Headlines that Go Pow

A great headline, like a great book, has a hook that captivates readers and compels them to keep reading.  The importance of writing attention-grabbing headlines in web copy can’t be overstated.  Get this:  Only 2 out of 10 people who read a website headline will go on to read the rest of the copy.  So what are the secrets of writing irresistible headlines?

Michael Masterson, a business coach and extraordinary entrepreneur, developed a well-known “4 U’s formula,” which advises writing headline content that is:

• Urgent
• Unique
• Useful
• Ultra-Specific

If you had to leave off one of the U’s in the formula, it would be best to omit “urgent” because maintaining urgency can sometimes read as a sales pitch, which you want to avoid at all costs.

A few questions to ask when formulating a headline (the answers should be yes!):

• Will the headline immediately grab the reader’s attention?
• Does the headline incorporate a promise or benefit of genuine interest to the target audience?
• Does the headline convey the objective of the piece?
• Does the headline do at least one of the following:  arouse curiosity, stir emotions, begin with “how to,” convey specificity, make an announcement, or ask a question?

A few questions that should have “no” answers:

• Does the headline read like an advertisement?
• Is there a headline that would more accurately represent the service or product?
• Is there a headline that could better appeal to the target audience?

An easy way to collect and study great headlines is to write down and try to emulate the dynamics of the ones that distract you from your work on the Internet – if this happens to you, too.  I’m often busy researching an article and the headline about a completely unrelated topic is too much for me to resist, such as:

1915 Message in a Bottle Surfaces in Detroit.

(Sounds like an interesting story that could be the inspiration for a great book.)

A copywriter with a knack for writing great headlines has a skill that employers look for.