A great headline is the key to drawing readers into a story and encouraging them to read more. It’s important for headlines to be accurate and clear, but they should also be entertaining and pithy. It’s no wonder that headline writers have a lot in common with advertising copy writers.
Whether you’re writing content for the Army Digital Media Division (DMD) or another audience, it’s essential to understand how to write compelling headlines that draw people in and encourage them to take action. When it comes to creating a headline, there are a few tried-and-true principles that can help you stand out from the crowd.
For example, using a question in your headline can be an effective way to pique reader curiosity and increase clicks. It’s also a good idea to include the 5Ws (who, what, when, where, and why) in your headline to provide readers with all of the information they need to engage with your content.
Another key tip is to use powerful adjectives in your headlines. These words can add emotional appeal and entice your audience to click through to learn more. Additionally, it’s a good idea to capitalize all of the main words in your headline and avoid using contractions. This will keep your headlines clean and easy to read. Finally, remember to test your headlines with your target audience to see which approaches, phrases, and terms are most resonating with them. By constantly A/B testing your headlines, you can optimize them over time to get the most juice from every drop of content you create.