How to Write Powerful Headlines That Suck Readers In
By: Jen Mcgahan
Tags: Headlines, Motivation, Writing, Writing Tips, Copywriting

How to Write Powerful Headlines That Suck Readers In

Image by BroCreative at Adobe Stock

Every headline asks for the smallest investment of time, a mere glance. A better headline beckons with a juicy word or phrase. But a great headline leads to the reading of the first paragraph. If the writing works, unsuspecting readers won’t be able to pull themselves away.

Unfortunately, most headlines just aren’t that compelling. Only 20% of people actually continue reading the article that follows. As a writer, there’s only one way to increase that percentage, and that’s to commit 80% of your effort to writing a better headline.

The point of a headline is to get the reader to read the very next sentence. And the purpose of that sentence is to get the reader to read the next one, and on and on. Your job as a copywriter is to motivate readers to read past the headline, right down to the end of the article.

As a copywriter, I hunt for tips that promise to improve my headlines. In fact, I collect articles on headlines like I collect actual headlines. I even keep a dedicated file for this purpose. But I’m not alone. Most writers are natural readers and compile shelves of good material to steal. I challenge you to show me a copywriter who doesn’t have a headline swipe file.

If you don’t already, start saving remarkable headlines and subject lines. Choose the ones that get you to click and read. You’ll start to notice patterns: the “How To” headline, the “If-Then” headline, etc. Lately, it seems a good headline “formula” is to simply tell part of the story and leave a little cliffhanger. It’s not really a traditional headline, but simply a compelling first sentence in title case. (And it works.)

Whatever your strategy for dropping awesome headlines, a quick search will bring you more than enough headline compilations and “how-to” articles to satisfy your writing hunger.

But forget style for a moment. Forget the headline “tricks” and consider the one thing that all good headlines have in common… a motivating emotion.

Even without a slew of headline techniques at hand, or your trusty swipe file, you can easily write headlines that suck people in like quicksand if you understand a few raw, human motivators.

Great headlines motivate people to continue reading

Imagine emotion so strong you feel it in your gut, your solar plexus, your heart, or your throat. Emotion that resides inside your body, and makes your voice tremor or your face blush. That’s the kind of headline I’m talking about.

Motivation is triggered by emotion. Emotion hooks readers. Good writing keeps them riveted.

Why do people do what they do? Humans are motivated by any number of complex emotions, but we all share some biggies in common. This is why you don’t need to thoroughly understand the particulars around a subject; you only need to understand what your reader is feeling to write a great headline. Even if you can’t personally relate to industry specifics or jargon, all you have to do is imagine an emotional response to an intense situation, and then notice what makes you either lean in or back away. This is basic human motivation.

Summon this emotion that motivates you and then wring it out. Squeeze out all the details and the specific words relating to the topic. Focus on what’s left. Draw from the raw emotion that resonates with you. Then write that headline.

Most great headlines come from the motivating triggers we all understand because we humans are all essentially the same. Our triggering values are pretty basic.

Humans are wired to feel first, and then react

Instinct helps people make decisions and even saves lives. We feel, and then we act. As social creatures bent on survival, our emotions are what make us human. Our job as copywriters is to write headlines that trigger action.

If you weave those swipe file headlines into this motivation theory, you’ll find that the formulas that A-list copywriters use are just fancy architecture built on the solid ground of human emotion. A connection is made between the like minds of the writer and the reader. Effective copy wouldn’t exist without the writer’s understanding of why people want to click and read more.

The five most powerful motivators

The universal motivators that move people are Curiosity, Vanity, Fear (Greed and Self Interest fall in this category), Kindness, and the need for Security.

These states of emotion (and various combinations of them) rear up in countless situations, and oh, are they powerful! A copywriter takes advantage of these natural motivators, and uses them to induce a reader’s interest.

To help you get started, the following headline examples are categorized under each of the five big motivations. Some of these phrases would work just as they are in headlines. Some would work better in subject lines of emails, and some might be more appropriate as subheads throughout your article; but they are all designed to suck your reader in.

Feel free to riff on them. Pretty soon you’ll get the hang of using the motivational triggers crucial to good copywriting.

Curiosity

I’m sorry if you’re the last to know…

How to triple your Facebook likes in one month on $10 a day [Curiosity mixed with Self Interest]

The toxins in your hotel room can ruin your vacation [Curiosity mixed with Fear]

The best investment Warren Buffet ever made, in his own words

Vanity

Slimming secrets Hollywood stars use hours before they walk the red carpet

How to get firm abs in 60 days, and shock your friends at the pool

I hope they’re not laughing at you…

New-car technology that makes you look smart

Fear/Greed/Self Interest

Never lose your controller connection during an epic kill streak again

Seven stupid money mistakes that actually dig you deeper in debt

You’ve waited too long for this to back out now

Kindness/Benevolence

Your smallest gift means everything to her

If you say this single word, you can bring peace into your life today

The truth about your “legacy” [Benevolence mixed with Self Interest]

Not everyone who receives this will respond [Benevolence mixed with Vanity]

Safety/Security/Insecurity

How to lower your mortgage and pay off your home before you retire

The doors are closing forever

Are you wasting time and money getting Facebook Likes?

Why investing in the wrong marketing channels can set you back months and weaken sales

Appealing to these five biggies is a sure way to grab your reader’s attention. If you’re a copywriter, you can put away your swipe file. Instead, jot down these five main groups and post them at your desk. They’re so deep and universal, you’ll be hard pressed to find a desire, wish, pain, or product that doesn’t fit beneath one of these major, emotional umbrellas.

Certain words and phrases instigate an emotionally motivating response. They also alert the reader’s mind to take action, which is the very thing a copywriter is paid to do. Once you understand that, your headlines take care of themselves.