Look, you can create the best content in the world, but if you don’t have a copywriting headline that immediately engages your audience, it will all be for nothing. Headlines are the first glimpse your audience sees of your content – so make it great! Whether you are writing blog posts for your website or emails to serve your audience, headlines are an essential tool for engaging your audience. The best copywriting headlines include powerful words that trigger emotion, spark curiosity, and drive your readers to action. Keep reading this blog post to learn strategic tips and online tools to help you write more engaging headlines.
So, What Are Copywriting Headlines That Sell?
“action” your audience takes after they click your link could be reading your blog post, purchasing your digital product, or even opening your emails. You want your readers to be curious enough about your content to take action immediately. Driving them to your content is tricky, so make it easier by creating copywriting headlines that sell!
I mean, think about it – How many times have you sent an email straight to the trash without opening it because the subject line was so bland?? Don’t send something that will get deleted before it even gets opened!
Headlines are short by nature. This means you only have a few words to create maximum interest or impact. Remember in elementary school when your English teacher would always talk about the importance of an “attention-grabber” in the first sentence of your essay? That concept still stands true today in our digital world! Although now it’s more about how the copywriting headline can hook your audience’s attention rather than the first sentence.
The concept of the attention-grabbing hook may be the same, but the execution these days looks a little different. So, how can you make sure you’re engaging your audience with your copywriting headline? It’s easier than you think! The two most popular ways to format a headline right now are as a “how-to” or as a list.
I recently wrote a fantastic blog post with a how-to headline about launching my WordPress site. These headlines work because they promise the reader a step-by-step plan to solve their problem. If someone is searching for a solution, make sure your headline lets them know that your content has the answer. They just need to click! Formatting your headline as a how-to is also a great trick for you if you’re struggling with writer’s block. Writing a how-to guide for something means that the format and structure of your content are already basically outlined for you. Sometimes creating your engaging copywriting headline will help you create the juicy content that sells your offers.
List headlines, like the one in my blog post about the differences between wordpress.com and wordpress.org, tend to receive a lot of engagement because people like knowing where their content is headed. It’s important to always have a specific number in your copywriting headline to further engage your audience.
Many experts even agree that odd numbers can give you some of the best copywriting headlines in terms of clicks and engagement. For some reason, we respond better to odd numbers than we do to even ones (the human brain is weird). The next time you are about to create a headline, try and think about how you could make it into a list. Some examples to fill in might be X Reasons to….. X Differences Between….. Or X Ways to….
If you’re still searching for the perfect format for your next copywriting headline, check out this article with 17 different headline types (see, it’s a list AND an odd number!). The sheer number of formats in that article will definitely help you brainstorm the next time you’re stumped! If it’s too overwhelming for you to sift through all seventeen types, Compose.ly breaks down three of the most commonly used copywriting headline formats.
In addition to changing up the formats of your copywriting headlines, you also need to consider the importance of SEO or Search Engine Optimization. SEO is basically the way that you get noticed by search engines. You want to choose a phrase that is being searched for by your audience, but NOT one that is being searched for by everyone. This ensures your niche or ideal client sees your content when they’re searching, and also that your content doesn’t get lost in the millions of web pages on Google.
The best copywriting headlines contain a good SEO keyphrase so that search engines will crawl that content to then show to potential customers. Creators at Design Rush talk all about the importance of SEO in headlines, along with some tips to improve in this area if you’re struggling. And remember, while SEO is important because it increases visibility, you can’t just stuff a bunch of keywords into a headline and call it good. Your headline still needs to flow naturally and provide value to your audience.
Copywriting Headline Examples using Power Words
Using powerful, emotional words for headlines and blog titles will propel your headline from boring and basic to the best headline ever! What are power words for headlines? They’re exactly what they sound like: words that move your audience and catch their attention. My friends at CoSchedule list over 1,900 power words, so take a scroll through while composing your copywriting headlines.
What does it look like to create a headline with power words? Well, it’s all about standing out from the crowd and using uncommon words for headlines. For example, “2022 Content Trends” sounds really boring. But the headline “Four Content Trends You Need to Know in 2022” is much more enticing. With the second headline, your audience will feel like they are missing out on something if they don’t click on your headline and read more about this year’s content trends. The power word in that headline is “need” and it conveys a sense of urgency to the reader.
Another example of using an uncommon word for a headline to increase engagement is my blog post: Boost Your Writing Skills with These 7 Awesome Free Tools. If my headline had just been “7 Free Writing Tools” my blog views would likely be lower because there were no power words to catch my audience’s attention. In this instance, the word “boost” serves to attract my audience.
In addition to power words, using emotional words for blog titles can really captivate readers. Emotional headline words work to evoke a specific feeling from your audience, and they are more likely to engage with your content if your copywriting headline speaks to them on an emotional level. Not sure what constitutes an “emotional” word? Check out this article for an extensive list to get you started.
Tools for Writing the Best Copywriting Headlines
Don’t spend a bunch of time writing juicy content, just for no one to see it because your headlines are dry and boring. Make sure you are being thoughtful and intentional about your headlines because it’s the first impression you give your readers! If you are writing and feel stuck, check out my favorite free analyzers to get actionable tips for writing better headlines.
The Monster Insights Headline Analyzer allows you to type your headline into a dialog box, and once submitted it will provide you with a score. Since your goal is to create copywriting headlines that sell, this free tool is immensely helpful. You want your score to be above 70, if possible because that means it uses words that will connect with your audience in a big way.
The Coschedule Headline Analyzer works in a similar way, but you do need to create an account to see your results. The Coschedule tool also provides invaluable SEO help to users. (Remember, SEO is essential to composing a copywriting headline that sells!)
If your headlines aren’t getting the scores you want with these tools, don’t give up! I suggest going back through this post and looking for areas of improvement. What power words can you add? How can I change the format? Refresh yourself with these tips to start creating the best copywriting headlines.
Don’t Wait to Create Your Best Copywriting Headlines Ever
It’s time to make a lasting impression on your audience from their very first interaction with your content. By creating copywriting headlines that sell you are grabbing their attention immediately, and boosting your engagement.
Remember, it doesn’t matter if your content is gold if no one sees it. Powerful headlines ensure are driving your readers to action. What’s an example of a great headline you have used recently? Share it in the comments below – I’d love to be inspired by your work!
And, if you’re really struggling to compose engaging headlines, send me a message and we can talk about my pricing packages for creating blog posts and web copy that convert engagement into sales.