The undeniable power of a headline

Copywriters and journalists alike know the power of a well-written headline. Even with that knowledge, many people continue to underestimate how critical a powerful headline is in determining the success of an article, ad, press release, website, or marketing document of any kind.

Whatever type of marketing document one is interested in, it is vital that the title is compelling enough to grab the attention of readers. If the headline is not good, the document is unlikely to be read, or at least not read as much as the document deserves.

Since the success of a marketing document depends on the attention the title attracts, it is important to pay special attention to the use of the right words. For starters, your headline needs to specifically target your prospects. If your headline doesn’t “speak” to the people you want, you’re likely to have little success with the document itself. Any result achieved with a marketing document will be directly proportional to the quality of its title. Headlines should spark interest and grab attention.

If your headline is not successful, your document will not be read, no sales will be made. Many people will read the headline text, but only a small percentage will read the rest of the document. Half of your writing time should be spent developing a title. If you develop a great headline that grabs the reader’s attention, you’ll have a much better chance of getting what you’ve written read.

However, a great headline cannot guarantee that your writing will be successful. The body of the text should also explain the benefits expressed in the title. While a great headline can lead to the success of a document with good or even great content, the reverse is not the case. A headline that leaves a lot to be desired can condemn good or even excellent body content to slip under the radar.

Writers should keep in mind that all headlines must be useful to the reader. The reader should feel a sense of urgency as he reads. A great headline conveys the idea that ‘this benefit’ is unique.
Headlines that trigger strong emotions are often successful. It is important that a headline offers the reader a reward for reading. Big headlines are believable but also intriguing.

Writers have a variety of headline styles to choose from. However, the style of the title must directly relate to the style of the body content. Some holders are called “direct holders”. These headlines simply state the selling proposition in a very direct way. ‘Indirect titles’ take a more subtle approach than direct titles. This type of headline can use the reader’s curiosity to invoke continued reading. ‘News headlines’ are written like a press release. It usually reads ‘How to make headlines’. Other types of titles include: ‘command titles’, ‘question titles’, ‘testimonial titles’ and ‘reason why titles’.

By understanding the power of a great headline, one realizes the importance of paying close attention to headline development. By creating intriguing and believable headlines that pique the reader’s interest, a writer can be sure that their documents will be read more often.