11 Surefire Ways To Create Killer Headlines

Written by Lena Bjorna

The sole purpose of your headline is to entice the person reading it to read the REST of your article. If it doesn’t accomplish that, your article might as well not exist.

As crazy-busy and over-stimulated as everyone is these days, more stuff to wrap our brains around is exactly what we DON'T need.

That's why your headline has got to show your prospective reader that the the body of the text is going to give him some great benefit in trade for the valuable time it takes to read it. Here are some simple but tried-and-true techniques to accomplish just that.

1. Who Else Wants ___?

Here you use social proof, implying that lots of people already have or are doing “it”. You play on your reader’s desire to be "part of the group".

Who Else Wants to Make Money in Their Sleep?

Who Else Wants an Endless Stream of High-Quality Leads?

2. The Secret(s) of/to ___

Who doesn’t love a secret? Especially when the secret promises great benefits?

Secrets Of An Award Winning Copywriter

The Secret To Success In PPC Advertising

3. Warning: ___

None of us wishes to be duped or to make a fool of ourselves. So if someone tells us there’s a good chance we will, but that they can help us avoid it, we are likely to give them our attention.

Warning: Read This Before You Go Prospecting!

Don’t Post Your Videos On YouTube – Consider Yourself Warned!

4. Here is a New Method that is Helping ___ to ___

Here, you pinpoint your target audience and the benefit you can provide them, and simply announce this in your headline. It's even more effective when you add the word "new” as people have a tendency to think the latest is always the best.

Here is a New Method That is Helping Network Marketers Build Their Businesses Smarter Than Ever

Here is a New Method That is Helping Newbies Shorten the Learning Curve

5. Little Known Ways to ___This one is really a variation of “The Secret of…” headline. As it is not as commonly used, it is perhaps even more of an attention-grabber.

Little Known Ways to Save Money on Your Adwords Campaigns

Little Known Ways to Create Killer Sales Letters

6. Are You Making These (Fatal) Mistakes in ___?Just like with the “Warning:…” headline you capitalize on your reader’s fear of making mistakes and looking foolish. He'll want to read your post to make sure he isn't unwittingly setting himself up for failure.

Are You Making These Mistakes in Training Your Team?

Are You Making These Fatal Web 2.0 Mistakes?

7. Get Rid of ___ Once and For All
Your reader has a problem and you’ve got the perfect solution. Enough said ;)

Get Rid of Your Self-Destructive Thinking Once and For All

Get Rid of That Phone Fear Once and For All

8. Here’s a Quick Way to ___
Who doesn’t want to learn how they can quickly better their results?

Here’s a Quick Way to Create More Effective Headlines

Here’s a Quick Way to Improve Your Conversion Rates

9. If You Don’t ___ Now, You’ll Hate/Kick Yourself LaterWho wants to live with regret? With a headline like this, your reader will click on your article to make sure he doesn’t fall into that very trap.

If You’re Not Using SEO Strategies Now, You’ll Hate Yourself Later.

If You Don’t Get “Building On a Budget” Now, You’ll Kick Yourself Later.

10. Now You Can ___ and Still ___

“Have your cake and eat it too”…isn't that what we all want (but are told we can't have)?
Now You Can Own Your Own Business and Still Have Time For Your Family.
Now You Can Advertise All over the Internet and Still Have Money Left Over to Eat

11. You Don’t Have to be ___ to be ___

Your reader may automatically assume he’s excluded from the group, that this isn’t for "people like him". Use this strategy to address his misconceptions right off the bat, and he’ll be much more open to what you have to say next.

You Don’t Have to Be a Great Writer to Get Great Results With Blogging.

You Don’t Have to Be a Salesperson to Succeed In this Business.

Ask yourself this next time you write your headline: Will this headline lure the person reading it into the body of the text? Why would he want to click on my post rather than one of the gazillion others that are all at once screaming for his attention?

Again, you MUST promise your prospective reader something of value in return for his time. That's what your headline is for.

And that's really the only way to turn a Browser into a Reader.