How to Write a
Headline: 8 Different Strategies You Need to Employ
The headline of a webpage or article is your first, and
often only, chance to attract a potential reader/customer.
However, learning
how to write a headline is really about identifying the specific type of
headline that you need to write and then doing so accordingly.
Therefore, it is
important to take into account the 8 common types of headlines websites use and
then learn how to write them.
1: Direct Headline
A direct headline gets right to the point or action at hand.
There is no cleaver ploy or cover-up of what you want the reader to do or know.
For example, a direct sales headline would read “Get 20% Your First Oil
Change.”
2: Indirect Headline
This is in direct contrast to the direct headline. An
indirect headline should intrigue the reader and make him want to know more by
reading through your copy.
Sometimes, indirect headlines will utilize a double
meaning or cleaver pun that will intrigue the reader.
For example, a marketing
company may title a blog post, “Fresh Bait Is Always Best” and, while this
seems to be about fishing, the article in fact discusses the finer points about
writing content that is timely, a concept known as link bait.
3: News Headline
Another self-explanatory headline, the news headline is the
best strategy to use in a press release or some other news-oriented medium.
News
includes everything from product introductions and updates to real life events
advertised online. A write a headline as news by simply stating a fact: “New
Bakery Site to Open Monday.”
4: How-to Headline
The how-to headline is a cornerstone of content creation. It
draws readers in with the promise of real, useful information, just consider
this post’s headline.
5: Question Headline
A question headline seems simple enough; but be careful. The
Key to learning how to write a good question headline lies in asking something
that the reader genuinely wants to know about. A good, if over-used, example is
the online marketing pitch, “Who Wants to Get Rich Working from Home?”
6: Command Headline
A command headline is closely related to a direct headline
in that it makes no excuses for itself and gives the reader a direct impression
of the copy that follows. The only difference is the force with which this
direction is delivered.
A good command headline should begin with a powerful
action word. A great example comes from an old Exxon campaign: “Put a Tiger in
Your Tank.”
7: Reason Why Headline
This is another popular one. Learning how to write a
headline which clearly explains what the copy will answer and how thorough that
answer is, captures the attention of a reader who needs that info in an
easy-to-read manner. Again, note the headline of this post.
8: Testimonial Headline
Last, but not least, learning how to write a headline must
include a strategy that goes outside of your own experience and company.
This
strategy is known as the testimonial headline and it is very popular among news
blogs. That’s because it intrigues the reader into wanting to know why someone
else, especially someone they idolize, uses your product or service.
An
example, “‘This is my favorite site’ claims Bill Gates”
