How to Write Catchy Headlines

chillibreeze writer — Charmila Mahendren

When you are out to buy a cake, it is the lovely icing that makes you go for it, right? The headline is like the icing – an example of attractive outer covering to lure you. It is common for many of us to glance through the newspaper, reading just the headlines. Only if we find a catchy headline do we go for the article, right? With a busy schedule ahead almost nobody has the time to read the whole article so it is necessary to create a catchy headline that hooks your target. But it is not difficult to arrive at a good one. You simply have to know some tricks and voila, you have a successful sales letter.

Get some ideas: Read various advertisements for inspiration. Glance through newspapers, magazines and most importantly, the Internet, for an insight into advertisements. Look out for the ads by the side of your search engine. Practice writing different one-liners for the images that appear in magazines. Copywriting is not a theory to be learned. It is an art to be mastered.

Not just a one-liner: If you are under the impression that a headline is of no consequence then you have to change that first. The headline must be formed in a way that gives the readers an idea about the product and it should also be convincing enough to read the rest of the page.

Read details: First go through the details given to you thoroughly. You have to arrive at a clear idea of what the business letter is about and how the product you are writing for can benefit the readers.

Rough draft: Craft some headlines that you think may suit the product description. Then choose one that you think would be appropriate. Now shape the headline in a way that it is capable of attracting the readers. Remember, they should realise that they can gain something from the product and so the headline has to be promising too.

Free: This is one magic word that can work miracles. If possible, add this to your headline to it catchy. It can sound like “Brain-boosting product. Call now and get 30% Free!” or you can use this word in any part of the newsletter too like “Order now and receive a ‘so and so product’ completely FREE”.

How to: Even though these types of titles have been used a lot, they still remain the favorite among readers. It is because people are naturally curious to learn new stuff or increase their knowledge on certain things. “How to remain fresh in the scorching sun” and “How to invest wisely in the Stock Market” are examples of headings that make us browse the whole article no matter how many times we’ve read similar ones.

Ask a question: Put forth a question for your readers to answer. A headline like “Want to slim down before summer?” tempts their inner conscience and makes them read on.

Numbers: Headlines that start with numbers tend to attract readers in. “Six Simple Strategies to solve the problem with your dog” is one example. Numbers that come in the form of money also act as magnets. These types of advertisements are becoming increasingly popular. Headlines like “Earn $3000 without having to spend a dime” and “$2000 worth benefits at $12.95 just for you!” are really eye-catching.

Testimonial: Testimonials from previous users or those who have been offered a trial can also be printed as headlines. They show proof that people have genuinely benefited from the product and clears doubts about it. If Deepthi from New Delhi has earned a lot from a work-at-home program, then Priya from Cochin will be tempted to do so too.

Other catchy phrases: Some other words that can lure your readers are ‘Instant’, ‘Guaranteed’, ‘Proven’, ‘Now’, ‘100% (more too) ‘Order today’ and ‘Offer valid only for 4 days’ (or any other time limit). Another word that is gaining prominence in copywriting would be ‘Fast.’

So, just craft some catchy headlines and watch the readers roll in.

Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article.

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—About our writer:

Charmila says, "I am passionate about learning and I constantly aspire to shape myself. Freelancing for more than a year, I have been published in a national newspaper, a women's magazine and a literary magazine. Just like Gloria Steinem "Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don't feel I should be doing something else." If there is one thing I'm crazy about in this world, then it is reading."

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