You’ve got a great article to share, but do you have an irresistibly clickable headline for it?
Before you spend even more time racking your brain, why not start out with these 4 attention-grabbing headlines that work and have been used consistently by large media corporations:
1. How to – “How to Be a Better Writer”
Imagine yourself as a struggling writer who wants to improve your writing skills.
Are you more likely to reach out to other writers for advice through a one-to-one meetup? Or are you more likely to turn to Google for help on “how to be a better writer”?
Chances are, you would have picked the latter – the more convenient, and non-intrusive option.
How-to articles are also appealing because they offer potential readers the prospect of knowing how to do something well. To craft a better how-to article, be sure to include more than just a single solution to the problem. You can also categorise them into easy-to-read paragraphs.
2. Step-by-step guides – “The 5-Step Guide to Writing a Great Article”
Another technique to writing a great headline is by providing a list of steps to help achieve your reader’s goal.
Unlike how-to articles that often provide a more general picture, step-by-step guides grab attention because they promise a more logical approach to the desired end result.
But don’t forget that not every content piece qualifies as a “guide”. Just be sure that if you pass your article as one, you are providing your reader with everything he or she needs to know about the topic at hand.
3. Negative superlatives – “The Worst Mistake a Writer Can Make”
Using positive superlatives – words like greatest, largest, biggest, best – can also make for attention-grabbing headlines. However, it is the negative ones that get more clicks and interest.
According to an experiment conducted at McGill University in Canada, we have a “negativity bias” and an inclination to respond more quickly to negative words.
This could be due to our human nature of identifying potential threats and our innate need to find out how we can avoid such a situation.
4. Numbers – “3 Reasons Why People Aren’t Reading Your Blog”
Presenting your content as a listicle works because it gives your readers a sense of certainty about what to expect when they click into your article. It also helps determine whether they have enough time to spare when it comes to reading your content.
A headline stating “3 Reasons Why People Aren’t Reading Your Blog” will attract those with a few minutes to spare. On the other hand, an article headline stating 10 reasons will see a greater click-through rate for those who want a more comprehensive read.
Want to read more articles like this? Check out our Quix Studios Blog for insights on business strategy, copywriting and technology.
