Standing out in the crowd takes a fair amount of attention-getting drama. Your blog post title should be jumping up and down while shouting “Hey! I’m over here!”
After all, it’s much more than a description of your latest post – your title is a headline with the #1 goal to encourage someone to read the first sentence of your post.
Crafting the right words takes a bit of practice, but it doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, I’m going to share some of my favorite tips right here. To ensure your success even further, I even have a free bonus, so make sure you read to the end.
Borrow Tips from an Unexpected Industry
As bloggers, it’s easier to think of yourself as a teacher rather than a marketer, but when it comes to writing headlines – borrowing strategies used and perfected by the marketing world is crucial.
You’ve probably heard of copywriting — the type of writing designed to convince and sell. Masters of copywriting lead with mystery and intrigue and deliver just enough details to keep the reader engaged all the way to the bottom.
As a blogger, thinking like a copywriter will pay off. Crafting your headlines to play on emotion will draw readers into the article and onto your blog.
I have 8 favorite techniques for creating attention-grabbing headlines. My top 3 are listed below.
Make a Promise to Solve a Problem
If you title your post “How To” you are essentially promising to deliver a solution to your reader’s problem. This is why “How To” articles consistently rank as the most-read posts on the Internet – the value of clicking through is immediately clear.
You might have noticed the headline for this article fits this category. It hints at the problem – boring, flat titles that fail to drive traffic to your blog – and promises tips for create exciting headlines that solve your traffic issues.
Promise-based headlines don’t all start “How To.” Any time you hint at solving a problem counts. For example:
- 9 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Starting My Blog
- Simple, Daily Habits for People Who Hate Cleaning
- Workout Wardrobe Solutions for Full-Bodied Women
Create Mystery
It’s brutally hard to resist a good mystery. That’s why you sit down to watch Lost and finally crawl to bed 4 episodes later.
Use your headlines to hint at the unexpected, stir up intrigue or disprove long-held beliefs. Your reader won’t be able to resist the temptation to dive deeper into your post to satisfy her curiosity.
For example:
- 5 Healthy Ingredients Kids Won’t Notice in their Brownies
- Fabulous {Quality} Dollar Store Finds
- Simple Exercises You’ve Been Doing Wrong
Add Emotion
Once you develop the foundation of your headline, dressing it up with descriptive, flowery or colorful words helps create emotion.
For example, consider the different emotions tied to these headlines for a post on getting organized:
- Unexpected discoveries I made at the bottom of my closet
- Horrifying discoveries I made at the bottom of my closet
Both headlines rely on intrigue, but which one would you click? The more descriptive and powerful your word choice, the stronger the emotional pull to click on your headline becomes.
More examples with the emotive word italicized:
- Joyful Crafts Your Toddler Can Create Independently
- Organizing Carefree Birthday Celebrations
- Essential Tips for Container Gardening Victory
- Courageous Fall Fashion Trends
A Few More Practical Tips on Writing Headlines
Even as a seasoned writer, headlines are the most revised words of my blog posts and email newsletters. Creating attention-grabbing headlines takes time, but I promise — it gets easier with practice.
Most importantly inspiration is everywhere — from click-bait sites to Facebook ads and to national brands showing up in my inbox – I’m always on the lookout for catchy, intriguing ways top marketers write their post headlines.
I’ve pulled together a pretty sweet list of techniques and formulas. It includes the other 5 headline styles I rely on to get my emails opened and my blog posts read.
I want to share the whole list with you and make your next headline writing experience a breeze. To grab your copy, enter the bonus section by signing up here.
Which of Natalie’s headline techniques is your favorite? Will you be using any of them on your own blog posts? Please join the conversation below!
Woohoo! This is brilliant, excellent. Thanks so much 🙂
Jas Poole Blog | photography + lifestyle
Thanks Jas. Have fun crafting those headlines – combined with your fabulous photography, you’ll see huge results!
Just what I needed! I was trying to work out how to make my headers seem less dry and cardboard-like, when whallah! I got your email. I think solving a problem will be my first step, because I have just found a couple of problems that small businesses seem to be having with their photography and I seem to have the solutions! But it really depends on the blog post – might have to add some emotion to those solution headlines too. Good tips! Thank you!
Hey we’re all about timing here at DYOB Karene’ 😉 I really love Natalie’s tips here too because the struggle is real when it comes to headline writing. Thanks for reading and taking the time to leave your thoughts.
Karene – yes! As you solve people problems you’ll be seen as an expert in your niche. And you can always combine techniques.
Thank you for this article! I’ve taken notes and plan on spicing up my blog titles! 🙂
Thanks, Sara. Have fun and let your creative juices flow with those titles. They can be both fun (for you) and effective (for getting people to read).
It’seems always hard for me to come up with great headlines. Thank you for the breakdown.
I know I need to put more focus into making my headlines capture the attention of the reader. I think my biggest challenge is “creating mystery” with my post titles. I know that those types of headlines intrigue me, so I wish I could build that same intrigue with my post titles. Thank you for sharing these tips. I sure did find them helpful!
Nice post! 🙂 Totally agree with the last few tips. Have to admit my Facebook newsfeed has come pretty handy in discovering some catchy click bait titles in the past.
So true! I always forget to pay attention to the titles that actually catch my attention too. Thanks for stopping by Yamini, lovely to “see” you here again 🙂
true. after reading your post i will try your suggestion to make my post better and close to reader. thanks for sharing a great article
Great Tips Natalie,
HowTo, Mystery, and Emotional headlines attract good attention and make the link more clickable. I always use Headline Analyser (a free tool) to write my headlines.
Thanks a ton.
Headline Analyser is great Tauqir, thanks for the reminder!
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