{"id":13504,"date":"2016-12-28T14:37:33","date_gmt":"2016-12-28T14:37:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.agency.localmarketingguru.com\/?p=13504"},"modified":"2019-08-24T14:39:30","modified_gmt":"2019-08-24T14:39:30","slug":"6-actionable-tips-on-how-to-write-headlines-that-stick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brightstag.com\/6-actionable-tips-on-how-to-write-headlines-that-stick\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Actionable Tips on How To Write Headlines That Stick"},"content":{"rendered":"
Need Help Writing Great Headlines? Here’s How It’s Done<\/strong><\/h5>\n

You\u2019ve heard it said over and over that \u201ccontent is king,\u201d and, of course, you do have to write great content, but even the best content is going to be essentially useless if it\u2019s neither read nor ranked. So, you need a great headline. Your headline is what represents your content, plain and simple, and writers who know that often spend literally hours agonizing over headlines \u2013 how long should it be? Have I used the right words? Have I used the wrong words? What about optimizing \u2013 should I be focusing on social or search?<\/p>\n

Relax. Crafting a good headline is important, but it doesn\u2019t have to be all that difficult if you follow these tips.<\/p>\n

Tip #1: Start With a Working Headline<\/strong><\/p>\n

Your working headline is not going to be perfect. It\u2019s just what gets you started. So, once you know what your topic is going to be, create a headline that says something about the topic. Topics are usually general, and could lead you in several different directions, so your working headline does not have to be super-good; just good enough to get you started. You\u2019ll finesse the headline later.<\/p>\n

Tip #2: Strive for Accuracy<\/strong><\/p>\n

You don\u2019t want to mislead your readers, so keep your headline as accurate as you can. Think about all the times you threw a magazine in the trash because a headline promised you something that the article didn\u2019t deliver. Like \u201cMeals Your Family Will Love with Just 3 Ingredients,\u201d and one of those ingredients turns out to be a ridiculously expensive dried pasta side dish? Or \u201cMake $5,000 a Week Working at Home,\u201d and then you discover the article is about multi-level marketing?<\/p>\n

You feel ripped off, right? So don\u2019t do that to your prospects. Keep it real. \u201cPasta Side Plus 2 Makes a Meal for the Whole Family,\u201d or \u201cThe Truth About Multi-Level Marketing Might Surprise You,\u201d will still attract readers, and they won\u2019t feel cheated.<\/p>\n

Tip #3: Use Bracketed Clarifications if Appropriate<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another way in which readers feel cheated is if they click on your headline and end up being guided to something that they really didn\u2019t want to look at. It is annoying, thinking that you\u2019re heading to an article, for instance, only to end up with an infographic or a video. So, bracketed clarifications can also contribute in a large way to accuracy. Just add [article], etc. to the headline. When you do this, you are respecting the reader.<\/p>\n

Tip # 4: Jazz It Up<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now, just because I\u2019m encouraging you to be accurate and respectful, that doesn\u2019t mean that you can\u2019t have a little fun with your headline. Of course, I\u2019m assuming that you understand the type of language that resonates with your buyer persona<\/a>, and you know what your readers value. Then, work with their preferred style, and have some fun with language.<\/p>\n

As an example, you might use alliteration in your title. Your headline for the three-ingredient family meal article might be something like \u201cFast Family Food with Pasta Sides and a Couple of Extras\u201d Or, you could use strong phrases \u2013 sometimes even negative ones work. \u201cToday\u2019s Multilevel Marketing \u2013 It\u2019s Not Your Dad\u2019s Amway!\u201d<\/p>\n

Tip #5: Keep It Short, But Not Too Short<\/strong><\/p>\n

The best headlines are just long enough to deliver accurate information, but short enough to sustain interest. Notice that the examples I\u2019ve suggested above are all at least 8 words, but not more than 12. On Twitter, headlines between 8 and 12 words get the most shares, and on Facebook, headlines that contain between 12 and 14 words get the most likes. So, if you keep it between 8 and 12 words, you\u2019re good on the major social media platforms.<\/p>\n

Also, if you want your title to rank well, keep it under 70 characters \u2013 otherwise, it\u2019s going to get cut off.<\/p>\n

Tip #6: Try to Optimize for Both Search and Social<\/strong><\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t always easy, and if you try to force it, your title could end up sounding a bit odd. So focus primarily on your audience \u2013 think about the keywords that you already know they\u2019re looking for, and try to position a keyword close to the beginning of your heading. That way, you\u2019ll probably end up with search and social covered without too much effort.<\/p>\n

And Finally, Brainstorm<\/strong><\/p>\n

By this point, you probably have a pretty good title in the works, and it\u2019s time to run it by someone else. Have that person tweak the title, and suggest other angles. Toss it back and forth a few times. Ultimately, you\u2019ll end up with a title that is accurate, jazzy, just the right length, and optimized for social and SEO. If you\u2019re stuck and need a little help, try HubSpot\u2019s blog topic generator<\/a> tool which is good for headlines as well. Writing great headlines is what gets you noticed in that great, churning sea of content out there.<\/p>\n

\"New<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n