If you want your posts to perform well, one simple way to achieve this is by writing catchy headlines which get the user hooked.

Why is Headline Important?

Traffic to your post will depend on the power of your headline. If you fail to make it impactful and clickable, every other marketing just falls flat.

Step #1: Use Numbers and Data in Your Headline

Integrating specific numbers and data into your headline is an effective way to make your article more enticing to readers. Several research studies have shown that headlines with numbers tend to generate more social shares and engagement.

According to Debra Jason, one of the reasons why using numbers works in your headlines is because numbers are like “brain candy.” They are addictive, and our minds can’t get enough of them.

Moreover, odd numbers rule. Surprised?

According to the Content Marketing Institute, the brain seems to believe odd numbers more than even numbers. Odd numbers help people digest and recall information more easily.

What’s more, when they tested their hypothesis and tweaked their headline to include the number 7, click-through rates increased by 20%.

Ex.“7 Steps To Start a Business from Home” 

Step #2: Give a Unique Reasoning

With 59% of people sharing content without reading it first, we need to make sure our headlines appeal to people who will. To avoid wasting time on content, give people a strong reason why they should click, read and above all: share your content. 

Some of the reasoning that works wonders for headlines are:

• Tips 
• Reasons 
• Lessons 
• Tricks 
• Ideas 
• Ways 
• Principles 
• Facts 
• Secrets 
• Strategies 

Here are some examples of our rationale in action:

• 5 Tips to Write Blog Introductions Like a Pro
• 7 Secrets of Driving More Engagement
• 3 Principles for Designing a Perfect Landing Page

Step #3: Get the Attention

The purpose of the headline is to get your viewer to read the first sentence. 

With thousands of ads, blogs, articles, and more vying for their attention every single day, the customer has too much information to choose from.  The average person’s attention span is just between 12 and 8 seconds.

Step #4: Use Headline Formulas

What makes a headline good is it’s structure. Keep testing the formula and updating it regularly.

I have mine and, sometimes, I tweak and test different headlines, before deciding which one works best. When using formulas, make sure to include power words that will get people to buy your product or join your waiting list.

Here is an impactful “SHINE” formula by the guru Neil Patel:

• S – Specificity
• H – Helpfulness
• I – Immediacy
• N – Newsworthiness
• E – Entertainment value

His example of  adopting the headline formula used by many fitness experts wrks wonders. They first identify the problem, then offer a solution and then make a promise.

Step #5: Measure Your Headline’s Success

You can measure content and headline success through:

i). Client/customer inquiries: Within a period of 2 – 3 months, did your content generate any client inquiries? It doesn’t have to be much.  Keep optimizing.

ii).   Social media stats: Are people commenting, liking, and sharing your content? Most social media platforms provide engagement statistics at the click of a button, and it’s important to keep your eye on what your audience enjoys the most. 

iii) Other forms of digital statistics: You can measure the amount of inbound links that you generate through your powerful headlines and content.

iv) Measure direct responses: A lot of your clients may be engaging on your posts. Focus on that and engage with the audience.

Figure out what’s delivering your success, and repeat it. Maximize your powerful headlines.

So have you defined your headline strategy yet?