Writing a captivating headline is an essential skill for content creators. A headline is the first thing that readers see, and it can make or break the success of your content. Here are some tips to help you write a captivating headline:
- Craft a one-sentence synopsis: Write a one-sentence summary of your piece to get a clear understanding of the main point of your piece and the message you’re trying to convey to your readers. This sentence can be tweaked to become a perfect title for the piece too.
- Identify your SEO keyword: Identify the keyword that you want your blog post to be categorized under in Google searches. This will help you craft a headline that is optimized for search engines1.
- Use numbers: Use numbers to give concrete takeaways and make your headline more specific.
- Use emotional objectives: Use emotional objectives to describe your reader’s problem and create an emotional connection with them.
- Use unique rationale: Use unique rationale to demonstrate what the reader will get out of the article and make it stand out from other articles on the same topic.
- Use what, why, how, or when: Use what, why, how, or when in your headline to make it more specific and informative.
- Apply the information gap: Create curiosity by applying the information gap technique in your headline3.
- Use storytelling: Use storytelling to create an emotional connection with your readers and make them want to read more.
- Reveal a hitherto unknown secret: Reveal a hitherto unknown secret in your headline to create intrigue and curiosity among readers.
Remember, a good headline is one that grabs attention, summarizes the content, and encourages social media shares. I hope these tips help you write captivating headlines!