Powerful Headlines – 15 Tips to Writing that actually attract Traffic

When it comes to writing content, Headlines are usually pushed to the back burner. It does not impact SEO of your content directly. But the truth is Users click your article to read after they read your headline. That means the headline deserves the front seat. Powerful headlines convey the message about why the article is even worth a click. Remember: the magical combination of words in your article can stand in its power only when the headline is equally magical.

What does research say about headlines and their importance?

As per this article, 20% users click to read the article after reading the headline. Also, when users share the article, your headline is the first part of the content that your viewers will see. This shows how crucial it is to pay attention while creating appealing headlines. The success of an entire blog is primarily based on the clicks that are attracted by the classy headlines that you create.

This article is dedicated to discussing in detail about what it takes to create the most powerful headlines for your blog that make your social media strategy more effective. By the end of this article, you will have 15 tips in hand that will truly make a difference. These tips will help you create the most enticing and appealing headlines that will be irresistible to click.

Let us jump in. Shall we?

Tip no. 1: Allure with numbers

Digits, list, and numbers fascinates the human eye and mind. It is easy to catch the attention of the users by using numbers. Not only it draws their attention but also it gives the clarity on what the post is all about. Powerful headlines usually have a Number in the text.

Examples:

• 10 secret hacks for your kitchen.
• 9 ways to keep your kids busy.
• 7 reasons why morning walk will benefit you

Tip no. 2: Master the Blueprint of Powerful Headlines

Marketers have done tons of research to identify which type of headlines draws maximum attention. Studying that research undoubtedly makes the work way easier. Lenka Istvanova has come with the blueprint of creating the headlines that one cannot ignore.

The Ultimate Headline formulae (Not necessarily in that order) says:

Numbers + Adjective + Keyword + Rational + Promise = The Ultimate Headline

An excellent example can be: Community Management – 9 reasons why it is inevitable.

Tip No. 3: Keep the Headline Clear

You do not want your readers to keep wondering about what exactly the article is created for. The headline must be clear enough to give a direct insight about what to expect in the article. Hazy headlines anyways do not appeal to anyone, but clarity does.

Tip No. 4: What appeals to you?

Writers are simultaneously good readers. Use your reading as an opportunity to understand which headline catches your attention. It can be the headline of any blog or any title of a YouTube video or a podcast that you have subscribed to. Pay attention to which titles compel you to click. This will help you to come up with your own version of headlines that you genuinely feel will work. As a reader it will give you an idea about what makes these headlines work. Because any title that appealed to you as a reader, should appeal to others too. Knowing that what compel readers to click are Powerful Headlines.

Tip No. 5: Using the Five Ws to create Powerful Headlines

Remember the 5 W’s? Who What When Where and Why.

These Ws are strong enough to communicate with clarity about your article. Try to incorporate some of these W in your headline. By doing this, it will help the readers understand about the kind of information your article is going to serve.

Tip No. 6: Keyword Research

Every article has its own set of important keywords. These keywords help your article to show up on the search feed of your target audience. Using the main keyword makes it easy for your article to rank better on the search. It also signifies to the user the topic the article is written about.

Remember that it is important to use the keyword naturally. It should effortlessly go with the flow in your headline. Trying hard to fit the keyword in, even when it does not feel natural to read is not a good idea.

Tip No. 7: Provide Value

Your headline needs to convince the readers that your article provides the value they are looking for. Which means both headline and article must carry a significant amount of value which is essential for readers. Providing value to the readers helps the brand to build the trust and create a loyal customer base. Our article on the importance of Community Management shows us why a loyal customer base is important to your brand.

Tip No. 8: Powerful Headlines add a pinch of Excitement to the topic

Being a writer, we are aware that no one is going to dive deep into the content that is boring. The same is applicable while creating the headlines. Creating enthusiastic headlines compel the reader to click and check what’s in. Adding a pinch of excitement to the headline will attract enough attention.

Tip No. 9: Brainstorm Multiple Headlines and choose the one which is more powerful

So far, it is understood that headlines carry more importance than it seems. The headlines also deserve the same time and dedication that you give to your article. It is recommended to come up with multiple headlines with different variants. Read all of them and see which catches your attention in the first place. Also, ask your co-workers or friends to contribute their opinion about which one is the best. This will help you to come up with that one delicious headline which will attract the eye. And that is what we are aiming for, right?

Tip No. 10: Being realistic in your title

To be honest, the real deal is not limited to gaining more clicks. Which means the titles that snatch the attention will be sustained only if the article is up to the mark. We all are aware of the term click bait, and we know how annoying it feels when we must deal with one.

For sure, we do not want to play with the trust of our readers. Make sure if the headline says, “How to fix”, then you do give a relevant fix. That is how a headline and article run the show together.

Tip No. 11: The importance of Emotional Market Value in creating a Powerful Headline

Often, the decision to click and share the article is an emotional decision. Which means the headline that makes the reader feel connected in one way or another, performs better.

As per the analysis of CoSchedule, the number of shares with high Emotional Marketing Value (EMV) was more as compared to those who failed to get in touch with the reader’s emotions. Using emotive words in your headline as and when possible. For example: Freedom, pride, magical, heavenly, saved, adored and many more. This provides an opportunity for you to connect with your readers emotionally.

Tip No. 12: Avoid vagueness in your Title

Headlines that are to the point, gain more clicks. PERIOD. Fuzzy headlines may feel interesting, but people are more drawn to clarity and simplicity. Because that helps the reader to understand what they should expect in the article.

Headlines that are clear and easy to grasp are preferable. Which means keeping the language clear and easy is the key. Use words that are simple & appealing at the same time.

Tip No. 13: Keep the headline short & crispy

Limiting the headline length up to 70 characters is ideal. This is because Google slashes out the longer headlines in the main search screen. And that leaves the readers confused in regards with what the article is all about. Unless you want to create that allure to the customer with the missing words, it’s better to keep it within the 70 Character limit.

Tip No. 14: A/B Testing different headlines to find the more powerful one

There is plenty of valuable research available in terms of what works well while creating a headline. But in the end, we need to apply what serves our purpose and target audience. This can be done easily with A/B test.

It goes something like this:

• Select two headlines out of the ones that you brain stormed.
• Plan to send two tweets but each with different headlines.
• Do not send both tweets together.
• Schedule different time slots for both. For example: sending the 1st tweet at 6pm and the 2nd tweet at 7pm
• Analyze the performance of both the tweets. The one that performed well, is your final headline.

Tip No. 15: The most important of all – Create headlines for your readers

Let us be honest, we are not writing these headlines to impress anyone else but our readers. As a writer our job is to create headlines that are more suitable for readers. As they are the ones whose clicks matters. Analyzing and understanding what works for your blog audience will help to come up with such headlines. For best results, use your own data and create strategies for headlines accordingly.

Words of encouragement

Headlines do deserve your sincere attention and focus. It may feel exhausting to dedicate extra time to create quality headlines. But, as discussed above, headlines are powerful enough to either win or bust the entire content. Rushing this process means handing over the article to perform on the mercy of an average headline. And for sure, we do not want to give away our power that way. Creating inspiring content is equally important. Headlines attract but its the content which retains your readers.