Did you know that the human attention span is now considered to be shorter than that of a goldfish? According to a study put forth by Microsoft Corporation in 2015, in the past 10 years, the human attention span has shortened from 12 to 8 seconds. A goldfish has nine. So, when visitors come to your website, you have a very short period of time to grab their attention.
It makes sense. We’re on information overload. Wherever you turn – whether you’re sifting through the day’s mail, flipping through a magazine, or surfing the web – many things are competing for your attention. As a content provider, perhaps the most effective method of grabbing your reader’s attention, is by writing a strong headline. Here are three tips to help you write truly effective attention-grabbing headlines.
Tip #1
Consider your audience. Before you start considering how to write the most clever, entertaining headline of all time, stop. Catchy may be fun, but it’s not the best way to entice your readers to keep reading. Instead, get your head in the right place. Take a moment to understand your audience. Remember that whatever the topic, your headline should communicate an idea or convey information that appeals to them. Who are your readers? Why is this article important to them? How will they benefit from reading?
Tip #2
Make your headline meaningful. Now that you understand your audience’s wants and desires, you are better equipped to get started. Headlines that offer your reader specific and useful information are attention-getters. Dig a little deeper. Think about what your audience would enter into a Google search to find your article. They’re often looking for effective strategies to solve a problem and using specific phrases to find the answers.
Surely, you’ve done this yourself tons of times. Say you squeezed mustard on your white blouse. It’s your favorite top. You’ll do whatever you can to save it, so you open up the almighty search engine. Fingers fly across the keyboard, “How to remove mustard from a white cotton blouse.” Instantly, you have many possible solutions to your problem.
Leading your headline off with phrases like “How to, The best way, or Three tips (substitute your own number)” are commonly used to find information. They are both specific and useful and make excellent headlines for your article.
Tip #3
Use power words.Power words are very provocative attention grabbers. The most powerful word of all is FREE. Whenever you can legitimately use free in a headline, don’t be shy. It’s highly effective. After all, who doesn’t want a freebie? Your reader does not want to miss out.
Other power words to consider include save, sale, why, last chance, guarantee, quick, easy, bargain, proven, and results. How many of these words have you seen in headlines over the years? Too many to count, right? That’s because they work. When you’re generating a headline, consider whether any of these apply to your content.
Are these incredibly entertaining headlines? Not necessarily, but whether it’s removing a mustard stain, or touting the freebie you can’t live without, great headlines appeal to people’s self-interest. They engage your readers and entice them to continue reading. Use these tips. Keep practicing. Be passionate about your writing. Your readers will notice.
