Business Writing Essentials - Headlines

What is a headline?

A headline is a word or sentence that draws the reader's attention to the subject of the text. It's reckoned that a good headline can increase your text's effectiveness by up to 80%. Most pieces of text go out naked or with headlines that reduce any chance of connection with the reader.

What do you think the most popular headline is on websites?

Welcome to our website.

Now the owner of the website hasn't set out to provide a headline but in effect that's what they have done. Because it's the first thing the visitor sees. And as importantly, it's the first thing the search engine spider hits on.

In the case of this article the headline is the title.

What's the importance of headlines?

Headlines are there to qualify or disqualify your readers. For example the following headline is very specific about the target audience.

Over 55? Hearing problems?

Why over 55? Well most of us have suffered some deterioration in our hearing by the age of 55. By specifying that age most people under 55 will stop reading. As far as the advertiser is concerned that's fine. He's not after those people.

How do you create headlines that work?


Create a list of features for your product or service

Write down all the facts about your product and service. Everything that it is. For example a consultant might be available for phone consultations. That's a feature of their service.

For each feature produce a benefit

Now create a benefit - not for you but for your customer. The equation to use for creating benefits is as follows.

Feature plus that means to you=benefit

So phone consultations mean for the client that they can have a consultation in the comfort of their own home without having to travel, saving them time, money and energy.

Rank those benefits from 1 to 10 in importance to your customers

What's most important to your clients about your service or product? Is it size, appearance, convenience. Whichever comes first, and you should check customer feedback not rely on your own feelings, pick out 3.

Pick the top 3 and write headlines for each

Try out some headlines on the top 3 benefits. This may take you some practice but to get you started here are some guidelines.


How to

Easy way

What is

5 day course

7 steps


These phrases can be the basis for a number of headlines. For example:

7 easy steps showing you how to refurbish your old chairs.

What is an easy way to update those old chairs you have? Here are 7 steps to refurbished chairs that will have your neighbours asking if they're brand new.

5 days to completely renew those old chairs sitting in your garage.


The more you practice at writing headlines the better you'll be at doing it. One note of caution though. Only relying on one headline might cut you off from increased sales and profits. That's because nobody can predict which headline will appeal to readers.

Millions of dollars are spent each year by major direct response companies testing headlines. If they take the trouble to do that for a small% increase in response we need to accept that we won't know what's going to work.

Their answer is to test and so should we.