It has been said that you have about 3 seconds to capture the attention of a visitor to your website or blog. The most powerful part of your blog that will help you achieve this is your headline. I’m no copywriter but I know how important a skill it is to be able to write effectively in order to compel your visitors into reading your content. It is a skill that I am learning & practicing all the time.
There are several elements in creating a compelling headline and here are a few tips to help you create better headlines for your blog posts.
- Tap into Your Visitors’ Emotions
Psychologists say that people’s buying decisions are based first and foremost on their emotions. Use headlines which trigger an emotional benefit or reaction with your visitors & readers.
Emotions & feelings that you can tap into with a headline are a desire to feel:
- Attractiveness
- Sexy
- Assertiveness
- Confidence
- Energetic
- Pampered
- A sense of belonging
- In control of their own destiny
- Wealthy
- Proud
- Respected
- Safe
2. Make it Active
Headlines need to be compelling so it is important to use active language – i.e. language that shows movement and commands attention.
For example, ‘Stop Smoking Cravings With This Simple Step’ is an acceptable headline for a blog post, however it does not command any action nor does it tap into any emotions. However, ‘Conquer Your Smoking Cravings With This Simple Step’ can make a big difference. The word ‘Conquer’ is an active and emotionally powerful word and readers receive the benefit of feeling powerful and in control and it commands action.
3. Let Your Reader Know They’re Important
The word YOU is a very powerful word. You want to try and make your readers feel as if you are talking to them directly and are genuinely interested in solving their problems and helping them achieve their goals. Instead of using I, Me or We in your headlines, use You where possible. Using the headline example above compare the two options to see which one looks more personal & compelling:
Conquer Your Smoking Cravings With This Simple Step
Stop Smoking Cravings With This Simple Step
Your readers want to know what’s in it for them and when they can assess that information in the headline, theres a much higher chance that they are going to be compelled to continue reading your article or blog post, and possibly making a purchase from you.
Here are three more ideas for powerful headlines:
- Make a promise or offer a desired outcome – i.e. Stop Smoking
- Make it newsworthy – i.e. New smoking cessation tool makes it easy for you to stop
- Ask a question – i.e. Do you want to stop smoking?
Three Simple Steps to Write Headlines That Sell
So now you have some ideas about what types of headlines can compel your visitors to continue reading your blog, how do you begin to write those powerful headlines?
Step One
Get to know your audience intimately. What are their hopes, dreams, desires, and problems? Understanding your visitors will help you create an emotional and powerful headline directed specifically at your audience.
Step Two
Determine how your products or services are going to help your prospects solve their problems. For example, if you sell gym & fitness equipment and your audience struggles with feeling attractive then you can create a headline that highlights a specific benefit that your fitness equipment offers to solve that problem.
Step Three
Write ten to twenty, yes twenty, possible headlines. Not only will this give you practice writing compelling headlines, it will help you hone your copywriting skills. And if you think you have a few winners you can always test them for conversion rates to find out which headline is more effective.
Marketing and copywriting experts consider your headline to be the most import element of any effective marketing piece. Take the time to craft a compelling, and selling, headline and you will reap the benefits for years to come.