You Had Me at Great Headline

15 Nov You Had Me at Great Headline

We all know that visual content takes precedence over textual content nowadays.  And, while individuals are purporting that, “blogging is dead,” we beg to differ!  It might just be the manner in which certain language gets articulated.

Whether you’re blogging or email marketing, your captivation begins with your snazzy headline.  If you’re not enticing with your language, you can forget about anyone diving into the rest of the text.  COMPEL your readers to keep on reading by locking them in with your headline.

Here are a number of ways to do just that:

Be Funny

People like funny people.  In much the same respect, people like reading funny content.  There is a lot to be said for a funny (or, punny) headline.  Since one of the most desirable human experiences is laughter, playing on this basic reality is smart…and effective.  Take our headline, for instance!  We played on one of the most quoted phrases from the Oscar-winning film Jerry Maguire.  Everyone knows where the phrase “you had me at hello” came from, which makes it a most effective, memorable, enticing, and funny headline for a blog.

Customize

Maybe you’re trying to write a compelling blog for a niche audience.  In the case of our web design company, we try to target all different kinds of individuals.  Quite often, we approach small businesses and target them with our creative headlines.  “Help your small business avoid these social media blunders!”  In this respect, we direct our article toward small businesses, in addition to making them feel “special.”  The content that follows our awesome headline is entitled for that specific niche.

Showcase a “How To” Article

The instructional article and corresponding headline are excellent ways to capture immediate attention.  Since our attention spans are rapidly diminishing in regard to textual content, the how-to headline lets people know that what they are about to read is going to be easily digested.  The quick and helpful nature of these articles are more enticing to read, when people know that they are going to be guided by a fast, step-by-step narrative.

Generate Exclusivity

If you’re offering up some really helpful marketing information, create a headline that makes people believe they are retrieving top secret, insider news.  Whether you’re offering advice, inside news, promotions, or sales, you should let your followers know that they are getting something special by paying attention.  People are willing to pay attention when they see the words “free,” “sale,” “discount, or “special offer.”  So, play into people’s basic human behaviors and entice them to read further with these signifiers.

Command Call to Action

If your business is blogging at all, chances are great that you want to compel your visitors to act on something: purchase a product, utilize your services, enter a contest, or the like.  In that case, your headline is the ideal place to draw your readers in with this call to action.  Always try and elicit a strong sense of curiosity, further enticing the reader to continue learning about your offer and make the action.

Captivating your readers with witty and compelling headlines is what will draw them in to giving your business the time of day.  Let’s face it, we live in a visually-centric world now, where images reign supreme and attention spans are quickly diminishing.  So, use your best journalistic approach, coupled with the above ideas, to grab your visitor’s attention.