3 Tips for Writing Headlines
By Michael StelznerWho says first impressions don’t matter?
A good headline means success or failure for your white paper, blog entry or any other form of writing.
If you don’t grab readers, you won’t ever get to tell them your story.
David Garfinkel at World Copywriting Blog (a never ending fountain of insight), recently wrote about three important tips for writing headlines (from his mentor Don Hauptman).
1. Hauptman’s Law: Start with the prospect, not with the product.
This is something I have been preaching for years. Simply said, focus on the pain of your readers rather than the features of your product or service.
2. Grab attention instantly.
The example David gives here is “Get rich slowly.” The intrigue of such a headline should grab readers or at least stop the in their tracks. Another option might be, “A Fact Your Mother Doesn’t Want You to Know.”
3. Bolster every generality with a specific.
This means (in my humble opinion) that you should employ a specific subheadline that fills out the story. For example, “When Beauty Hurts: Stories of Judgment.”
Let’s hear some of your thoughts on tips for writing headlines.
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