13 Irresistible Headlines That Suck People In

by Bill H.

Getting anyone’s attention today is a difficult task. There are so many distractions and so much competition for consumers’ attention that it’s nearly impossible to break headlinesthrough the clutter. Advertising and marketing here in the U.S. has become so pervasive that consumers end up tuning out most of the nearly 3,000 advertising and marketing messages they receive each day.

The headline is the single most impactful element in copywriting and could arguably be the most important of any persuasive copywriting component.  Without a compelling headline, most people will simply skip over the article and ignore it completely.  You have to know how to grab people’s attention with headlines that will make them stop in their tracks.

Here are 13 of the most irresistible headlines that will suck people in:

  1. Show Them “How To” – “How To” articles are incredibly inviting and attractive.  People just love to learn new things and “How To” headlines for articles that guide your readers with tips and advice are one of the most effective headline techniques to effectively grab your readers attention.
  2. Let Them “Discover” – Using the word “Discover” in a headline compels readers to open the door to the possibilities of a new discovery.  Using the word “Discover” in a headline is like waving a shiny new toy at your readers – it’s nearly impossible to resist.  In general, people truly enjoy the discovery process and are often too curious to turn away from such a headline.
  3. “Expose” a Hidden Story – If people think that something hidden will be exposed or revealed in your article, they will pay attention.  Readers can’t resist “hidden secrets” and love the idea of revealing what they are and why they’ve been kept secret.

  4. Revealing “Insider Secrets” – Revealing inside information with a “Insider Secrets” headline are always very effective because people simply cannot resist the urge for exclusivity that will get them access to information not available to everyone.
  5. “Finally” Provide a Solution – People that are looking for an answer to a difficult problem or challenge in their personal or professional lives will be open to a solution that “finally” provides the answer they’ve long been seeking.  While they may have had bad luck with similar products or services, headlines that provide solutions and answers your readers have long been seeking are very effective.
  6. “Guaranteed” Results – Attention will be garnered if people are to understand there is no risk in reading or buying. After being convinced of having nothing to lose, the reader will move forward. You can easily turn unbelievable into conceivable by guaranteeing a result.
  7. Offer Them a “Free Gift” – Just like shiny new toys, people just can’t seem to resist free stuff.  Offering a bonus or free gift in your headline can be a compelling way to invite your readers in.  The prospect of a free gift or some type of bonus offering that readers will get by reading your article can be pretty irresistible.
  8. Let Them Know It’s the “Last Chance” – Creating a sense of urgency by communicating that “time is running out” to take advantage of _ (fill in the blank here) _ is also a very effective headline technique.
  9. Help Them “Take Advantage” – Using “take advantage” copy in your headlines is also a pretty effective attention grabber as well.  People are generally happy to “take advantage” and these headlines can stir their interest in how to do it and in how taking advantage will benefit them specifically.
  10. Show It Is “Proven” – People need to be totally confident in whatever action you’ll be asking them to take with your headline.  Even if you won’t explicitly be asking your readers to buy something or subscribe to something in your landing page copy and you simply just want them to read your article, you have to give people a compelling reason to do so.  Touting a “proven” technique/product/service in your headline is one way to inject confidence in reading your article.
  11. “Imagine” the Possibilities – Visualization is a powerful way to let your readers imagine the possibilities from your headline.  Invite them in by allowing them to imagine a better world and a better life simply by engaging with your content, whatever it might be, blog post, article or video.  Let your readers imagine the possibilities with a compelling headline.  “How Would It Feel To…”
  12. It’s “Never Been Seen Before” – To this day, people are excited about the notion of new frontiers and things they’ve never seen, done or imagined before.  Just when they think they have seen it all, you can hit them with a headline that tells them otherwise. You can stop them in their tracks with a “never been seen before” headline.
  13. Tell Them “How I” – People are very interested in learning about how other people have accomplished things of interest to them. When you lead off with a “How I” statement, you’ll immediately attract attention, inviting others to learn about how you’ve accomplished something.

Additional Resources on Writing Great Headlines:

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Tagged as: article marketing, copywriting, headline

{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

event2mobile December 15, 2010 at 9:17 am

That was such a cool post. Headlines according to me make or break a write-up therefore it is absolutely crucial to come up with an innovative headline.

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