In our current world full of all sorts of sounds and noises, how can writers get readers to take action? Getting keen readers obviously takes more than just a great design or good content.
The most important part is the headline. Recent studies have shown that 5 times as many people read headlines than the ones who read the body. This principle applies to book chapters, blog posts, and so on. Many times, the title is the most ignored part of article writing. People do not take enough time to consider it. A lot of investment in terms of time and thought should be made on the title. Once suitable headlines have been produced, the writers should ask themselves; “Would it make me want to continue reading?” This is quite difficult for most people; however, here are a few tips on how to write a powerful headline.
As a writer, you have adequate knowledge of your offer, product, or service and its value. A title should appeal to the readers’ basic needs. It needs to grasp the attention of the readers and that can only be done by understanding what it is your recipients’ desires, needs, or wants. You should make sure the headline is under one of the basic human motivators, which are: self-actualization, self-esteem, social, safety, and physiological.
All headlines should have an intriguing formula. At times, this can prove to be very difficult especially when you have little time to think or you lack good ideas. However, when such situations arise, just write your headlines using one of these formulas: ‘How To’, ‘Command’, ‘Question’, ‘Testimonials’ and ‘News’. ‘How To’ appeals to the readers’ desire to learn. If the title offers a promise to a problem affecting them, they will continue reading. Questions appeal to the readers’ emotions and curiosity. They will first try to answer it themselves and then compare their answers to the one offered in the body. Targeting a specific audience yields better results in writing. Writers should segment their audience so as to allow them to talk directly to their personal needs. Each segment should share the same desires, wants, or needs. Once you have decided on the type of medium you are writing for, you can easily identify which type of audience your article is targeting. Your headline should then be tailored to show that you comprehend the needs of that segment and how your product, service, or offer will be valuable in providing a solution.
