Do you ever wonder why Buzzfeed’s headlines are so addicting?
8 out of 10 people will read your headline but only 2 out of 10 will read your content. Why is that?
To answer these questions, I’ve spent the last few days trying to figure out what makes a headline so appealing that readers are intrigued to read it. A headline is one of the most important aspects of being successful on Steemit.
If your headline sucks, it doesn’t matter how incredible your content is because nobody will even bother reading your post in the first place. On the other hand, if your headline is amazing and your content sucks, you will get a healthy amount of traffic and people will read some of your post. Of course, I’m not saying that you should write crappy content, but I need you to get the point of just how important a simple headline can be to your writing success. Now if your headline is superb and so is your content, just imagine how effective your blog will be. Exactly. Huuuge.
To help you out and save you thousands of hours of trial and error, I came up with 7 ways to create an irresistible headline. Let’s get started.
1. BE SPECIFIC
Get straight to the point of what your post is about. Don’t steer of topic, get all poetic, or copy some text from your post and lazily slap it on your headline. It’s surprising how many people do this and when they see that they’re not getting results they wonder what the heck happened.
Being specific let’s your readers know that your post means business and telling them exactly what your post will be about.
Don’t be too specific though.
Now, if you’re too specific, nobody is going to be able to relate to the post. Or they’ll think that the post doesn’t apply to them so they’ll just ignore it. (e.g. How to Shave Your Cat on Mondays and Still Have Time for Work.)
Good examples:
- How to Write a Novel in 1 Week
This headline is specific and it get’s to the point. It tells the reader exactly what the post is about and it gives a specific time period in which you will finish writing your book.
- Is Albert Einstein Still Alive? 11 Creepy Signs
This headline immediately gets the reader's attention. It’s specifically about Albert Einstein but it’s not too specific.
2. USE NUMBERS
List posts are extremely likely to go viral. Why is that? It’s because it makes a promise that the post will be quick, and will give you the exact pointers you need to know.
List posts are skimmable.
Skimmability is a major factor in readability. If you’re like most people, you rarely ever read all the text in an entire post. Instead, you would rather focus on getting the key points and moving on. And list posts do exactly that. They point out the exact key points you need to know. You don’t have to read the details, you just have to get the points which is what makes list posts so easy to read and so great for bloggers.
Quick tip*: Odd numbered list posts are proven to be more effective than even numbered ones.
Good examples:
- 19 Ways to Burn Fat at Home
Again, all you need to do is read the 19 key points to burn fat at home and you’re golden.
- 3 Things Only People Who Use Steemit Will Understand.
Not only is this an great headline for a list post, but it’s also extremely targeted towards Steemit users which is a plus for incorporating specificness.
3. THE 3 U's METHOD
I first saw this method on CopyBlogger.com. It originally consists of 4 U’s but I already covered being “Ultra-specific” in my first point.
1. Be unique.
Is your headline too common? Are your competitors using this same headline? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be eligible for compensation. Just kidding. If you did answer yes, then you may need to change up your wording a bit.
2. Convey a sense of urgency.
Why do your readers have to read the post right now? Ask them if they’re making certain mistakes, and in the post provide them with a solution.
3. It should be useful.
Rule #1 of becoming successful in anything you do: Provide value. Does your headline provide value and is it practical? Can your readers use these tips?
Good example:
- Are You Missing Out on the 5 Best Tools Steemit has to Offer?
This is just perfect. It’s unique because nobody is using this headline. It creates urgency because it tells the reader that they may be missing out on knowing about Steemit tools that could potentially help them tremendously later down the road. And it’s useful because you’re providing a list of tools that your readers can go out and get right away.
4. USE ADJECTIVES
Describe what the content will be like. Describe what kind of results your readers will get. Describe what it will be like when your readers apply these tips.
Use words like:
- Effortless
- Easy
- Hard
- Painful
- Simple
- Creepy
- Impactful
- Effective
- Essential
- Major
- Disappointing
- Incredible
- And so on…
Good examples:
- How to Effortlessly Write the Introduction of Your Blog Post
Boom. This headline let’s you know that by reading, you can learn how to make writing the introduction of your post super easy and with little effort needed.
- Top 10 Major Factors in Driving a Racecar
“Major” is a great word to emphasize the importance of something. If you’re writing a post where your readers need to know something, consider using words like major, essential, critical, etc.
5. USE STATISTICS
What is the exact result that your readers can expect to receive? Use fractions, percentages, scientifically-backed data, and exact dollar amounts to give your readers high, yet reasonable (make sure it’s reasonable and not total click bait) expectations.
Good examples:
- How SteemRocket Increased its Earnings by 200% in Just 2 Weeks
Readers want to know how to get results. And this headline promises to show them how SteemRocket became so successful and how they can replicate these techniques to become successful themselves.
- 17 Scientifically Proven Ways to Eat Healthier on a Budget
This headline promises that by reading this post, you will learn ways to eat healthier that are backed by credible and trustworthy sources.
Quick tip*: Whenever you make a promise, you must deliver!
6. USE RATIONALES
A rationale just means why something should be done. So give people a strong reason why they should read your post.
A list of rationales I found from Neil Patel are:
- Tips
- Reasons
- Lessons
- Tricks
- Ideas
- Ways
- Principles
- Facts
- Secrets
- Strategies
Good examples:
- 8 Lessons About Life that I Learned from Skydiving
Sound appealing? That’s because you can learn from the lessons and apply them in your own life. So the headline is also really useful.
- 17 Facts About Potatoes that Will Blow Your Mind
Total BuzzFeed-worthy headline. I mean, why wouldn’t you want your mind blown by these facts about potatoes that you don’t care about? Yet, a post like this from BuzzFeed would get millions of views.
7. CAPTURE ATTENTION
The entire purpose of a headline is to get attention from readers.
Did you know that the average attention span of a person is about that of a goldfish? It’s a very sad truth and if you can’t capture and keep their attention, you won’t achieve the success that you’re trying so hard to get. Keep the headline short and keep the headline simple.
So engage the readers with a great headline and deliver with amazing and useful content.
Good examples:
- 4 Secret Ways to Nail Your Headline
You capture the reader’s attention because there’s a sense of mystery that the word “secret” places.
- The 7 Critical Questions to Ask Before You Eat a Sandwich
This headline grabs your attention because it’s funny and it emphasizes its importance with the word “critical”.
Conclusion
I hope this post will help your Steemit career take off fast and reach for the stars!
If you liked this post, make sure to upvote and share.
If you’re excited about SteemRocket and want posts directly in your feed, make sure to follow.
If you have any questions or comments, leave them down below. If you have an idea for the perfect headline, add it in the comments and I’ll give you my feedback.
That’s it, folks!
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