Headline writing tips - part 1

What is a headline?

Its usually words sometimes supported by or supporting an image that are designed to get attention and engage readers so they do something.

Your company name is NOT a headline

I think about headlines as "interrupters"

They have to interrupt and get attention in a very noisy world. And they're not on their own. Usually your headline is fighting for attention among other headlines - not to mention what's going on around at the time, such as chaotic staff to deal with, phone calls, emails, social media pings, etc etc.

So how do you create something that can cut through all of this?

Before you get creative you need to consider 4 important factors:

1. The context where the article, ad, direct mail piece, ad word is going to be seen
2. Who you are writing the headline for
3. What is it you want them to do
4. The headline is only part of the story and needs a supporting cast of subheads, body copy call to actions and contact details

Now this seems a good point to mention one of my pet hates even though it keeps me in business. Please don't stick the name of your business as the headline - no one cares, you are just wasting your money. The only time this works is if the name of your business is your business - such as "we buy any car.com - but even then there are so many better headlines you can write.

So let's assume you know who you are writing for, and you know what you want them to do and you no how the media you are using is accessed and valued by your target audience.

Now you can write a headline that gets attention.

But that's all you've got - a fleeting moment of someone's attention, perhaps 3 or more seconds. What are you going to do with it?

This is critical because the headline has done the hard work of getting attention, but now everything else has to work together to get the action you require.

The next part of this 5 part series on headlines will be examples of specific types of formula you can adapt and the sort of copy you will need to use to support the specific headline proposition.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net