1. Weave in controversy or curiosity.
Spend a few minutes browsing a news website or two and watch how they use controversy and curiosity to keep you clicking through to read one article after another.
Strong opinions get attention. Are you willing to go out on a limb and be controversial?
And while curiosity might kill the cat, it breathes life into copy!
Write headlines that make the reader say, “Ooooooh I need to know what that’s about!”
Try headlines with mystique that leave a little bit to the imagination and attract clicks.
2. Use trigger words to boost the power of your headlines.
Certain words trigger our minds and grab our attention.
Learn to use those words in your headlines. Action words. Descriptives. Interjections!
3. Ask yourself “why does this matter”…
Keep asking that question, and then rework your headline to include that why/result/goal.
What do your readers really want?
Using this guide as an example: you don’t want to write great headlines… you want to attract attention and get people to read your copy…
And why do you want that?
4. Call out your tribe/peeps/ideal readers.
Don’t make your headline so general it could apply to anyone, but say specifically who your post is for.
Instead of “The Guide to Beautiful Landscaping” try “The Cheapskate Home Seller’s Guide to Creating Million Dollar Curb Appeal” or “Three Smart Steps to Creating a Beautiful Outdoor Space on a Tiny Budget.”
See how those call out specific audiences? The first, those on a budget who are selling their homes and need to create a great first impression for potential buyers and the second, those looking for budget friendly landscaping ideas.
5. Add specificity and numbers.
Instead of….
“5 Ways to Write Better Headlines”
Try something like…
“5 Super Fast Ways to Write Blog Post Titles that Get 500% More Traffic in 5 Minutes or Less”
(But keep it honest and achievable.)
This is why headlines like “Give Me 10 Minutes and I’ll Give You…” work so well.
6. Make it believable.
Almost nothing works ALL the time or EVERY time.
Consider words like “some” or “almost” in your headlines to keep them credible.
Make your headlines stand out from the craziness and unbelievable promises (especially on social media) by being realistic.
7. Make it easier–or harder!
Instead of “How to Build Your Own Freelance Business” try “Three Easy Steps to Making Money From Home with Your Computer & Internet Connection.”
Or… just be honest about the hard work that’s going to go into what you’re teaching.
I bought into Insanity (and then Combat, and the Beachbody obsession continues) in large part because they were honest about the fact that their workouts are killer tough and I’d better be dedicated to getting results and changing my body. Their honesty and lack of hype created trust for me.