A weak headline can limit views even to a masterpiece – so whether you are writing a blog or a white paper, craft headlines with care. In the digital world, as it has always been for all forms of content, the headline creates the first impression on the reader. If the headline isn’t influential enough, all your content marketing strategies will go to waste.
Be it on your website or a social media platform, you only get a few seconds to hook a reader with your content.
This is where compelling headlines can make or break your content strategy.
Most people indeed judge the book by its cover. CoSchedule suggests that 80% of the readers never make it past the title. This underscores the importance of crafting an attention-grabbing headline that piques the reader’s interest. Follow our tips to write a compelling headline to increase the click-through rate on your posts.
Numbers are the Secret of Magnetic Headlines
Ever scrolled through BuzzFeed's website and got immersed in reading an article by its headline alone? It thrives on listicles, offering a specific number of bite-sized facts. This intrigues the reader’s interests because they know exactly what they are getting into – a quick and digestible read.
BuzzFeed headlines, almost 50% of them, feature numbers. A study by FRACTL found that over 7% of posts having headlines with numbers garnered over 50,000 shares on Facebook, against an average of 2.85%. Explaining a topic in an organised list also increases your content’s readability and provides a formal structure. Here are the examples of compelling headlines from BuzzFeed: 17 Wholesome Posts That Will Definitely Restore Your Faith In Humanity 22 Wildly Popular Products With Over 1,000 Positive Reviews On Amazon
Small numbers (up to 10) in headlines indicate ease of readability and usefulness. However, if you use large numbers, it will indicate that your post will provide a complete understanding of the topic, and hence, is for a niche audience. Interestingly, headlines with odd numbers work better, as they generate 20% higher CTR than those with even numbers. Moreover, the number 7 generates the highest click-through rates.
Make Sure Your Headline has the Ideal Length
An ideal headline must be concise while allowing you to make an impact. As per the KISSmetrics study, a headline's first three and last three words are the most impressionable. Hence, an ideal headline can be at least a mix of just six words. On the other hand, OutBrain has found that a headline must be between 60 and 100 characters in length.
Hook ‘Em From the Start
In his usability study, Jakob Nielsen found that the first two words, specifically the first 11 characters, determine your heading’s effectiveness. Since people only read the first few words thoroughly of an online text, the study found that users typically see two words on any listed item.
It categorised the best headlines as those where people could predict what they would find on the page if they saw the first two characters in isolation. Even if they cannot predict the content, they must be able to figure out the intent of the post.
In this sense, content ceators must use simple language with specific terminology when crafting headlines. It is crucial to ensure that headlines are not misleading and don’t promise too much. Distinguishing your content from the crowd and building a loyal readership can be challenging even if you have a well-crafted headline. Discover actionable tips and innovative strategies here that will make your blog stand out in the competitive digital landscape.
Negative is Not Always a Negative for Headlines!
A study in Nature Human Behaviour analysed the effects of negative and emotional words in headlines on online news consumption. The study found that while positive words were more prevalent in viral news headlines, headlines containing negative words garnered more attention.
More interestingly, adding every negative word to the average headline length raised the click-through rate by 2.3%. They further found positive correlations between emotional words mostly relating to anger, fear, joy, and sadness, and online news consumption. Thus, one of the tips for compelling headlines for online media would be to craft headlines containing words enticing such emotions.
Use the Power of Urgency to Create Buzz and Drive Action
An effective way of marketing in this Gen-Z era is to create a fear of missing out (FOMO).
Unless your headline compels readers to click on the link, you may not attract many readers, regardless of what your content offers.
In this case, creating a sense of scarcity and urgency are two key elements. E-commerce websites regularly use these tools in the headlines to sell more products.
With new content strategies emerging daily, focusing on what works has become challenging. Smart digital marketers are disciplined in their approach and know the importance of learning how to write a compelling headline in this dynamic ecosystem.
Search engines and their algorithms are also smarter, making keyword-stuffing a thing of the past. Traditional headlines were clickbait and never quite delivered what they promised. The emphasis has now shifted to crafting headlines that catch the reader's attention honestly and build trust.
Struggling to craft captivating headlines and content that resonates and grabs more attention? Reposition your brand voice strongly with our comprehensive content strategy and optimise your online presence with our SEO services. Our talented team of content and marketing specialists can help attract a wider audience through powerful content. For more information, contact us.