Past Tense

Writing a great headline requires magic… or at least that’s what some people believe. Good writing is merely technique mixed with talent. Good writing is a highly sought after skill, and it pays well.

Joe Sugarman is a legend in the world of copywriting. His number one rule is that every single sentence almost forces the reader to read the next sentence. Your headline should promise a benefit to the reader. Your article should support that promise.

Appealing to your reader’s emotions is crucial. You must understand their wants, needs and desires and create emotional and passionate copy. A great heading is punchy and short and quickly conveys your article’s main premise.

Your title doesn’t need to be creative or funny. It’s actually better if they’re not. A good headline is almost never cute or clever… that rarely pulls readers. (One of my most amusing was Roasted Penguin Tastes So Good It Would Make Gandhi Slap His Kids! It was cute; it was clever; and it failed miserably.)

There is a bit of art involved, so you’ll need to spend some time getting this component correct. The good news is not one in a thousand can draft attractive, eye-catching titles successfully. Get it right, and you’ll practically eliminate your competition.

Like a good song — harmony and music working together — your heading should be in-sync with the story you’re trying to tell. Appeal to the readers interests and satisfy them.

Short, sweet, and active. That’s the sign of a good heading (and good writing, in general.) Say only what is needed to make your point and give a benefit to the reader. Support that point with short, active paragraphs. Promise even more benefits in the body, too.

Getting attention is the main objective of a great heading. Think of it like a pickup line in the clubs… if you don’t get slapped it just might get you a few more minutes to tell your story.

Amusing headlines can work ” more so in offline advertising. No one types humorous headlines into a search engine. Online its more important to create clear, concise, keyword-rich lines. These are far better than witty and obscure. Google actually rewards your relevance by placing you higher and higher in the listings which is what we all want, right?