A headline is the first thing a potential reader sees and it has to do a lot of work to convert that person into a website visitor, article read, or social media commenter. Every piece of content you want to attract more eyeballs, from your blog posts and articles to your product descriptions, needs a great headline. That includes your email subject lines.
Many of the top headlines use emotional trigger words such as fear, surprise, anger, or anxiety to draw readers in. They also employ a variety of headline structures, from question headlines that leverage the psychological desire to answer questions, to “how-to” headlines that promise instructional content.
These headlines identify a pain point or a struggle your audience faces on a regular basis and then promise to alleviate that problem with their article or other content. A strong example is the National Enquirer’s headline, How to Win a Job Interview (and Keep It).
These are based on research and data such as industry reports and statements from thought leaders or experts your audience inherently trusts. They also often include powerful words such as ultimate, best, only, guaranteed, or a combination.
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