Fantastic. You’re here. That means you read past my headline. Now I have to deliver on that promise I offered you…a promise which is a headline education in itself.
But before we get to that, why are headlines so important when it comes to your blog posts? Let’s look at those numbers again: 80% of people will never read past your headline. That’s a huge amount of people.
It means only 20% of people who come across it – if you’re lucky – will actually read your blog post.
Less if your headline is, to put it bluntly, crap.
Worse – traffic can vary by as much as 500% depending on your headline.
Another huge number.
So how can you make your headlines more enticing, exciting and downright mesmerising?
Read on to find out 10 proven, data-backed ways you can do just that:
1.Use specific numbers and lists. People love specifics. They especially love them in headlines which is why I used that “10 Ways…” as that suggests a list, something your readers will also love. According to this fascinating post, headlines that use numbers generate 73% mores social shares and engagement. That’s a lot.
2. Make a promise. See what I did there? I promised you 10 ways to make your headlines irresistible. Then I deliver on that promise. Another way to get your visitors reading more and then loving you even more.
3. Break out those trigrams. If you clicked on the link I shared with you in #1, you may have got as far as the bit about trigrams. Turns out the most shared headlines use trigrams like these:
4. Oh and one more thing I did – rather than use the word ‘ten’ I used actual numerals. Seems those work better too and that’s because, in a sea of words, they stand out.
5. According to the brilliant content marketer Neil Patel, you also want to use the four Us. And who am I to argue with a man who achieves his kind of results? The four Us are: Make the headlines…unique, ultra-specific, useful and one that conveys a sense of urgency. So there you go.
6. Be clear. According to research carried out by Moz, in a world saturated with content, readers value clarity. You read my headline, you know exactly what you’re getting. Don’t try to tease by mystifying. Instead, be unambiguous: This is what I’ve got for you.
7. Talking of which, always keep in mind the vital WIIFM or What’s In It For Me? I hate to tell you this but your reader doesn’t give a damn about you. What they really want to know is what you can do for them. So tell them and then deliver on that too.
8. Either hit them with it or understate your case. The same study showed that you either have to go all out and scream at your readers, who don’t seem to mind blaring all-caps, or keep it simple. In other words, either go way over the top or stay low key. The one place you should never aim is the middle ground. That is just too meh for most people.
9. Think back to school….and specifically your grammar lessons. Remember those 5 Ws – Who, What, Where, Why and When? Sprinkle those through your headlines to grab your readers and tell them precisely what they’re getting.
10. Be controversial and unconventional. State an unpopular opinion. Go against the crowd. Say something like: ‘Why Free Traffic Is The Most Expensive You Will Ever Get.’ Just be prepared to justify it in the body of your blog post or article.
So there you have it – 10 ways to craft headlines that will get and keep people reading. Take them, use them and let me know how you get on.
And remember to experiment, try and test until you find what suits your audience best. Sometimes it’s that one headline that breaks all the rules. Don’t be afraid to do that as well.
