6 min read
I’ll cut to the chase. The shortcut is using these seven headlines that really work.
Do you know the REAL purpose of your article’s headline?
Of course you do. It’s to get the article read. But then, why doesn’t anyone click on and read your articles?
Here’s the answer. Better headlines. And I have seven of them for you, and why they actually work.
All we need to do is get your reader to click on that article and then for you to deliver on what you promised with your stellar writing skills.
Ready to do this?
Let’s go.
First up is the “How to Survive (thing)” headline.
I first saw this when another fitness newsletter used it like this:
“How To Survive Christmas This Year Without Getting Fat.”
It works because:
1) You’re saving your reader the pain that awaits on the other side of what they need to survive.
2) People really want to avoid pain.
Getting what we want is always excellent. So a headline that promises to get us out of, or away from pain is aces.
Now we dip into more pain avoidance with headline #2
“The Biggest Mistake (people) Make.”
This headline is all about what your readers want to avoid at all costs, on the way to obtaining their true desire.
Now think about this very carefully.
“The Biggest Mistake (people) Make”
This works because you identify the group you are talking to, then you tell them the BIGGEST mistake people like them make.
Not just any old mistake or a group of mistakes, but the BIGGEST MISTAKE.
“Well, what is it?” They ask. They need to know!
Here’s an easy one from my fitness newsletter emails.
“The Biggest Mistake Vegan Dieters Make”
Headline template number three is the REAL Secret
“The Real Secret to (getting the goods)”
Heck, even reading the template, I want to know what I have the secret to!
The secret headline, gets me even without a subject, just because of curiosity.
And very often, when we’re not getting a certain result, we think there is something we don’t know about, thats keeping us from attaining our goal.
It must be some little-known fact or tool or hack.
Whatever it is, if we knew it, we’d succeed.
So using the word ‘Secret’ is powerful, but it’s losing some steam lately because so many people use it. So tweak it a little for the best results.
How you do this is to separate YOUR secret from all the other secrets. Make yours the REAL secret. And you do this by using just one word; real.
So whatever it is that you are talking about, it’s the REAL secret. That pushes you to the top.
You can even throw a little more fuel on the fire by adding, “…that no one talks about.”
Here’s another fitness example. “The real secret to gaining muscle that no one talks about.”
Well, even I want to know what that is.
The only catch with using this headline is that you better bring the goods with your article or information, or the reader will feel ripped off.
Headline #4 Is A Popular One, And The Fastest Way To Get Readers
“The Fastest Way to (do the thing)”
The reason this headline works is because, well, who wants to do anything slow? Everyone wants to know the fastest, most efficient way to get something done. Especially if it’s something they don’t enjoy doing, but have to accomplish.
Again, the catch is delivering on your promise, or you’ll piss the reader off. If you have a headline that says, “The Fastest Way To Burn Fat,” and then you just say, “Eat Clean.”
You might get a virtual punch in the face for that one. “Thanks for wasting my time, asshole,” is what your reader is thinking.
You also don’t want to seem too outlandish with this. “The Fastest Way To Burn Fat” is a reasonable claim. “The Fastest Way To Burn 30 Pounds Of Fat In 24 Hours” smells of a scam.
Nobody will even click on your article headline if they think it’s fishy clickbait.
Undersell the promise if you want to gain trust and get them to read your article.
Make a reasonable claim that makes sense. You can do this by adding the world ‘Safely” or using a number less than most other claims. Everyone seems to “Help You Lose 30lbs in 30 Days.” So if you offer “The Fastest Way To Lose 5lbs in 15 Days Safely,” that might be a winner.
I don’t know, I’d have to test it.
But believability is the goal. You want to pique interest, and you want the person to believe they can find the answers in your article.
Headline Number Five Is A Shortcut To Writing Wicked Headlines
“Here’s a Shortcut for (that amazing thing)”
Yet another headline that falls into the quick and easy category.
The key with this one is giving a quick win to justify the statement. So something like, “Here’s a Shortcut For Making Healthy Snacks.” Then you tell them about something they can buy pre-made instead of making it by hand. Something like that.
It’s a real shortcut. A hack or quick tip that delivers a win.
If you’re selling something that provides this to your customer, then you have an easy sale on your hands.
It makes me think of bottled protein shakes. They’re a “Shortcut to post-workout muscle gains.”
Headline Number Six Is How You –
“How I (Get The Thing!)”
This headline works best when you have a relationship with your readers. If I had 10,000 followers here on Medium and they knew me for fitness advice, this headline would be a hit.
I’d write something like, “How I Achieved My First Pistol Squat In 60 Days.”
It’s a hyper-specific headline, and if you are into that topic, you’d have a hard time not clicking it.
You know me and trust I can deliver on that topic. So you want my insights and experience. It’s the implied shortcut that gets you to your goal in the fastest way.
If you like to tell stories in your writing, this is a great headline to start using if your audience knows you. They know you’ve had challenges, and obstacles, and you’re about to share how you overcame them.
This saves them pain.
It is a great way to build trust and friendship with your readers.
Seriously, about your headlines — Headline Number Seven:
“About Your (Really Important Thing)”
Well, that grabs your attention, doesn’t it? I mean, what about my…?
Is something wrong? Am I doing something wrong?
It’s so emotionally driven at a primitive level. It’s almost wrong to use.
Think about your life’s most important people, problems, diseases or material possessions. Now imagine you get an email or see an article that says, “About your…”
Again, if your audience knows you, then you can tweak it a bit more. This headline works even as a hook on a Twitter thread because your followers know you.
Just add, “I have a question.”
“I Have a Question About Your (personal thing). “
I’d use it something like this:
“I have a question about your daily workout.”
It’s not a sensational hook/headline, but it’s to the point and mid-level effective towards anyone fitness-minded.
That’s it for now. Try these headlines out on your next writing piece. At the very least, they will get you started toward getting more eyeballs on your articles.
Lastly…
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