How To Write Scroll-stopping Headlines: 7 Easy Hacks To Write Magnetic Headlines Within Seconds in 2021
By: Anushka Dhar
Tags: Headline Hacks, Blogging, Headlines

How To Write Scroll-stopping Headlines: 7 Easy Hacks To Write Magnetic Headlines Within Seconds in 2021 Anushka Dhar Nov 28, 2021·7 min read

Headlines are the FIRST thing your readers see. They have the power to make your readers either click on that blog post or scroll past them. No matter how informative, unique and SEO optimized your blog is, you wont get enough traffic if the headline isn’t attention-grabbing.

Photo by Ali Shah Lakhani on Unsplash

8 out of 10 readers read just the headlines while only 2 out of 10 readers actually click through. Hence, headlines easily become the MOST important element that can catapult your business online. Crazy right ? A good headline grabs the reader’s attention and makes them read the first line of the blog. I’ve been writing for two years and believe it or not, a good headline is not easy to write. Years of writing experience and many trial and errors and upskilling have led me to write these magnetic headlines. If only I knew these hacks that I know now, I would have saved more than 50% of my time. Don’t miss out on the traffic generated by the perfect headline and don’t waste your time worrying about how to write them. Use these 7 easy yet effective hacks to write scroll stopping headlines every time. 👇👇👇

Use numbers and data in your headlines :

Listicles are the MOST popular posts for a reason: they let the readers know how many exact steps will provide them the solution they are looking for. Numbers are “brain candy”. Including numbers in your headlines will definitely increase the engagement and social shares. Megan Golden of LinkedIn says “Using data or stats, especially up front, can imply instant credibility to your post or headline”.

Some important facts about using numbers.

Numerals, not just numbers, work like magic.

For example, “3 easy ways to lose weight” instead of “three easy ways to lose weight”

Odd numbers are more preferred than even numbers. Particularly the number 7 increases the click through rates by 20%. Have I included 7 tricks here on purpose ? What do you think ?

Smaller numbers have higher click through rates than larger ones. Pro tip, while describing a step by step guide, don’t include more than 9 steps.

Headlines with numbers aren’t always listicles. They can be data and statistics backed by research. LinkedIn conducted a campaign that tested headlines with and without statistics and turns out the headline with statistics got 37% higher clickthrough rate.

For example, “How to Increase Conversion Rates by 529%” or “101 Ways to Write Top 10 Lists that Increase Traffic By 21%”

2. Include 2–3 benefits in your headline :

If you want people to read your content, give them irresistible reasons to click on your blogs by adding the best benefits in the headlines itself. The job of a headline is to indicate the benefit of reading the blog. Promise your readers that you’re gonna provide them the ultimate solution in the headline itself and see how they cannot help but click on the post. 59% of readers share content without reading the whole blog first, so we have to make sure it reaches the right audience while providing an easy solution to their pain points.

The benefit should be easy enough to be scanned in the first 2 secs. Your readers have an attention span between 12 to 8 secs. The more specific the benefit, the more likely the visitor is to click. Barry Feldman of Feldman Creative says “The pulling power of a magnetic headline traces to its promise. Simply stated, it’s a benefit.”

For example, “Learn How to Write a Small Business Plan From Scratch” or “Buy one banana…get two free!” or “Step-by-Step Process for Writing a Small Business Plan in 30 Minutes”

3. Use power words in your headline :

Power words are emotionally triggering words that provoke the readers to take action. All words cannot evoke emotions. Using the right words at the right time can build momentum for you. Words like

Convey a sense of urgency. Derek Christian, founder of Cleaning Business Today, once said that “effective marketing boils down to creating a fear of losing out on an amazing deal.” Scarcity and urgency are two powerful elements in copy that persuade the customers to respond quickly.

For example, “Book Now & Get Extra $15 on JetBlue Airlines, Flights Tickets. Hurry!”

Use adjectives. Adjectives are great for pulling your readers into your content. Jeff Goins provided some interesting adjectives to use in your headlines.

Flag the reader in your headlines. Dan Kennedy introduced the flagging technique where you address the readers directly as “you”.

Add CTAs. Every headline must call for attention. Good headlines must lead to a reaction.

Warning! Don’t use power words for “clickbait”. Describe the solutions with the power words, make a promise and genuinely follow through. We want to rank higher and generate more traffic using good headlines and informative content, not by fooling our readers.

4. Make your headline easy to understand :

The language you choose directly impacts your traffic. Write in your customer’s language. The goal of the headline is to make people click, not to sound clever. Your readers have an attention span less than a goldfish. And the less time you take to explain your headline, the more chances of them clicking on the blog. Don’t use confusing headlines with difficult words and uncommon phrases. Instead, make your blog easy and simple for your readers.

5. Ask questions in your headlines :

Headlines with questions have two major benefits: they help to make the readers curious about the problems and they help to rank higher on Google. Asking questions directly speaks to the reader’s pain points as if the writer is reading their mind. Use the target key phrases in the beginning. A good headline works for both the readers and the search engines.

For example, Why are you still using Microsoft Word? — via Gizmodo

Could you pass a 1954 Home Economics class? — via Buzzfeed

Is bloody pink chicken safe to eat? — via Epicurious

Lars Loggren advises you to

6. Use proven headline formulas :

You wont always have to spend lots of time creating the perfect headlines. Rather follow these popular headline formulas formulated by previous copywriters and save your time.

John Caples’ Headline Formula includes the three elements of problem, solution and promise. Identify a problem, give the solution to the problem and promise that your solution is beneficial.

Bronn outlined a simple headline formula, “SHINE” that includes

S- Specificity

H- Helpfulness

I- Immediacy

N- Newsworthiness

E- Entertainment value

Orbit Media’s go to formula is

Target Keywords + colon + Numbers and/or trigger words + promise

Some other headline formulas include

✔Tips

✔Tricks

✔Lessons

✔Reasons

✔Ideas

✔Ways

✔Principles

✔Facts

✔Secrets

✔Strategies

7. Write 10s of headline, choose the best one :

Start by writing 10 headlines first. you won’t get the best headline on your first try. so so use all the hacks and all the formulas given in this blog and write multiple headlines and choose the one that stands out the most. Malcom Gladwell is famous for telling us that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert. The question here is how many headlines does it take to make a good one? If nothing else, we know that experience pays.

Great content starts with a headline that captures the reader’s attention. If you fail to make your headline impactful and clickable, every other marketing strategy will fail. Use these 7 hacks to create incredible headlines every time !!