Your headline decides whether anything you write gets read… or ignored. It can make or break a sales letter, website page, newsletter, email, blog post or twitter post. I’ve read numerous articles which all say that the headline is the most important part of a sales letter.
Why are headlines important in marketing?
Quick Answer – Headlines matter because they determine whether your content gets read, clicked, or ignored. A strong headline stops attention, creates curiosity, and drives action. Without it, even great content goes unseen.
Headlines are the gatekeepers of anything and everything that is read. It’s really that simple. If it’s good, if it catches your attention, then people will read on. If it isn’t good or catchy, then your email or sales letter hits the recycling bin or gets the delete button treatment.
Yikes. Lets be honest…nobody wants that.
Think of your Headline as a Sizzle
Think about this. You’re in a restaurant, you have the menu in front of you. The waiter walks past your table with the sizzling sound of fajitas. The sound is delicious so you raise your head from the menu, just to check them out. Then the smell that follows after makes your mouth water.
But it’s the sizzle that got your attention – not necessarily the dish. The sizzle is your headline.
So when you go to write your next headline – whether you are using AI or help, remember the sizzle. What are you going to write to get your reader to lift their head up, stop the scroll or listen to you? You want them wanting more.
How do you write headlines that make people stop and read? In this article, I’m going to give you three tips to write engaging headlines.
Here are Three Tips to Write High Converting Headlines
1. Keep it Simple
Why use 12 words when you can pack a punch in 3? Too many words can kill your message.
Think about this scenario – You see a burning building. What is the first thing you do? You would yell ‘Fire‘ or ‘Call the Fire Brigade!‘or ‘Help‘ You wouldn’t think of something funny to yell or something really creative to capture someone’s attention. You’d keep it simple.
The same applies to your headline – keep it simple. Creativity does have a role to play in headlines as you are trying to differentiate but don’t get complicated.
AI has a tendency to over-complicate the headline or shorten it to the point of irrelevancy – remember all AIs are programmed on pattern recognition and giving you the most concise version. But that doesn’t mean it’s right so always go back and forth with it, when writing with AI.
For example, AI might give you: ‘Unlock transformative strategies to maximise revenue growth…’ but in reality, that headline isn’t going to make people stop and read. However, if you refine it to ‘How to increase your revenue without more hours’…well that’s what will get people to stop and read.
Use AI for brainstorming but you do the thinking and refining.
2. Solve a Problem or Create an Emotion
Customers buy for two reasons – you solve a problem for them or you create an emotional response, whether it’s relief, happiness, a memory etc. You need to write something in the headline which makes a statement on its own and encourages people to read on.
If you write a problem statement or pose a problem question, the reader identifies with the problem and are keen to solve it. Ultimately, us humans love solving problems.
Take three headlines:
- Cats fouling on your vegetable patch?
- How to stop cats from fouling in your vegetable patch
- Use ‘Foul off’ to stop unwanted fouling
Which would encourage you to read on?
Well, if you don’t have a problem in your garden or vegetable patch, then none of them. If you do have a problem, then which one would make you open a sales letter or respond to an ad?
The one with which you can identify the most will be the most powerful one. Seek to solve a problem.
Problem-based headlines work because people don’t search for solutions—they search for problems they want solved.
3. Ask a Question
Take two headlines:
- Here are five ways to make extra money
- Want five ways to earn extra money?
Which headline would you prefer?
If possible, ask a question in your headline. It may not be appropriate for every sales letter or ad or newsletter but the brain, when presented with a question, has a need to answer it.
It’s like a story loop is opened…a question opens a loop and the answer closes it.
With those two questions, for me, I know that I’d answer yes to the second headline and read on to find out more. The first headline would pique my interest but the second one would make me open straight-away.
And there in lies the difference – action.
Remember the purpose of the headline – on whatever format you use it on – video, sales letter, advert, newsletter, blog, is to get you to read on. Take an action.
Why else would you spend time writing..you want people to stop and read on. That’s always your purpose.
Common Headline Mistakes to Avoid
When I wrote my first book ‘31 Days to Write Better Copy’, I dedicated three chapters to headlines as they are so important. While it’s important to share tips on what’s working, here are some mistakes to avoid….
- Being too vague (“Transform Your Business Today”)
- Trying to sound clever instead of clear
- Writing for yourself instead of your audience
- Overloading with jargon (especially from AI tools)
Examples of High-Converting Headlines
And if you are in any doubt, here are some examples that you can model to write your own high converting headline.
- “Struggling to Get Clients? Fix This First”
- “How to Get More Leads Without Spending More on Ads”
- “Why Your Marketing Isn’t Working (And What to Do Instead)”
Some are question led, some are statement led. They are intriguing, curious and help solve a problem. First one – problem? Then solution. The second one, people are intrigued, it solves a problem and you know the solution comes next. Third one is another question with a direct solution mentioned.
Boom.. that’s what high-converting headlines look like.
So What Makes a Good Headline?
Headlines don’t need to be clever, they need to be clear. Because if your headline doesn’t stop someone, nothing else you write matters. And in a world where AI is creating more content than ever… the ability to stand out starts here.
Key Takeaways
- Your headline is the gatekeeper
If it doesn’t stop attention, nothing else gets read. - Keep it simple and clear
The best headlines are easy to understand, not clever for the sake of it. - Focus on problems or emotions
When people see themselves in your headline, they’re far more likely to read on. - Use questions to create curiosity
A good question opens a loop your reader wants to close. - AI can help but only with direction
Without strategy, AI-generated headlines often sound the same as everyone else. Generic, boring and definitely not making some stop and read. Help the AI out with your thinking.
If you want to improve your marketing message and make every word work harder, head over to the FAY WAY Framework and explore the Words section.
