Headline Writing - Write Headlines That Get Your Article Read - Part 2

In part 1 we covered the importance of writing a great headline to grab your readers attention & get them to read your article in full.

Now we take a look at other ways of developing your headline style.

You need to think about your audience. Who is it that you are writing for?

For gossip and entertainment?
For those looking for financial advice - facts and figures?
For someone looking for exercise or health information - reliable and assuring?
For those browsing for ideas and pastimes?
Who are they and what are they looking for? Answering these two questions will set you on the right route to plan and write an article that will capture their attention... and from this you can then style the headline.

For example say that you're writing an article aimed at someone who is searching for the right mortgage. That person will look for 'facts', 'figures', 'surveys' and even maybe a case study that they can identify with. The language will be business like & authoritative. Anyone reading would not expect lots of jokey thoughts and gossip in the article. On the other hand if you are writing your article aimed at someone searching for news on their favourite pop star, gossip, jokes and light frothy sentences will hit the mark.

You've got 5 seconds!

When writing your headlines remember that you only have about 5 seconds to grab your potential readers attention.

If they scan the list of headlines and yours doesn't 'pop out' you've lost them forever.

Here are a few more styles that can help you to write a great headline.

The 'Testimonial' Headline

"I used 'XY's' formula B ... now I earn $ssss and have financial freedom"

Testimonials are very powerful, when they sound believable. Use them to help you sell a new product or idea.

The 'News' Headline - Make an announcement

"It's here at last! The breakthrough in internet marketing has arrived"

A great way for announcing new products and services, making the reader feel that they're in at the beginning.

Also you may have noticed that I didn't say 'what' it was... so you add an element of curiosity in the headline too.

The 'Formula' headline - tell them 'how to'

"Follow these 3 simple steps to increase your writing speed"

How often are you looking for the solution to the problem? Well if the headline tells you that you can find the solution in just 3 simple steps... aren't you going to want to read 'what' those simple steps are?

Often these headline begin with words like "How to" ... "how to loose 5lb's in 1 week... with just 5 minutes a day". The secret is that the headline suggest that the solution will be revealed in the article.

The 'Question' Headline

"Do you hate the Gym? - How to have a gym workout without ever stepping inside one again"

The secret to this type of headline is to pose the question that you know most people will answer in a certain way... then you suggest that the answer will be given in the article. When writing this sort of headline... you need to be sure that the majority of your readers are going to agree with you ... or they may just say "No... I love the gym" and never read on.

The 'Order' Headline... Do it now!

"Act now and save £1000 on your insurance this year!"

Giving a command focuses attention on a desired action that you want the reader to take on reading the article.

What ever style of headline you choose... make sure that you 'Deliver'

What I mean is, if you suggest that you are going to tell them the solution to the problem, in the headline, you must give that solution in the article or at least tell them where the reader must go to find the solution.

Don't refer to something in your headline and then not mention it in the article. This leaves the reader confused and cross... they'll feel cheated and won't trust you or read your articles again!

Add Value to your headline

Turn an 'ok' headline like "How to write a good headline" into a great one "Get your articles read - Writing headlines that GRAB!"

Short and sweet.

7 words is a good guide. If you've got more to say then put it in a sub-headline.

Need some more ideas... here are some words and run-ins that'll help to attract readers attention:

Activate, Achieve, Affordable, Amaze, Amazing, Avoid,
Best, Breakthrough, Banish, Bounce back from ..., Beginners guide to..., (the) Best & Worst ways to ...., Budget,
Captivate, Create, Cash in on..., Complete guide to ..., ..... on the Cheap
Discover, Discovery, Deliver, ..... Dreams come true,
Eliminate, Essential, Energise, Essential elements, Exciting,
Formula, Fantastic,
Great, Gigantic, Guaranteed, Gain the..., Get the edge..., Good news when....,
How to ..., Hidden secret ..., Hot tips on...,
Incredible, Ingenious, Impossible (to miss),
Just out..., Judge for yourself...,
Kill, Killing,
Love, Loveliest, Looking for..., Longing for..., (the) Last word on...,
Master, Mastering, Must have, Must-know,
No more, New, Newest, Never .... again, No-fail guide to....,
Outrageous, Outrage, One time offer...,
Powerful, Profit from, Perfect (solution, birthday gift, holiday,etc)
Quick guide to, Questions & Answers to..., Questions that you must ask about....,
Results, Revealed, Revelation, (the) Real...., Read this before....,
Simple, Simplest, Secrets, Scientific, Shocking, Special report...., Strategies for..., Straight answers about..., (the) Solution to...,
Ten Quick Tips, Tips, Tricks, Time-tested, Tactics, Top, Techniques, Thrifty
Unbelievable, User-friendly ways to..., Unleash, Unlimited, Unique,
Value added, Valuable,
(7) Ways to..., What's HOT and What's NOT in..., When to ... and when not, (the) Worst thing you....,
You must try this...., You need to know how....,
I'm sure you'll begin to think of hundreds of variations and improvements.... start writing them down now... and when you see a good headline... adapt it for your use.

