READ ME! or How to Write a Catchy Headline.

The first and the only thing that can make the first impression and catch the attention of the potential reader is the title, where you should put the maximum value in minimum words. According to the Statistic Brain the attention span of a human is about 8 seconds. So, the question is - how to make the headline catchy and attractive for people?

To start with it is important to remember such a simple formula.

For example, the topic you are writing about is Healthy Food. The standard headline would sound like “How to eat healthy.” or “Healthy Eating. Basic principles.” Apply the formula and you would get “11 Proven Ways to Eat Healthy Without Extra Effort.” or “How You Get in Shape Eating Healthy Food in Less Than 1 Month.” Sounds more attractive, right?

NUMBER TRIGGER WORD

ADJECTIVE

KEYWORD PROMISE

KILLING HEADLIN

E

Useful Formu

la

Working TitleThat is the first point to take into account. Every work starts with the draft and writing a headline to the article is not an exception. Before you find the best headline for your article do not mix the working title with name of the topic.Think of different options, use so-called “idea dump” method. You can discuss the topic with colleagues, create a mind-map, but your main goal is to collect as many ideas as you can. Write them down and will have a list of draft titles to choose from.

Unique Word or NumberPeople love numbers, they are something we know and feel comfortable with, because they give very precise and specific information. Also numbers in the headline can show the reader, that there will be many points described in the text. For example, “10 Reasons to Use Platforms of Marketing Automation.”

Other reason for using the numbers is when you have unique data in the article. Then this is your chance to be ultra-specific. Add the results of surveys, statistics or any other rare information to get relevant article.

http://www.rouge18.com/2016/09/15/envious-lashes-clementina-richardson/

http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2016/09/50-fresh-resources-for-designers-september-2016/

Always try to transform the benefit your post offers into a headline. The readers want to satisfy certain need and get an answer to specific question.Tell your reader what to do to achieve the certain goal. Try with a command headline. Such titles are very successful in situations where this approach is applicable.

Solve a Problem

http://alistapart.com/blog/P10

Strong LanguageThis point is mostly about the adjectives that you can use in the headline to make it more attractive and bright among the other ones on similar topic. Try to replace some of the more common words and use some unusual ones to be creative.

You can use radical bold phrases. But remember, bright aspects need to be rare to look more bright among ordinary words.

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/25-killer-websites-that-make-you-cleverer-2.html

Use different methods. Test some variants with alliteration. Like “The Best Beauty Bloggers in Boston”. It's a device that makes something a little lovelier to read, and that can have a subtle but strong impact on your reader.

Moreover, according to the research headlines including the word "photo(s)" perform 37% better than headlines without this word. In addition, articles with images get 94% more total views.

OptimizeSEO and Content go together, that is why you need to try to optimize your headline. For bigger success both for search and social case. What does it mean? Focus on keywords, that can be remarkable for your audience and include a “focus keyword” to help your article or post to get discovered by search engines.

Create the headline around the most important keyword in your written text to catch your reader's attention.

http://www.problogger.net/blog/

HumourWhat do people need nowadays? Good mood. A little humor never hurt anyone. Try to put some funny ideas or puns to spice things up. Pun can really change the deal! People either love or hate them, but never stay indifferent.

Other option you can shock your audience, but do not be too radical or lie to them. You can always use the wordplay in order to stay away from the feelings or opinions.

Be unique and funny, that will give you a chance to provide people with useful information in a quite light way.

In this case, metaphors are also a good option. They transform familiar information into the interesting thing. Like it is done in the example. Compare the elements of Content Marketing with a dish and you would get a perfect ice cream!

http://www.toprankblog.com/2015/07/content-marketing-sundae/

Keep It ShortThere is no common rule on the length of the article headline, but you need to know, that titles between 12-14 words get more Likes on Facebook, at the same time 8-12 words have the biggest amount of shares on Twitter.

When it comes to SEO, than it is 56 characters long. This means that it is short enough not be cut off in search engines and be retweeted.

Usually people don’t have much time!

http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/53/hubfs/headline-length-vs-social-shares-2.png?t=1467800084375&width=670&height=457

Put the QuestionIn some headlines you can use such words like why, what, when or how. Is method can be an analog of the number. There can exist cases where you might put both a “trigger word” and number.

Questions get your readers involved, because they always make people thinking over the problem. Also they should be directly and clearly related to the story you are writing about and the major benefit. Try various questions to find one, that can attract to the topic most of all.

http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2016/09/can-web-design-stand-the-test-of-time/

ExaggerateExaggeration is more about hyperbolizing, not cheating. This technique can also be used to purvey a sense of urgency that is sometimes much needed.

Make audience a promise in the title and show a key in the article. Don’t lie to your readers, just take the most extreme outcome of your article and express this in the headline.

Promise your reader something valuable. Will you teach them how to develop a new skill? Show how it specifically would help. What you want to do is dare your reader to read the article.

http://www.mensfitness.com/training/pro-tips/5-flexibility-marks-every-man-should-hit

Content is the King and Title is the Queen - remember it and listen to

this motto!Without a promise in the headline that turns a lead into a reader, the

rest of your words may not exist. So, from a copywriting and content marketing point of view, writing great headlines is a critical skill.

Be unique! Do not repeat after someone. Find your own way to the audience. Listen to your creativity

and do not be afraid to experiment!