Gripping headlines: examples of effective headlines, rules, and ways to create

The headline should make the person read the article or letter. A good headline is when the reader understands that if he does not study a specific text, he will lose a lot. Bad headline - when a potential client passes by without a twinge of conscience. Writing catchy headlines is a real art. But, as they say, any genius is 99% perseverance, so that if you want and hard work you can achieve any heights.

Statistics do not lie

They say the headline is 50% success. Nonsense! The headline is 100% success. The copywriter needs to understand that 8 out of 10 people will read the headline, but only two of them will read the text. But even these two need to be interested in a catchy headline.

You could even say that a good headline is a matter of life and death in content marketing. There will be no catchy header - there will be no traffic, there will be no traffic - there will be no profit.

Features

So how to write catchy headers? First you need to adjust the title to the classic criteria of interesting content:

1. Promise the audience the benefits, not just talk about the content.
2. Add specific details to the catchy headline that emphasize the relevance and value of the information. In most cases, numbers act as such details - the main thing is to beat them correctly.
3. Take into account the interests of the target audience. It is very important to mention in the title who the content is for.
4. Correct positioning.
5. Arouse curiosity. Usually one of three literary devices is used for this: metaphor, alliteration, or opposition.
6. Dialog. It is important not only to interest the reader, but also to enter into a dialogue with the audience. That is, to describe the obvious in simple words that people use in everyday life.
7. The best example of a catchy title is a short title. It attracts more attention.
8. Subtitle. If it is not possible to write a short headline, you can supplement it with a subheading that will more fully describe the information available in the content.
9. Keywords. Naturally, without them anywhere, otherwise there will be no traffic.

Typically, headers contain two or more of the characteristics presented. It is they who are defined as catchy.

Psychosomatics

So what else do you need to know about how to write a catchy title? Human psychology. If the headline is truly effective, then it will have an effect on the psychosomatic system of a person. For this, so-called psycho-hooks are used. Simply put, such headlines can trigger a person’s psychological response. Usually it manifests itself in an increase in brain activity and arousal of the emotions necessary for the author. If there are no such components in the title, then changes in the reader’s state will not occur, and, accordingly, the effect will be reduced to zero.

The best examples of catchy headlines use precisely the methods of psychological influence.

Questions

Typically, questions are used in catchy headings for selling pages. A question in the headline makes a person answer it. The whole point is that the reader comprehends it and passes it through itself. Therefore, a person wants it or not, he pays attention to the content.

Questions can be concrete, rhetorical or even abstract. They will be united by one thing: one way or another, they indicate that the answer is worth looking for in the text, and for this it needs to be read.

Here are some good examples:

• "Why can't you afford a trip around the world?"
• "Why do your eyes hurt?"
• "How much does your work really cost?"

It is important to keep in mind that different issues cause a different reaction and focus readers on different aspects.

Solution

This method is best used when creating catchy headers for sending emails. Perhaps many do not know, or at least not recognize, that humans are by their nature terribly lazy creatures. And if there is an opportunity to get a ready-made solution to an urgent problem, people will take advantage of this with pleasure. Answering a question is the best way to influence your audience. The trick here is completely unsophisticated: we select the problem, write its solution in the text and let us know in the headline what is at stake. Here, for example:

• "Where to get a lot of money?"
• "How to get rid of back pain?".
• "How to stop worrying over trifles?".

The most popular headings are those that begin with the word "how." For some reason, it is generally accepted that there is a practical guide behind this word, which will be more than useful. Studies have shown that readers have a special confidence in this word. And this word is most often entered into search queries.

Alien experience

People most of all trust those who have already done something, and not those who own only theory, without putting it into practice. Using the methodology of personal experience, they usually create catchy headlines for business, advertising training, online courses, etc. In practice, demagogy and outcome are two different things. Here is a comparison:

1. "How can I earn $ 1,000 in three days?" (demagogy).
2. "How did I earn $ 1,000 in three days?" (result).

The second headline is more credible, respectively, more people will switch to viewing content.

By the way, the title may include not only personal experience, but also the activity of a third party. And the more authoritative this person, the better. Here, for example:

• "What does Schumacher do when he runs out of gas?"
• "How did the first million Bill Gates earn?"
• "How do nutritionists prolong youth?" etc.

Secrets, investigations, intrigues

People are not only lazy, but also very curious, they simply adore everything unknown, secret and secret. Especially if this allows them to get some benefits. Even if there are no advantages, people are still not able to ignore the secret. Playing on human curiosity, you can easily write several headlines. Typically, these techniques are used to create a catchy headline for advertising. For example:

• "The secret to double business profits."
• "Money that you don’t notice, but walk on it."
• "The secret of beauty in concentrated micelles."
• "The secret of youth is revealed: tomato, honey and semolina."

