While many people will argue that headline formulas don’t work anymore, the truth is a good headline can still be incredibly effective. The key is to make sure that the benefit to the reader is clear in the headline, and that there are no discrepancies between what is promised in the article and what actually appears on screen. A clear headline is also important because by and large, people tend to skim content online. A headline that makes it obvious that the topic is something they should care about can help them get past the fact that their initial impression of the article was wrong and encourage them to read further.
For example, a “how-to” headline promises practical advice and solutions that will address the problem of your audience’s pain point or frustration. This makes these types of headlines highly effective because they communicate that the content will solve a real problem for readers.
Similarly, a question headline plants a desire for an answer in the reader and leverages a psychology known as the Law of Attraction. When paired with an image, a question headline can be extremely compelling and increase the chances that your article will be clicked and shared.
Finally, a headline that uses power words like ultimate, best, exclusive, guaranteed, and the like can generate interest by creating a sense of urgency in the reader and encouraging them to click to learn more. If you want to turn your killer headlines into real results, check out OptinMonster’s free headline analyzer.