How To Write a Good Headline
A headline is one of the most important pieces of writing – ever. And it’s also one of the most difficult to write!
A headline is designed to attract attention and create desire in a person to read the rest of the piece. Don’t fool yourself that headlines are only found on articles or sales pages. They’re not! For the purposes of this article, a ‘headline’ is anything that needs to attract a reader’s attention and get them to take a second action; usually to read the piece of writing.
Headlines can include:
- Article or blog post titles
- Book titles
- Email subject lines
- Headlines for sales copy
There are three main types of headlines:
Positive Attraction
These headlines focus on the pleasure words. They’re often benefit laden and overtly promise that the following copy will solve your pain.
Negative Attraction
These headlines don’t just unearth a reader’s pain, they POUNCE on it, sink in their claws and drag it kicking and screaming from under the bed. Negative Attraction headlines make you feel uncomfortable.