Headlines are everything for blog posts, articles, emails, and other forms of content. Just take a look at when the satirical site Sciecne Post published the satirical article “Study: 70% of Facebook Users Only Read the Headline of Science Stories Before Commenting.” The content of the article was full of “lorem ipsum” otherwise known as filler text. In other words, the article didn’t offer anything substantial or valid. Nevertheless, the post received 46,000 shares, some of which were done unironically.
Furthermore, about 60% of Americans admit that they read the news headlines and not much else. After all, who has time for all that boring stuff when you already know the gist of the article?
However, a headline that creates interest or curiosity will likely be clicked. That’s why Upworthy writers craft 25 different headlines before choosing one to publish. The site ends up with clickbaity headlines like these:
- Bullies Called Him Pork Chop. He Took That Pain With Him and Then Cooked It Into This.
- 9 Out Of 10 Americans Are Completely Wrong About This Mind-Blowing Fact
- If This Video Makes You Uncomfortable, Then You Make Me Uncomfortable
- A Terrible Tweet About Depression Has The Internet In An Uproar
Want to make clickworthy headlines? Try these tips:
Curiosity Gap
Some of the best headlines inquire someone to click because they want to know an answer. These headlines use phrases that hint at something incredible, but don’t explain what it is. Readers really want to find out about “this response” or “that reaction.” Lines like “you won’t believe what happened next” might seem cliché, but they do draw clicks.
Examples:
- A homophobic ad was placed next to this pizza shop. Their response was delicious. – Upworthy
- The border wall wouldn’t just cost money. It could cost us these rare animals too. – Upworthy
Questions
Another way of creating a curiosity gap is to ask questions that people want to know the answer to. Some of these questions might be things the reader was looking for in the first place. Others might be questions they had no idea that they wanted to know the answer to.
Examples:
- How Can I Make It Easier to Save? – Time
- Heavy Metal Lyrics of Bible Verse? – The Circle Pit
Bold Claims
Many advertisers sell by promising the world. Everyone wants to know the latest tips and tricks to succeed in life. Readers will click if they think that you can really deliver on your promises.
Examples:
- Become a millionaire by age 30 – Business Insider
- How Elon Musk learns faster and better than everyone else – Quartz
Controversial Claims
Controversy sells. By saying something that seems unusually firm or even a little bit rage-inducing, readers will be enticed to click. They want to know just how true the author’s claims are. Just be warned that many readers might not exactly be happy with your work.
Examples:
- There’s no such thing as a good Trump voter – Slate
- White men must be stopped: The very future of mankind depends on it – Salon
Injustice
A safer way of getting people to click is to highlight injustice in the world or justice being served. People are always outraged at terrible events and relieved when perpetrators get their due. These types of headlines will attract people who are passionate about politics and society.
Examples:
- Protestors Deface Roosevelt Statue Outside Natural History Museum – The New York Times
- How to town of Whitefish defeated its neo-Nazi trolls – and became a national model of resistance – Yahoo
Numbers
Research shows that using numbers in their numerical form leads to greater clicks than headlines that spell them out. It also makes the headline much shorter and easier to read. Plus, it gives people an idea of what to expect in the article.
Examples:
- 6 Stories of Super Successes Who Overcame Failure – Entrepreneur
- 19 of the Most Delicious Things You Can Make In a Waffle Iron That Aren’t Waffles – Country Living
Urgency
You can encourage your readers to click if you’re offering something that they need to know about right away. An expiring offer or relevant information will always entice readers. Perhaps there’s something that they need to know that only your article can offer.
Examples:
- Are You Losing Sales By Giving Customers Too Many Choices – KISSmetrics
- 10 Money Mistakes to Avoid in Your 20s – Get Rich Slowly
Conclusion
The art of writing a headline is deceptively difficult. It might seem easy to simply write down a few words and call it a day, but you never know how much readership you might be losing. Feel free to A/B test your headlines and find out which ones work best for you.