Numbers, numbers, numbers

The numbers allow a person to evaluate how much benefit he will receive from reading or viewing the content, and how easily this information will be perceived. The numbers in the headline are quantitative indicators of the saturation and ease of assimilation of information.

The more numbers, the richer the text, and this attracts readers. It seems to the average Internet user that such text is simpler, more practical, and therefore easier to read. If certainty is introduced, then it is easy to integrate useful reliable information with a commercial layer. Here, for example:

• "7 minutes a day to make a wish come true."
• "5 Ways to Find Inspiration."
• "100 and 1 way to become a successful entrepreneur."
• "99 secrets to a successful business."
• "20 mistakes novice copywriter."

Accents

Focusing on something, the heading gets new properties and becomes several times more effective. This is usually how they create catchy headlines for ads. Emphasis can be placed on ordinary, unremarkable words, but in combination with the headline, they increase its effectiveness. The emphasis always points to something - this is its distinguishing feature.

Examples of such headers:

• "THESE tires will make friends envy you."
• "Who else wants to become a successful businessman?"
• "Set our alarm, and auto hijackers will ALWAYS be behind bars."
• "You are aging faster without knowing THIS secret."

Pinch of fear

A strong motivating factor is fear. Just add it to the headline and the user will begin to read the text. Everything is simple here: a person instinctively tries to defend himself against all negative factors. And if there is at least a minimal chance that he will find in the content a way to protect himself, then a person will certainly read it. Here are some examples:

• "You lose 5000 € every year without this skill."
• "Eating these foods burns out the stomach in a day."
• "Just one word can save a marriage."

Warranty, creative

If you look, guarantees are derivatives of fear, just veiled. If a person feels protected, then he more loyally perceives the written text. You can often find such headlines as:

• "Only three uses and you will get rid of the problem. Otherwise, we will refund your money!".
• "24 hours, and no facial wrinkles around the eyes!".

However, there is one big “but”: people know what to expect from such headers, so you need to use non-standard and conflicting methods for creating headlines.

Reception helps to stand out, attract attention and break through the filter of user distrust. True, these headings will have to work longer than with the rest. Here are some examples:

• "You will go into a trance by reading this text!".
• "How long can you wait? Take your money!".
• "Full house in failure."
• "Fresh sex ?! Start bickering."

Point blank shot

And finally, the most powerful catchy headlines are those that hit the most sore spot. For example, pride, problems, pride and other problems that are relevant to a person:

• "How long will you work for Uncle?"
• "Tired of weed fighting?"
• "Hate the slow internet?"
• "Forget about tooth problems!"

Remember that people are primarily interested in their problems and needs, so if the heading has nothing to do with them, then the main text will read at best 1% out of 100 possible.

Walkthrough

Catching headers for network companies, advertisements, newsletters and others are created in 5 stages:

• The psychology of clickable headers. This was stated above. It is important to understand what exactly makes a person view the content. Clickable headings are psychologically convincing, so the brain will strive to get the information that is missing in the heading.
• Benefits. Headlines showing benefits show up 28% more often. The author has three seconds to convince the user to read the text. Did not have time - lost.

• Brainstorming and testing. To create the most effective headline, you need to come up with several alternative options and check them using the mailing list. Suppose there are four headers, which means that for every 25% of subscribers, send one option and see which one will have the most transitions. To come up with the right headline, don't neglect brainstorming. No need to erase all invented options. As practice has shown, in the end, of all the words used, a very effective headline can be put together.
• Numbers and percentages. As already mentioned, the numbers work well, and if you supplement them with a percentage, you can get the desired result.
• Holistic picture. Headings - this is important, but do not forget about the text itself. Particular attention should be paid to the first lines, since they are the ones that accompany the title. It is them that the reader sees even before he opens the full text. These sentences should expand the title, so you need to briefly explain what the content will be about, but not with dry text, but luring the reader further. You can’t reveal all the cards, there should always be a place for intrigue.

You need to know

Most importantly, inappropriate words and obvious sentences should be avoided. There is no “given text,” “given advice,” “given information.” Data are numerical research results. All! Similarly, there should be no sentences like: “In this article you will find out”; "Today we will talk"; “With this material you can”, etc. Professionals do not write like that. If the reader has opened the text, it means that he already knows (well, or guesses) what will be discussed, and what he will be able to learn from the material presented.

It is also impossible to deceive or manipulate the reader. The headline should talk about what really is in the material, and not look like an absurd inconsistency when one author wrote the text and another created the title.

It doesn’t matter what the text is written about, you can’t write in the heading “You Won't Believe It,” “It's Hard to Believe It,” etc. After all, the reader really will not believe it. In general, it is better not to use the negative “not” particle, since the reader practically does not see it. For example, if you write “inexpensively”, a person will pay attention to the word “expensive”. Better to write "nowhere cheaper" or "freebie."

Making headlines is a difficult task, but if you look at all the subtleties, it’s very interesting.