Headline

As a copywriter or blog owner, it is crucial to have a few good headline formulas up your sleeve, especially ones that are proven to convert.

If you don’t, have no fear because we have 7 of the best headline formulas that are highly likely to earn you clicks, sales and more….

Headline #1: Obtain the desired result in a desirable time period

This headline is about making a promise that your target market just absolutely cannot refuse. It is about allowing the consumer to know that they can have exactly what they desire in a desirable amount of days or time period. It creates a compelling and engaging headline that will instantly help you attract the right demographic.

Here are some examples:

-Lose 10 Pounds in Just 10 Days

-Learn How to Speak French in Record Time

– Grow your Investments in 30 days or Less

Headline #2: You are being lied to about something common

This headline is all about taking action. It implies that you have been lied to or given the wrong information and that you need to click on the article in order to obtain the truth. This headline plays on the fact that the consumer has been wronged and in order to make it right, they need to find out more.

Here are some examples:

– The Lies the Banks are Telling You About your Money

– What Your Vet Doesn’t Want you to Know about your Dog

– 5 Lies Real Estate Agents Are Telling You About the Housing Market

Headline #3: Social Proof and a Question

This headline demonstrates social proof and then asks a question. The strategy here is to make the consumer feel like they are missing out and in order to be included, they need to find out more. It also creates the sense of wanting to discover the answer to the question.

Here are some examples:

– Millions have Refinanced their Mortgage: Are you Missing Out?

– Peggy Sue Won’t Go Anywhere Else for her Teeth, Want to Know Why?

– 1 in 5 Australians are Vegetarian- Will You Change the Way you Eat?

Headline #4: An untrusted product is now trustworthy

This is a great headline to use if you are trying to sell a product that your customers could be skeptical about. It takes common concerns that consumers may have and then puts a positive spin on it or an endorsement. It’s a great way to make something unfamiliar, familiar to your target audience.

Here are some examples:

– The Latest New Trend in Hair Care that Kim Kardashian Can’t Live Without

– Get the Best Mobile Phone Coverage Without all the Red Tape

– Why Doctors Don’t Drink Tap Water

Headline #5: Poses a threat and then offers a solution

This headline draws attention to a threat or danger and then offers a solution that the consumer will feel compelled to know about. It may even lead to a purchase, especially if your blog post has a nice call to action that ties in nicely with the overall content. This headline brings it back to- ‘knowledge is power’.

Here are some examples:

– Is your Insurance Company Really Protecting You? 5 Things You Need to Know

– Finally, a Sunscreen That Will Actually Protect You From Skin Cancer

– Legal Nightmares: The Top Ten Things You Need to Know About Hiring a Lawyer

Headline #6: Undesired result followed by a surprise solution

This headline is intended to quickly draw your audiences attention and engage them to find out more. It offers an element of surprise which will help viewers make that impulse click or that impulse buy. The art with this headline is to provide some shock value that is still relevant to the content of the article.

Here are some examples:

– How to Avoid Razor Rash: 5 Tips You Have to See to Believe

-Untrained Dog? Discover How One Cat Can Help

– Reduce Your Work Load By Following this One Productivity Hack

Headline #7: Revealing shocking information about a respected person

Tabloid magazines do this all the time. They take a respected celebrity and then offer some new and elusive information about them that compels readers to find out more. This type of headline exploits the desire to find out more information and teases the natural curiosity we all have for people in the spotlight.

Here are some examples:

– Tim Cook Tells the Truth About the iPhone 6 Plus

– Marilyn Monroe, The Secret Curse She Never Shared

– Behind the Scenes Look at Spiderman the Movie

When it comes to choosing a headline, it really comes down to a fine line between engaging your audience and ensuring that the headline actually delivers and matches the content.

Even if you come up with the best headline in town, if your content does not deliver and is not as engaging, you are very quickly going to lose the trust and readership of your audience.

Writing headlines purely for attention sake is also bad business and not something you want your company to be known for. While there is nothing wrong with creating a little excitement, remember that honesty is always the best policy.

Spend some time studying great headlines, or headlines you feel compelled to click on and then begin implementing the trends and patterns into your own work.

While these 7 headline formulas are a good start, be creative- do what works for you and your business.