Enjoy your writing

Article Writing - Writing Headlines That Sell

For those of you who get the morning paper, think about how you decide what to read. Most people skim a magazine or newspaper quickly to see which headlines grab their attention.

People read the same way online, if not more so. You can post the most-intriguing article ever written, but unless the headline connects with readers, they likely won't bother to read it. Here are some suggestions for article writing headlines that sell:

* Summarize the story. Don't become so focused on packing the article with keywords that it fails to convey what the article is about.

* Be active. Always use an active, not passive, voice that reflects the energy of your company.

* Use present tense. Readers want to know what you are doing or are going to do, not what you have done.

* Use strong verbs. Choose verbs that draw readers in and encourage them to act.

* Summarize the article. A reader should be able to read a headline quickly and have a good feel for what the article is all about.

* Include SEO. Always work in keywords that will help boost your search engine rankings.

* Be creative. Puns and plays on words can attract attention to your article. But be sure they can be grasped quickly and don't carry a double meaning that may offend someone.

* Promise a benefit. See if you can convey in a few words how reading this article will benefit the reader.

A well-written headline may or may not induce someone to read your article. But you can bet that a poorly written one will encourage them to look elsewhere for something to read.

Article Writing Solutions - Easy Ways to Create Eye-Catching Headlines

What they say is true; titles are the most important elements of any article. This is because your title is what will draw your audience to your articles. If you fail to capture your readers' attention through your headlines, you can be assured that your articles will become instant failures. You don't want that to happen, do you? So, here are some easy, no-brainer ways to help you make your headlines more attention-grabbing:

1. Keep it short. You don't need to use 20 or more words on your titles. Remember, you only have a couple of seconds to keep your target audience interested so you better make the most out of it. Tell your readers what's in it for them using as few words as possible and make sure that each word counts.

2. Tell the benefits ASAP. Use the first four words of your titles to tell your readers the benefits that they can get from your articles. For example, instead of using titles like this "The pros and cons of article marketing" you can use this one: Internet Marketing: The Pros and Cons. By using this title, your readers would know right away that they're about to get information about internet marketing.

3. Use keywords. What words do you think your target audience would use if they're to find your articles online? Use these words or phrases on your headlines. Better yet start your headlines with these keywords. This is to make sure that your articles will show up on relevant searches.

4. Make it intriguing. As much as possible, pique your readers' attention through your headlines. You can do this by challenging some of their common beliefs, by talking about latest breakthroughs in your chosen niche, or by simply sharing with them the secrets that they're dying to know about.

Article Writing Tips - How to Incorporate Keywords in Your Headline

When it comes to writing articles, your headlines are very important. You need a title that draws the reader in and leads them to want to click on your piece. Some say writing great headlines is an art but I say it's a skill that anyone can learn and perfect with practice.

Some people have trouble getting their keyword phrase into their attention-grabbing headline and I have found the colon method is a great way to do this. It's also beneficial at getting your keyword phrase right there in the beginning of your headline, which helps with SEO.

I use headline templates and then fill in the blanks with my keyword phrases and the topics of my articles. This even helps me think of article ideas when I'm stuck for what to write about.

Here's what I mean (I can't use the phrase every time of this article will be keyword overstuffed):

1. Article Writing Tips: How to eliminate writer's block

2. Article " ": My personal favorite strategy for increasing page views 3. Article " ": A simple 4 step strategy to write more every day

4. Article " ": NEWSFLASH! Here's a trick to write faster with fewer mistakes

5. Article " ": A powerful way of improving your articles

6. Article " ": 3 exercises to write articles from the heart

7. Article " ": A simple writing organization trick that DOUBLES the amount of articles you write

8. Article " ": Find out the reason why many writers have weak headlines and why it is so easy to improve yourself

There you have it! I just made up eight great article headlines focusing on article writing tips. This is a great keyword for me to target and I have a great deal of useful information to provide. These headlines will likely draw in many views for me. Now, I'm off to go write these 8 great articles!

How To Write A Catchy Headline

Knowing how to write a catchy headline is an essential skill of a copywriter. You are competing for the attention of your market and you must stand out, hopefully this article will enable you to do so.

The content of your headline depends on several factors which are:

Audience
Do you have a rapport with the audience? If so, it may be advantageous to personalise the email.
   
Product / Service you are promoting
A professional product should be represented professionally. If your product is inexpensive, be sure to    play on that within your headline
   
Writing format
The length of your headline will be a function of your format. Formats included are blog posts, articles, sales pages, reports, emails etc.

I'm of the opinion that the headline should reflect the content, however that is because this is what works within my market. If you browse over your spam emails you notice that a lot of them try to personalise to headline by incorporating your name in it. This is obviously something that works for that market. A professional product or service should be represented by an honest headline. You will lose and upset many people if your headline is misleading or irrelevant to the content. I've made a quick list of what I consider to be good and bad headline themes with respect to a professional product or service.

