Copywriting: Headlines
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Headline Formula
A good structure for writing almost any type of headline is:
[Benefit or Result] + [Specific Element That Sparks Curiosity]
The first part should make it clear to the reader what they can gain, while the second should give them a reason to keep reading.
For example:
- Learn English in 15 minutes a day.
- The mistakes that are slowing down your business growth.
- The simple method for organizing your week without wasting time.
- How to get more customers without increasing your advertising budget.
This isn't a rigid formula, because no marketing formula is, but it's a simple way to remind yourself that a good headline should make it clear why the content is worth the reader's time.
Be Careful With Headlines That Use Numbers
Personally, I tend to avoid formulas like "The 5 mistakes that…" or "The 7 strategies for…".
It's not that these headlines are wrong, but the problem is what they can make the reader think, which can be very risky.
If you tell readers that you're going to show them five mistakes, they may immediately wonder, "Why only five?"
Maybe there are others, which can make them suspect that you're showing them only part of the subject and that, in the end, you'll ask them to buy something to discover the rest.
That's a feeling I prefer to avoid because I want readers to perceive the content as complete from the very beginning.
I don't want them to feel as though they're reading a small preview deliberately designed to sell them the important part later.
Of course, if there really are five fundamental mistakes and the content explains all of them, then the number can actually make the promise stronger.
In that case, however, I suggest making one small adjustment: instead of writing "The 5 mistakes that…," write "All 5 mistakes that...".
A word like "all" changes the perception of the headline and immediately makes it clear that readers will find the entire answer promised by the title within the content.
A Headline Is a Promise
Everything you promise in the headline must be true and must be demonstrated in the content.
Don't take this for granted, because plenty of shady websites use clickbait headlines - sensational or misleading titles designed primarily to make people click - to lure you in by promising the world, only for you to find a puddle and a pebble once you get to the actual content.
Suppose you write: "How to learn English in 15 minutes."
That's a very strong headline, and it creates an equally strong expectation.
But if readers open the article and only later discover that what you actually meant was "15 minutes a day for 30 days," you've changed the promise after getting the click, which destroys your credibility.
If the result requires 15 minutes a day for 30 days, you have to say so clearly.
I may get a few fewer clicks, but in return, anyone who opens the content will find exactly what I promised.
For this reason, I recommend always checking the headline again after you've finished writing the content and asking yourself whether someone who reaches the end could go back to the title and think, "Yes.
That's exactly what I was promised."
A Headline for Google Is Not the Same as a Sales Headline
Don't write the headline of an article designed to be found on Google the same way you would write the headline of a sales page.
When you're working on a blog post or a page designed to capture search traffic, start with what the person is actually looking for.
I use headlines built around searches such as "How to…".
In this case, the title reflects a specific need because the user wants to accomplish something and is looking for a guide that explains how to do it.
For a sales page or an email, the reasoning changes because you don't have to build the headline around a search query and can instead focus entirely on the person in front of you and the reason they should keep reading.
So go back to the original structure of benefit + an element that sparks curiosity, using the examples I showed you at the beginning of the lesson.
The headline should be short enough - ideally under 50 characters - to be understood immediately, while still containing enough information to generate interest.