Your Headline Sucks If It Doesn’t Do These 5 Things…
Want your content to hit like a freight train? It starts with a killer headline. Here’s the deal: 5x more people read your headline than the rest of your copy. David Ogilvy knew this decades ago, and nothing’s changed. People skim. They don’t read—they scan for something worth their time. Your job? Make sure your headline hooks them by the throat. Here’s how: A headline must: 1. Speak directly to your audience (vague = ignored) 2. Show the exact benefit they want 3. Highlight a pain they want to avoid 4. Spark curiosity 5. Add urgency Want it simpler? Use the SHINE formula: - Specificity - Helpfulness - Immediacy - Newsworthiness - Entertainment value Example: The Best 5 Minutes You’ll Spend Today: Latest Buffer Tips to Grow Your Followers BETTERIDGE LAW OF HEADLINES: BE SMART WITH QUESTIONS Ever noticed how question-based headlines can feel weak? Ian Betteridge figured it out—if a headline ends in a question, the answer is usually “no.” And “no” kills momentum. Example :Bad: Are You Tired of Your Cell Phone Plan? Better: Does Your Plan Include Unlimited Messaging Worldwide? See the difference? The second headline forces curiosity, and a “no” actually works in your favor. HEADLINE FORMATTING HACKS (STEAL THIS): 1. Center your headline 2. Go big and bold—dark grey or white on a dark background 3. Use Title Case (Capitalize Each Word) 4. Skip the period at the end—periods = stop signals 5. Break long headlines with ellipses…or em-dashes—give the eyes a rest 6. Try quotation marks—they grab attention 7. Always pair your headline with a subhead that gives context (sentence case works best) Nail this formula, and you won’t just write headlines—you’ll create scroll-stoppers.