Think of your headline as the welcome mat for your article. It’s the first thing a reader sees and it’s the one that determines whether they stay on the page or bounce to the next story.
A strong headline makes people want to enter your story and get more details. Creating compelling headlines is a key part of writing — in fact, some writers say they spend 80 percent of their time on the headline and only 20 percent on the actual story.
The best headlines are clear and specific and tell the reader what to expect from the story. They’re also short and snappy. People have limited attention spans and like to skim online articles. If a headline is long and wordy it’s more likely to make readers lose interest.
Using trigger words in your headline can help to create an emotional response in the reader. For example, if your story is about a sad event you can use a trigger word like “devastating” to increase the impact of the headline. Similarly, if you’re reporting on a breaking news story you can use a “breaking” or “exclusive” to draw the reader in.
Finally, using a question in your headline can often be an effective way to generate curiosity and reader engagement. It’s a great way to spark a conversation, but be careful not to offend your readers. The last thing you want is to make people click away because they feel uncomfortable or offended by your headline.
About the Author
