How To Create Catchy Headlines

This is the transcript for our new video.

Hi. Today I’m going to be talking to you about ten tips for creating catchy headlines. So let’s get started.

Number one is Idea Dump. Get as many ideas down as possible, because if you get as much as possible, you’re bound to eventually the find one that works. You’re only limited by your imagination, so feel free to go crazy. No idea is too mental, no idea is too terrible. Eventually, you’ll notice a theme start to arise and that will help you develop better titles.

Number two is Optimise. Always consider SEO when you’re creating titles. Analyse your site to see your most popular blog posts and what users are searching for, and use that information to help you tailor your titles specifically. You can also optimise your titles with keywords, by using tools such as Übersuggest or the Google AdWords tool.

Number three is Click Bait. Harry created a video and you won’t believe what happened next. Click-baiting titles are the bane of the Internet, but the sites that use them have seen massive growth over the last few years. So, if your site is particularly tailored to that kind of audience, and not focused on too serious matter, you could probably use click bait titles to help you draw your audience in.

Number four is Solve Problems. Let’s get real here. If you could offer users some helpful advice or top tips that answers questions they’ve been searching for, they’re probably going to read the rest of your post. These kind of posts start with ‘How To’ or ‘Top Tips On’ are really great for drawing users in.

Number five is New Insights. If you can offer your users unique data or new insights of information, they’re going to be drawn into the rest of the post. You can use posts that start with, “X percentage of users believe that the Loch Ness monster is real,” for example. Those kind of stats are great for PR, Press Releases, and great for offering information upfront.

Number six is Opinions. Sometimes it’s okay to disagree with the norm. If you have a strong opinion on something and your blog post is written around that opinion, state that opinion in your title to draw users in. For example, my opinion would be that Koozai blog posts are the best. The rest of the blog post will obviously have to explain why that is.

Number seven is Speculate. Now, speculative posts can be incredibly hard to get right. Positive speculation, and if it pays off, can help your brand become known as a trusted source that breaks news early. Negative speculation that’s constantly wrong can tarnish the name of your brand and make you look like a bit of an idiot. If your brand is that way inclined, that speculative news would be helpful, then feel free to use it. But make sure your sources are true and you know that they’re trusted, because otherwise it will just end up you looking worse for wear.

Number eight is Exaggerate. Hyperbole can be used to provide a sense of urgency that’s not usually available in other posts. For example, which sounds better? “Why you should probably update your mobile site,” or, “Why not updating your mobile site can lose you thousands of followers”? Yeah, I know which one I’d read.

Number nine is Laughter. Make ‘em laugh. If you can make them laugh, then frankly, it’s brilliant. If you have the chance to use a pun, or any kind of humour, in your blog post and it’s suited to your brand voice, then why not take advantage of it? I, for one, love a good pun.

Number ten, and last but not least, is Generate. Still stuck for ideas? Don’t have any idea on what kind of post would really work? Generate that title. Use tools like Portent’s Title Generator to develop a fun and interesting title for your users. Obviously, this is the last resort, but it’s still quite interesting to do. It might help stir your imagination a little bit and get some more ideas flowing.

I’ve been Harry Gardiner and this video has been on catchy headlines. If you need any more advice on content marketing or developing catchy headlines for your site, contact us at the details below.

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