.

Curiosity is a driving force of the human psyche; not using a full stop creates that curiosity and nudges your reader to take the next step and read further.

Maintains Flow

Flow is crucial in any form of writing. Joe Sugarman calls it the “slippery slide,” where you take your reader step by step as if they are going down a smooth slide.

Maintaining flow keeps your reader engaged and interested, suggesting your message continues beyond the headline. (Just like Batman Beyond!)

Not putting a full stop at the end of your headline signals to your readers that they shouldn’t stop reading — there’s more to come. It’s like going from point A to point B, from top to bottom.

Using a full stop at the end of your headline kills that flow because it indicates a stop, causing your readers to halt at the headline instead of continuing to read.

This disrupts the flow of your message. Having that flow is important because it makes your message easier to read, psychologically and physically.

Consistency

They say consistency is the key to success, this also applies to your headline as well. Most headlines in journalism and online articles do not end with a full stop, aligning with common practice.

It raises the question: why change it? Why put a full stop at the end of your headline? I’m all for challenging the status quo, but a wise man once said, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

You should always want to stick to a pattern or strategy that works in marketing. Even if it’s outdated, it helps maintain consistency, which is one of the psychological tools that build credibility and trust.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t try to change something, but rather than thinking about changing what has worked for years — something that’s a common practice — consider improving on it.

As I mentioned earlier, not putting a full stop at the end of your headline is one of the number one rules in writing. It’s the unspoken rule.

Maybe that’s why nobody talks about it; they expect you, as a writer, to already know this kind of stuff. But we aren’t all perfect, are we? Hence, that’s why you’re here reading this.

Visual Appeal

We all love visual appeal, right? Think about it: we’ve been improving the resolution of TVs for years — from 4K to 8K! (News flash: your eyes can’t see 8K; the highest it can see is 4K. Bummer, right?) Even social streaming platforms improve their visuals.

I don’t know what it is about humans and visuals; maybe it’s because we love to see pretty things and things that catch our attention.

That’s why you shouldn’t put a full stop at the end of your headline; it creates a cleaner, more streamlined look on the page. In other words, it’s visually appealing.

People like what’s visually appealing — just look at how we admire pretty ladies and handsome-looking men. It’s an evolutionary thing, and when something is rooted in evolution, it’s hard to resist.

Next time you write your headline, don’t put a full stop at the end. And if you haven’t been putting a full stop in the first place, now you know why you shouldn’t!