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By Jana Aplin |
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How to Write Better Headlines That Earn More Clicks And Convert More Customers

 

Do you have this problem? Your social media following is impressive. But your conversion rate of social media followers to website users is minimal.

Or maybe you’ve paid to run an ad that goes flat like a tire?

If your social media friends aren’t morphing into website guests, and your paid ads aren’t doing what your paying them to do, you’re probably doing one thing wrong:

You are writing poor headlines.

Bad headlines are like the plague. They harm your Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter pages. It’s not your fault that you caught the plague (germs can be unstoppable) because writing headlines isn’t easy. Honestly, that’s why good copywriters earn more than $100 and hour - because their writing gets clicks.

Earning social media clicks is intrinsically linked to great headlines. And so are landing page headlines, blog titles, and even the content on sales pages.

How to get started

Headlines are everywhere. Start paying attention to them as you scroll your newsfeed, read emails, and even observe marketing tactics from your favorite businesses. Think about your frequented cafe, sales flyers for a home decor store, the local bug company trying to earn your business, or a service that you’re researching (like a home security system).

Now that you have observed a variety of headlines, you can begin to use them in presentations, on blogs, for sales materials, and more!

But how do those highly paid copywriters convert followers into tangible website traffic results? And how can you use those same tactics? Here are the 3 best strategies that will help you out.

3 Genres of Better Headlines

1 - Social Proof

If you’re fascinated with psychology, then you’re going to be intrigued with social proof. And this isn’t new to The MindShift Agency; we wrote an intro blog about The Four Truths of Social Proof, plus how to harness it in your marketing. In that, we review how customers seek after certainty, similarity, expertise, and numbers.

For example, what was the last item that you bought on Amazon? Did you look at it’s five star rating or read reviews before you completed your purchase? If so, then you’re participating in social proof.

Consumers want reviews to know what other people think about the product or service. If those people are similar to me, then their ratings are valuable. And obviously something with five stars is better than a comparable item with only three stars. People trust other people, and you can take advantage of that with your headlines.

For example:

Why 5,000 Marketers Are Using Our Top Rated Product

How Our (Specific Service) Earned a 4.9 star review

100,000 Other’s Buyers Can’t Be Wrong About (Product)

2 - Threat

Threat is a scary, intimidating, harsh word. But threat headlines are kidnappers or criminals. In fact, they are headlines that help prevent a scary, harsh, painful scenario from occurring. Your reader will notice your headline “12 Ways To Ensure Your Dog Doesn’t Run Away” and think, “Yeah, I don’t want to lose my dog!”

Show the audience how you can help them avoid pain with examples like these:

Uses these headlines to jump start the reader to action. You’re pointing out a plausible scenario that they could find themselves in...and them you’re providing a solution!

3 - Gain

This type of headline follows a basic pattern of Benefit + Promise. If the reader clicks on this post, then they will receive what you promised them.

3 Easy Ways To Improve Your Headlines

Now that we’ve reviewed the 3 fundamental genres of solid headlines, it’s time to integrate 3 more action tips into your headline writing talents.

1 - Include “How To”

“How to” headlines are so popular because it directly answers the reader’s question. They are wondering, “How do I (fill in the blank).” You immediately respond with a concise headline, “How to (fill in the blank).” It can integrate into all three genres of headlines as well.

These types of headlines draw in the reader because it directly responds to their specific questions.

2 - Include numbers or time

Conveying when the reader will receive the benefit promised in your headline will amp up your headline’s number of clicks. It’s like telling your child, “You can have a treat later.” “Later” is not satisfactory or encouraging, but a specific response (“after you finish your sandwich”) bears better results.

3 - Be interesting

People scrolls quickly, scan absentmindedly, and have a short attention span. Cause them to stop and think, “Huh, that’s interesting.”

Pay Attention and Watch Your Click Rate Skyrocket

It’s not enough that you simply try to write better headlines. Watch other people. Pay attention to your news feed and notice why certain things capture your attention. Chart which of your posts receive most clicks from readers and observe similarities.

What strategy are you currently using, and would you want to click that? If not, rewrite your posts to make it more appealing. Then you’ll begin writing headlines that actually work; you’ll be a headline master before you know it! And you know what that means...more social media followers with convert to customers, more people will click on your ads, and your blog will have more views than ever before.

Want a second set of eyes to review your headlines? Looking for a mentor to upgrade your headlines? Our team has plenty of eyes and a few wise mentors! Fill out the form below and we will be in touch soon!

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