HOW TO WRITE VIRAL HEADLINES:NEW BUZZSUMO RESEARCH

content format (list)

written by Steve Rayson | director | buzzsumo.com

5 K E Y E L E M E N T S / S T R U C T U R E

The following comes from an article written by Steve Rayson, based upon hisresearch into the most shared articles, and the common elements within theirheadline structure. Hundreds of thousands articles were studied, the followingconclusions were the result.

An in-depth look into what make headlines "click"

superlative

contenttype

topic

promise

[27] [Amazing] [Charts] [That Will Turn You Intoa [Banking] Whiz]

5 K E Y E L E M E N T S / D E F I N E D

CONTENT FORMATNumbered List, "How To",

Quiz, Question ]-Buzzsumo Research Says: List and 'How To' headlinesoutperform all otherheadline types across allsharing networks & media

[SUPERLATIVE

Emotional words whichresonate with audience ]-

Buzzsumo Research Says: Words like ‘Amazing’ workwell on Facebook & Twitter,‘Successful’ has moreappeal on LinkedIn

[CONTENT TYPE

Pictures, Quotes, Facts,Tips, Habits, Mistakes ]-

Buzzsumo Research Says: Pictures (Facebook), Tips(Twitter), Habits (LinkedIn)performed best - ‘tips’ doeswell across all networks

[PROMISE

What to expect if they clickthrough to your article ]-

Buzzsumo Research Says: Having an explicitly statedpromise in the headline out-performs one without -leads to storytelling

[TOPIC

Industry, business function,area of life, etc. ]-

Buzzsumo Research Says: Use Buzzsumo to findtrending topics, alsoalternate between trendingvs permanently populartopics

[infographic bybuzzsumo.com/blog/5-ways-create-

amazing-viral-headlines/