When writing headlines, some people swear by writing the headlines last, and some people swear by writing the headlines first. Let’s go over the pros and cons of each but understand that you should do things the way it works best for you based on data. If you have data that shows you make better headlines first over after, then stick with your method.
Writing Your Headlines First
One really great thing about writing a headline first is that if you use the practice of stating your offer, showing the benefits of the offer, and highlighting the problem that you’re solving right in the headline, this will make it much easier for you to ensure that you include all the information in your article that you can, since the title defines what goes in the article, sales page, or blog post.
Writing Your Headlines Last
When you write the copy first, then you must work on ensuring that the headline most closely matches what the copy you wrote says. This can actually be a more difficult thing to do because you may forget something that you’ve included in the piece. One way to find a good way to capture what’s in the article is to look at your first paragraph for clues. However, this method is a lot more difficult.
Editing Headlines After Copy is Written
Regardless of the method you use to write your headlines, it’s important to always take the time to edit your headlines. You should try many different headlines on for size before you choose the right one. You may even want to poll your audience to find out what they think the title or headline should be. The main thing is the headline should not be tricky to the reader and should be straightforward about what is to come if they click on it.
Headlines should make an impact on the reader so that they want to click to read more. But the headline should not confuse the reader and trick them into clicking. Here are a few headline creating rules that might help whether you make them first or last.
- Use Active Voice – This will make the person feel as if clicking is more urgent than if it has past tense words.
- Use Numbers – Numbers tend to catch the eye and signal that the article is going to be a fast read or an in-depth read.
- Offer – Benefit – Problem – Understand that the headline needs to get this information to the reader. Just remember that it should go in this order and use keywords that the audience will recognize.
Finally, as you are crafting the headline, remember that you want to put the audience first and foremost in your thoughts for all aspects of the copy. When you do that, you tend to attract the audience more because they will feel as if you’re reading their mind even when you’re not – you’re just using the right data and normal copywriting practices to put the audience first.
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