Creating content takes a lot of time and creativity so when it comes to thinking of ways to ensure your articles, blogs or guides get read, headlines are a sure-fire way to get people reading. The impact of a good headline can be the difference between engaging more people with your business or getting lost in a sea of content with so many other businesses vying for the attention of your customers.
So how do you make sure your hard work doesn’t go to waste? Here are our top tips on creating headlines that will engage readers and drive clicks.
1) How often have you clicked on articles with questions?
Headlines that lead with a question are a great way to create intrigue and get people clicking to read more. Statements can be effective too, but a question allows for a conversation to start and generates interest from a reader before they have even clicked on the article.
For example, a fitness centre might want to share their expertise on tips for getting in shape for the summer. Using a headline such as ‘How do you get summer body ready in four weeks?’ would work much more effectively than ‘Summer body tips’ as an example. The question invites the reader to ask themselves the question which makes it more relevant to them and entices them to find out more.
2) Get click happy with numbers
Using numbers in headlines is a powerful way to drive clicks immediately. It’s always good to think of your content in sections so that you can focus your thoughts and makes it more easily digestible for readers. For example, a bed specialist could use the headline ‘Seven top tips for a great night’s sleep’. Or a butcher might want to promote ‘Five BBQ sizzlers you won’t want to miss.’
Numbers help to give your articles more immediacy and is a great indication for a reader as to how much time they need to invest into the content. Using numbers gives them an idea of how long the article might be and readers can feel assured that the content has been split into bite-sized, easy-to-read chunks.
3) Pun it up
Making your headlines interesting and inviting can be challenging but a great way to achieve this is by using language to create a play on words. This helps to inject a bit of humour and personality into your content and can allow your business to come across as more human.
For example, a retailer might use the headline ‘Light up your house with these ingenious hacks’ to promote lighting tricks to brighten up the home. It’s good to tie in language that people would associate with your type of business so that the content is relevant to the headline and doesn’t lose people’s interest once they have clicked to read more.
Clever language and puns can also help to keep your headlines short and to the point. It’s important to capture your reader’s imagination without giving everything away so using short, sharp headlines will be enough to spark their intrigue and encourage them to find out more.
If you’re struggling to get creative though, there are many providers out there who can help to create content for you, like our own sponsored content service.
4) Negatives can be a positive!
This may sound odd, but it’s true. Using negatives in your headlines are particularly effective in driving clicks as finding out something not to do is just as intriguing as finding out how to do something in the first place.
For example, a wedding dress retailer could promote ‘Seven things not to do when planning your big day’. Readers who are planning for their wedding will be drawn to a headline like this to find out the pitfalls of wedding planning and seek advice on how to avoid it.
5) Don’t be misleading
When thinking about all these points, remember to make sure you’re not misleading anyone with your headlines. If readers are not presented with the content they expect, it can lead to higher numbers of people leaving a page, known as the bounce rate (you can find out more about this here), and will also damage the trust they have with your business. How often have you been frustrated when clicking links on social media which don’t relate at all to the headline? So make sure you always use headlines that are transparent while trying to include all the rules above.
Content can ultimately help establish your business as an expert in your local community but before you can gain this reputation, you need to ensure your content is received and read by as many people as possible. Creating an effective headline is the gateway to successful content so make note of the four headline tricks mentioned so you can start to see results from your content marketing.
So, why did you click on this article? Take a look at the headline again and see how we’ve used three out of the five tricks to create an attention-grabbing title. If you wanted to use a pun, you could say ‘Abracadabra! Five tricks to creating headlines that drive clicks’. Try to use as many of these tricks as possible to create a headline that really grabs your audience and drives them to your content.
For more advice on how to showcase your expertise and engage more customers, read the following articles:
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