Headlines: How to write a good headline

Catch Your Readers with benefit headlines

13 ways to draw people in

Heads up on benefit headlines: To write a benefit headline, seduce your readers by showing how your product, service or idea will make their life better.

8 types of sales headlines to try

Try 3 reasons, testimonial, how-to and more

Get your head around this: Write a command, question or testimonial headline.

How to write benefits headlines

4 steps for telegraphing the biggest benefit

Write about ‘your greatest benefit for your reader’s greatest need.’

6 ways to write numbers-based headlines

Numerals quantify value, draw readers

Easy as 1-2-3: Headlines with numerals perform better in email, social media, magazines and on the web.

7 ways to polish news headlines

Use dynamic verbs, keep it short & more

A head for news: Tell the story, don’t tell about the story in your news head.

How to build feature headlines

‘15 is the new 30’

Going up! What do the housing market and great headlines have in common? Shorter’s better.

Colloquialisms make great feature headlines

‘Sir! I have broken a leg, sir!’

So to speak: Searching for a good headline? Use a quote, colloquialism or sound bite.

Headline writing don’ts

8 approaches to avoid

Just say no: Write great headlines when you steer clear of these 8 common headline writing mistakes.

Avoid label headlines

Don’t just slap the topic on top of the story

Warning label: Label headlines communicate the topic — but nothing else — about the story.

Stop it with the ing-ing

Present participle heads may be worse than labels

Stop ing-ing your headlines headlines.

Quotes on headline writing

What writers and others say

Headline writing “combines the mastery of Scrabble with the composition of haiku.” John Early McIntyre, ACES president