How to write a headline that converts

Funny story… I was wondering how I could write a great headline for this post and get a couple of extra clicks but as I sat here trying to think of the perfect headline it just came to me in an instant. You know why that is? I have figured out a way to be able to generate headlines that engage my audience and the only way you can know if you have yourself a winning headline is to test!

You will have to test and test and test some more. For the product that I’m currently working on I have tweaked and tweaked the headline and measured and measured to end up with the current headline that I have. The first headline that comes to mind might not be the winner but it’s the starting point from where you can start to tweak and move around a couple of words to find the final “winner”.

Here is a short list of a couple of mental triggers that you can start to use when you are thinking about a possible headline.

• Curiosity – Puts a question inside the reader’s head
• Numbers – Example – The 6 ways to …
• Counter-Intuitive – Something that is not obvious
• Bold Statements – Something that is hard to believe
• Confessional Statements – Revealing a flaw
• Pattern breaking – Stops a pattern

Instead of going out trying to find a good set of headlines to analyze why not just pull up my smartphone and open up the SnapChat app? This is going to provide us with a couple of good examples and we will see if we can spot any of this patterns in this headlines.

Kylie bares her massive scar
You got it! Curiosity, and Confessional Statements

Do you hate everything? You should read this.
You got it! Curiosity

Want to see people be mean? of course, you do
You got it! Bold Statements

How china controls the internet
You got it! Curiosity

What we know about the next iPhone
You got it! Pattern breaking

14 hookup habits you NEED to break
You got it! Pattern breaking and Numbers

The 12 sexiest golden globes dresses
You got it! Numbers and Curiosity

This Latina is making money by eating on the internet
You got it! Counter-Intuitive and Curiosity

7 surprising deep fried foods you need
You got it! Numbers and Curiosity

Gigi Hadid reveals her Daily routine
You got it! Confessional Statements, and Curiosity.

Personally, I did not read any of the stories. I typically never do, but does that make them a bad headline? Absolutely not! SnapChat is becoming the new form of consuming gossip and news via a story. It’s funny seeing how the headline sells you in just a few short words to click on the story and watch it.

I’m really finding myself wanting to go back and click on the “This Latina is making money by eating on the internet” since it hits a couple of nerves for me.

Just because you know about this mental triggers that don’t make you unacceptable to falling prey and clicking on this headlines.

You now have the tools to go out and write headlines that can attract millions of people.

Bests,

Rick H.