The Ultimate Guide to Writing Emotional Headlines from We Blog Better

The Ultimate Guide to Writing Emotional Headlines

Posted: 04 Feb 2014 09:00 PM PST

Headline writing is more important than ever these days! Why? When you look in the SERPs, what’s the first thing you notice? The headline, right? Then you read a little more in the META description.

So, logic dictates that writing a snappy headline helps you get more clicks these days, right? List headlines do work well (“7 Content Marketing Techniques…”), but the problem becomes that now everyone knows so they work, so everyone writes them. Now that they’re becoming the standard, all those post headlines blend in.

But, I’ll let you in on a little secret: there’s many, many types of headlines that will get you clicks. And, even in the bloated content market of 2014, it’s easy to stand out with your headlines.

Some people think they can write, but unless you’re a professional, you really can’t consistently come up with attractive headlines that get clicks.

Some tips for getting your headlines to work:

1. Use a Swipe File

A “Swipe File” is a file you compose that’s filled with headline ideas which you know work. To start building my own, I downloaded Headline Hacks from Jon Morrow (it’s free). As I’m browsing the web and find creative titles, I add those in. Some websites that have killer headlines include The Onion and MSN Money. The Onion is especially good because, as a joke newspaper, it’s not afraid to use pretty raunchy headlines. Copyblogger is always a great resource too.

And you know those obnoxious ads that you see when browsing websites like The Huffington Post? They may be annoying, but their headlines attract attention and drive sales. Add those to your file too.

2. Go Totally Contrary to Conventional Wisdom

This type of headline doesn’t have to be emotional, but when you tell people what they typically believe is wrong, you’re going to get a reaction. The Onion does this really well. An example headline: Thousands Of Athletes Who Will Disgrace Countries Eagerly Training For Winter Olympics.

Now what’s the psychology behind this? Most people want to take pride in the Olympics, believing everyone competes fairly and does their best to represent their country. In the back of everyone’s minds, however, they know some athletes cheat. And no one really wants to talk about it.

Bringing the issue out into the open like this evokes strong emotion from people.

Now, Let’s Take the Time to Make Headlines More Emotional…

So those are some ideas for getting emotional headlines, but how do you develop a completely original one and fine-tune it for high emotional impact?

That’s not easy. Some ideas:

1. Add Adjectives and Adverbs

The key here is not to add words that simply sound fancier, but to use words that trigger emotions. ”Secret” is a big one you see in all types of marketing copy. ”Little-known” is a good one for modifying your list posts (5 Little-Known Tips for…). Those terms make the information seem more exclusive and special – like something you can’t get somewhere else.

2. Add Parentheses to the End (Like This)

When you add parentheses to the end of the title, it makes people again feel like they get something exclusive and special. It also makes them feel like they’re getting something additional.

You can boost the CTR of your list posts by writing a headline like this: 7 Little-Known Work Mistakes You Make (And How to Fix Them).

Not only do you know the problem…but you get the solution too. People like getting more.

3. Make Things Sound Easy

The easier something is to do, the more likely it is people will do it. ”Make an Extra $50,000 Per Year – In Just 5 Hours Per Week” is a headline that sounds very easy.

4. Ask a Question

When you know your market encounters the same problem repeatedly, write a question in a blog post title that address the problem. For example, Are You Too Busy Running Your Business to Write Your Own Content?

And of course, give a great solution.

5. Give the Impression Something Gets Done Fast

“A Quick 10-Minute Guide to Parenting Your Teen.” Millions of people have this problem, and if they can learn how to address it in less than 10 minutes…that’s great! Whenever you make something sound fast, that’s always a great idea.

6. Make an Incredible Promise

This makes more sense for something like a landing page, rather than a blog article. You would say something like, “Learn How to Make $100,000 per Year as a Content Writer in Your Spare Time – And Get Your Money Back if You’re Not Satisfied for any Reason.”

7. Use The Headline Analyzer

I’ve posted this headline analyzer before, and I’ll post it here again – better to learn through experience than by just using and modifying other people’s idea for your own purposes. It’s called the Emotional Marketing Value Analyzer, and it tells you how emotional your headline is. It’s designed for direct response copywriting purposes, but it works for any headline.

If you get a score of 30-40%, that’s average and a good start. If you can put that score over 50%, then you’re nailing it.

And Remember: Make Sure You Never Do This!

If you use a super-creative headline, readers come in with big-time expectations. Since they expect so much, you have to deliver stellar content. Don’t go to your swipe file, pull out a headline, and then deliver so-so content.

Instead, do a mental dump of everything you know on the subject…and your readers won’t be disappointed!

So, yeah, that’s what to do when writing headlines, and in today’s super-competitive industry, you’ll get more clicks than the vast majority of people who don’t know these tips – guaranteed.

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