Have you ever heard the saying “you only have one chance to make a good first impression?”

When writing, headlines are the “first impression.”

You’re here because you know that it’s those headlines that make the difference between having a loyal following of readers and being ignored completely.

You know that headlines can be more important for gaining readers than even the content itself. 

If you want to get the attention you deserve then take note of these 10 tips for creating captivating headlines.

1) Make a promise

It may feel like a gamble to make a promise. You may ask yourself, “What if I can’t deliver?”

But headlines do it all the time.

How-to titles, lists, or guides have the greatest click-rate of any type of article and they make promises right in the headline. They say, “Do you want to know how to do this thing? Here’s how!”

They make a promise right away that they will offer value in exchange for the reader’s time, and that is what readers want to hear.

2) Peek Reader Interest with Unique Headlines

Save yourself from losing readers right off the bat.

If you’re using the same phrases and unoriginal headlines that everyone else is, that is a quick way to stop readers in their tracks.

The best headlines use language that is interesting. Use expressive adjectives.

Let’s say you’re telling your readers how to bake a cake. Instead of saying “Top 5 tips for cake baking” you could say: “5 Essential Tricks to Baking a Radical Cake.” 

That is assuming your readers are also avid surfer dudes. 

3) Tell Your Audience What They Want To Hear

Be specific. You’ve done the research, the customer discovery, you know your target market and the avatars for your customers. 

You’ve done the heavy lifting already so give them a headline that specifies a key interest of theirs in detail.

If your audience wants to know how to burn more calories on their daily run then include something like “This Runner’s Secret Helps Burn 20% More Calories Every Day.”

This provides a precise benefit that the reader will be able to immediately pick up on in your headline.

4) The Best Headlines to Increase Use Keywords

Keywords are named as such for a reason, they’re the key to upping traffic to your site.

Make sure you put them to good use.

If you want your audience to find your content you need the right SEO (or search engine optimization) to increase traffic to your site.

You get this by using the right keywords and you only know which are best by doing your research or by allowing experts like ourselves to compile detailed keyword analysis for you.

5) Include A Call-To-Action

A call-to-action is a prompt to entice an immediate response. Including a call-to-action can really push a reader to feel engaged by your writing.

For your CTA to be magnetic you want to use strong verbs and elicit an emotional response to get the reader’s attention. 

Just remember. It is important to tell the reader what value they will be getting from doing what you ask. 

Here are a few examples of an effective call-to-action.

• Get informed
• Increase sales
• Gain insight

6) Use Scarcity to Encourage Readers

The scarcity principle is a common practice of making your audience feel persuaded to engage with what you are offering by creating a fear of “missing out.” 

Scarcity creates a sense of urgency that something will be lost or that there is a limited time opportunity to act.

Saying something like “don’t wait” will greatly increase the psychological effect that your headlines have on readers.

7) People Really Like Numbers

When people look for articles they often are looking to learn something new. 

When encountering something new we’re often trying to make sense of it as quickly as possible. 

Including numbers adds some structure to this process. Creating order in the unknown calms our mind to take in the information one step at a time.

8) Talk Directly “To” Readers

Readers like to feel included and like they are having a conversation.

Including words such as “You” and “Your” will make your language appear to speak directly to the reader.

If you want to get fancy, this style of writing is called “authorial intrusion” and can really help build the relationship between you and your audience. 

9) Spend Plenty of Time Crafting Headlines

It’s safe to say that the headlines really are crucial to the success of the writing. 

They create the first impression that can either make or break the chances that your audience will click to read more.

Spending 80% of your total time writing on just formulating the headlines is not unheard of. 

The more time you allow for creativity to flow and for the best headlines to come through, the better your chances will be to connect with your readers.

This can be important even when crafting the subject of your emails on that new business email you set up. One word can make all the difference in whether or not the recipient opens it. 

If you’re still having trouble setting up that email account you can get the help you need in one of our previous blog posts here.

10) Put Your Headlines to the Test

Maybe you think you’ve got this headline thing figured out. 

Maybe you’re just here to reaffirm your headline writing skills.

If yours are really the best headlines around, then using a headline analyzer should only prove it.

And if by chance, your headlines still need a little work, this helpful tool will give you feedback on what you’re missing.

Plus, it gives your strengths as well. That way you can get a little confidence boost while you check out how well your headlines rank.

Conclusion

I am sure these tips will prove themselves invaluable. Once you’ve mastered the art of the headline you’re well on your way to conquering the world of content writing. 

Be sure to leave a comment on how this article helped you make the best headlines you’ve ever written and check out our services to better your web design so your audience will love your sites as much as your headlines.