GOOD
Benefit headlines (eg Amazing new course shows you how to skyrocket your loan pipeline by 300% in 30 days! ).
Summary headlines (eg Scientists grow human ear on back of a mouse )
Question headlines (eg Is the Zune any better than the iPod?' )
Mention Keywords (eg Al Jazeera International chooses Apple Technology )

BAD
False promises
Irrelevant headline

OTHER
Shocking headlines (These can be good and bad. Use them wisely.)

Words that are used commonly in good headlines


Instant
Free
Guarantee
Easy
Superlatives (i.e. 'Easiest way' instead of 'a way')


You should test your headlines and find out what works best within your market. If you stumble upon a great headline, write it down and figure out why it was so good and incorporate that into your next headline.

The Importance Of Headlines

Internet users are notorious scanners. I suspect they developed this habit as a defense mechanism, as a way to counteract the enormous volumes of information found on the Internet.

That's why headlines are so important. Headlines act as stop sign, in a crowded universe filled with scanners, on this medium known as the "information superhighway."

The best way to get a scanners attention is to write a targeted headline that makes the reader think to himself, "Hey, that's me they're talking about!"

Many novice copywriters make the fatal mistake of writing headlines that attempt to sell to everyone, and as a result, end up selling to no one.

That's why it's so important to make sure your headlines are targeted.

For example, I'm a copywriter. My target market is anyone who is dissatisfied with the performance of their sales copy.

On my website, the headline of my sales letter simply reads:

"Website Not Making Any Sales? Get A Free Sales Copy Evaluation Today!"

Just 12 simple words that are targeted and super-effective!

But even though the words may appear simple, it's very important to invest some time into creating your headlines.

To end up with the best, targeted headlines possible, you need to write dozens of variations of potential headlines.

I generally write 20 to 30 headlines, and then narrow my list down to the best 10, and from there, the best 5, and finally, the best one.

Having said that, I have to be honest and tell you this. Usually, my very best headlines just pop into my head, without me having to compile a list first.

But I've been writing copy for 25 years. So I have a feel for what works and what doesn't. I don't recommend you use the first headline that pops into your head.  ALWAYS compile a list.

Some copywriters write as many as 50 headlines, and narrow their list down to the top 2 headlines, and then split-test them.

Split-testing is a procedure that ascertains effectiveness, and proper function.

When I first started copywriting, I used to always split-test my headlines.

However, over the years, as I developed more and more experience, I rarely split-test headlines anymore. Why?

Because after 25 years of writing copy, I've developed such an excellent feel for writing headlines, once I decide on the best headline to use, 99% of the time, the headlines I select work exceedingly well.

So how can you determine your best headlines?

Showcase your headlines to other people. Get their opinions.

Just remember, no matter what opinions others may have about your headlines, it's ultimately going to come down to your own gut instinct, as to which headlines you decide to use.

The Key to Attention-Getting Headlines

If A Headline Has Caught Your Attention And Enticed You To Read Some More, Then It Has Served Its Purpose.

A headline is the first thing that a reader sees when skimming over voluminous written pieces all over the Internet. In the same vein that landing pages give us that first impression, a truly effective and powerful headline is the crowning glory. It embodies, in such a capsulated form, all there is to know about the article you are about to read. Making the perfect mix of words in such limited characters, which is usually no more than 50 characters, is a true challenge for all of us doing copywriting.

An underlying question in writing attention-getting headlines, though, is:

Should headlines be keyword-optimized for search engines like Google?

This is one of the many interesting questions that noted copywriter Ben Settle answered in the Million Dollar Copywriting Secrets Course. Let this article be a forum for my reaction and comments.

What's In A Keyword?

Just like Ben Settle, I am really not into keyword optimization per se, more so for headlines. The mere act of optimizing keywords is simply to cater to the whims and caprices of search engines, especially Google. As we all know, search engines are all about keywords. If you don't happen to have the right and relevant keywords, search engines aren't likely to find you. This is a harsh reality in the Google era but who's to say that it's the summumbonum?

I do think, however, that it's still fair to say that keywords still play an important part in making our headlines be "seen." But extra care should be taken in placing it in the proper perspective without really making the headline so saturated with the intended keywords that obviously makes it a fodder for search engine crawlers! And this is truly the gem of an advice from Ben Settle that we should take heart when writing attention-getting headlines: first and foremost

We Should Write For Our readers Using Our Natural Language And Not Just Write For Google.

For Whom the Keywords Toll

Sad but true, but most headlines or even articles are just laden with the right keywords or is keyword-rich solely for search engine optimization efforts. Sometimes, content and substance takes a backseat for this. Regrettably, this is not an ideal thing to do because you lose sight of your raison d'etre: that is, your flair for writing and the process of communicating something of value to your readers.

The Next Time You Write Attention-Getting Headlines For Your Articles, Think About This:

To Whom Are You Writing It For?