Are headlines the boogeyman of content writing?
Do you need to be a skilled copywriter to craft catchy headlines?
Is there a science or an art behind it – or maybe both?
And most importantly, should you care about headline writing if you’re not in the copywriting business?
Debunking the Secrets of Headline WritingWell, you should, because headline writing is not only the salt and pepper of Web copy.
You’ll find that understanding and improving, if not mastering, your headlines will prove to be useful in many other common instances of your business operations, from writing e-mails to making presentations and drafting your sales pitch.
But why are headlines so important?
What is their effect on our brains?
When we read a good headline, it creates a spark in our brain, telling us to continue reading.
If the headline is dull, our brain discards the information and clicks away, in search of something more interesting.
Headlines are like bait. But not all bait is bitten by fish. And unlike fish, readers will know if it’s fake, and then it will be too late. For you. So make sure your bait is always genuine and backed up by what’s between the headlines – that is by the content of the paragraphs.
So, how can we create persuasive headlines that spark browsers’ attention, convincing them to read?
There are basically three types of headlines that prove to be most effective in increasing readership.
These are question-headlines, problem-headlines, and headlines targeting our curiosity.
Let’s see each of them.
1. Question-Headlines
Why are questions more effective than statements?
Compare it to:
Questions are more effective than statements.
Which of the two fires up your neurons? It’s the question, right? Why? Because it fuels our brain forcing it to work in search of an answer, while the statement contains it already.
2. Problem-Headlines
Is headline writing giving you a hard time?
Are you striving to improve your content writing?
Are you at a loss because of headlines?
Beside questions, our brains react more powerfully when presented with problems rather than solutions. For the same reason as with interrogations: When reading a headline centered around a problem, the mechanism in our brains is activated and starts looking for a solution.
Things follow the pattern of the survival instinct. Our brains are programmed to defend us, so they start looking for a solution the moment they encounter a problem. If the solution is already there, motivation and interest are null.
3. Curiosity-focused Headlines.
Curiosity kills the cat, but it boosts the effectiveness of your headlines.
Our brains feed on novelty. Aside from questions and problems, our world gravitates around curiosity. So make your reader curious by introducing the curiosity factor into your headlines to increase their efficacy.
What else can you do to mesmerize your readers with your headlines?
Is there a pattern to be followed to increase the effect of your headlines?
How can you trigger that headline mojo?
The shortest possible answer to these questions is a three-letter word: FAB
What’s that?
FAB – Feature, Advantage, Benefit – is a concept use to describe a Kodak Zi8 camera. It can also be used to help uncover the secrets of writing headlines.
A Kodak Zi8 camera allows you to: take full HD 1080p videos wherever you may roam (F), enjoy the highest resolution of high definition available (A), and capture all essential details from those special moments you share with family and friends (B).
What does the FAB have to do with writing catchy headlines?
Well, to cut to the chase, it’s:
F = Feature
A = Advantage
B = Benefit
All of these three elements should be taken into account when crafting persuasive headlines for Web copy, focusing on the customer first and foremost.
Start practicing your FAB together with the three major types of impactful headlines right now to increase the effectiveness of your Web content and the power of your business.
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