Creating headlines that drive traffic and attracts readers is part art with a dose of science.
If you don’t learn how to write a good headline then the chances are you will have trouble attracting traffic to your website or blog. In a digital economy that can cost sales, because you need readers to turn up to buy your goods and services.
Newspapers and magazines have been perfecting the art for over a hundred years. Write a good headline and your circulation increases. Headlines are vital not just for newspapers but for advertisements both offline and online.
Even Facebook ads are not immune.
Twitter with only 140 characters is the perfect platform for honing headlines if you want people to click on the embedded link. Online stores need to create banners with headlines that make people click. The skill of headline writing is also vital for those important emails that you send out to your subscribers….if you want them opened.
The power of effective headlines was something I discovered after reading a series of printed marketing guides 20 years ago by Jay Abraham (an American marketing wizard). I implemented some of his ideas for print media and found they worked.
Print or web, the principles have not changed.
Stopping the car
Writing a good blog post or article often starts with the headline and it flows from there. I often stop what I am doing (even a conversation..politely of course) and write down a headline idea. Don’t let that inspiration escape.
Stopping the car has been done on several occasions.
So what are some headline types that work?
Headlines come in all shapes and sizes but some work better than others.
Here are a few types to get you thinking.
1. The “List” headline
These lists can be 5, 10 or mega. The mega list is often guaranteed to produce a ton of traffic. It means you might have to spend longer writing the article but it will be worth it.
Example: “57 ways to Boost your Blog Traffic“
2. The “How to”
Everyone is trying to work out how to do something. How to be rich, beautiful or fit. Tell them how and they will not only read the rest but tell their friends about your article and retweet and share on Facebook.
Example of this “How to Get More Retweets on Twitter“
10 Awesome Headlines that Drive Traffic and Attract Readers – Jeffbullas’s Blog.