TEN SECRETS OF TEN SECRETS OF WRITINGWRITING

EFFECTIVE HEADLINESEFFECTIVE HEADLINES

by G. S. Virdi

Always address your ‘primary’ reader when you are writing a headline. Your tone & the message should appeal to your primary audience. Use right words, phrase, tone, typo and the benefits in your headline to hook him into the article.

Many readers may look your headline, but primary reader will get hooked and secondary may skip. Don’t forget the ‘80-20 Rule’ for your primary and the secondary readers.

1. WRITE FOR THE RIGHT 1. WRITE FOR THE RIGHT READERREADER

Benefit telling headlines always work. Not only benefits of the articles, but headlines should include the ‘top’ benefit in it. This ‘top’ benefit will compel your reader to read on.

Other benefits should be told in the introduction or in the leading paragraphs quickly to seize the reader into the article.

2. SHOW TOP BENEFIT IN THE 2. SHOW TOP BENEFIT IN THE HEADLINEHEADLINE

Even a small piece of text, nobody reads without a rational. This logical reason can be any a desire, a want, a need… professional or personal. Show him the way to fulfill that need in your headline.

3. TOUCH HIS RIGHT CORD OF 3. TOUCH HIS RIGHT CORD OF DESIREDESIRE

Include for making effective headlines

- Everyday language with simple words

- Fun to invite the reader

- Play in words to contribute in meaning

- Personal connect with the reader

- Question or Command

- Numbers & Figures

Include for making effective headlines

- Everyday language with simple words

- Fun to invite the reader

- Play in words to contribute in meaning

- Personal connect with the reader

- Question or Command

- Numbers & Figures

Such headlines work as teaser those force a reader to look out for more. This curiosity can be increased or can be turned into benefit in intro or may be in the lead paragraph of the article.

4. RAISE THE CURIOSITY 4. RAISE THE CURIOSITY

If you are giving a question headline, make sure that it has the only one answer which you want him to say. If he also thinks the same answer as yours, then only he will read on. If he can think the different answer, don’t put that question in the headline.

5. NO OPEN QUESTION TYPE 5. NO OPEN QUESTION TYPE HEADLINESHEADLINES

6. SIZE DOES NOT MATTER6. SIZE DOES NOT MATTER

There is no rule for the length of making headlines. It can be as short as single word and also 20 words long. The aim of heading is to grab the reader. If you can hook him in a shorter headline its fine otherwise write more words and write longer headline to make it work.

Just remember, ‘a longer headline with some meaning is better than a shorter with no meaning’.

Every word used in the headline must have a strong purpose to be there.

7. WORD WITH A CAUSE7. WORD WITH A CAUSE

Avoid for making effective headlines

- Cute and flowery language

- Lazy and leading nowhere punch

- Falling in love with your creative pun

- Chances of misinterpretation

- Complex and impressing words

- Inaccuracy or Exaggeration

- Words like feel, believe, think

Avoid for making effective headlines

- Cute and flowery language

- Lazy and leading nowhere punch

- Falling in love with your creative pun

- Chances of misinterpretation

- Complex and impressing words

- Inaccuracy or Exaggeration

- Words like feel, believe, think

Don’t settle with your first headline. Always write lots of options for the same article and then select the best headline from all aspects.

8. ONE IS NOT THE BEST8. ONE IS NOT THE BEST

Put every headline on ‘Taste-Attractiveness-Clarity-Truth’ test and be careful for even a single ‘NO’ for any of these parameters. Start over again on other headline because each ‘NO’ is going to affect thousands of your readers.

9. APPLY THE ‘TACT’ TEST9. APPLY THE ‘TACT’ TEST

Take a break and forget honestly about your headline & the article for some time. Then come back & look at your headline and ask yourself whether you would read on after reading this headline.

10. TASTE BEFORE SERVING10. TASTE BEFORE SERVING

FEW MAGIC WORDS FEW MAGIC WORDS

Thanks!

Include these tried & tested words in your headlines-

You, Your, Secret, Top, Easy, Tip, Simple, Money, Save, Profit, Own, Guarantee, New, More, Most, Love, Sex, Health, Revealed, Master, Free, How to, Do it…