A Tip to Write Better Headlines

It’s not uncommon for business owners to put up a website expecting to draw in clients like flies to honey. 

Then, all they get is crickets. 

Too often, their conclusion is: Websites don’t work. 

*Ahem*

Let’s Rethink that Conclusion 

I don’t know how many websites I’ve seen that have been created using those free(ish) website services. 

Sure, they look nice (or sometimes just okay). But as I start to go over it, I’m overwhelmed with…boredom. 

Yeah, bored bored bored…very bored. 

A handful of seconds after I start looking at it, I’m ready to leave. 

Why? 

They don’t capture and keep my attention in a way that makes me want more. 

This does not mean that “websites don’t work”. It just means that the copywriting on your website doesn’t work. That’s very different. 

You May Need to Write Better Headlines

If your website copy isn’t able to connect with your ideal clients, your website will not get you the leads and clients you need to scale your business and lead the life you always dreamed of.

That’s why don’t want just any ole’ website. You want a website that works.

So, today, I want to look at an extremely important part of your website copy: your headlines. 

If you want to improve the copy on your website, that’s the first place to look. 

The Purpose of Headlines

Headlines (or “headers”) serve several functions.

• They capture attention
• They reorient readers when they start to skim
• They convey the meaning of your marketing clearly in very few words
• They tell Google what your page is about

Of course, I’m primarily talking about websites here, but I actually want you to think about how important your headers are on all of your copy. Whether it be email, ads, written newsletters, or even business cards. 

No matter what piece of marketing you are working on, those headers matter…a LOT.

My goal today is to give you a tip so you can write better headlines. 

Here’s a Tip to Write Better Headlines

A while back, I was talking with Heather, and she told me a story about how she used to empower her staff years ago to write better headlines. Here’s what she said: 

Mastering the art of writing great headlines will change your life, and I’m not kidding. Think about it. The job of a headline is to get someone to click. More clicks equals more emails opened, more social media posts read, more traffic to your offers. More opens and traffic mean more sales! 

So how do you write better headlines? Strategic practice! 

When I was in corporate, one of the first tasks I’d give my interns was to have them write 50 headlines for a blog post. Then we’d plug them into a headline analyzer so we could see which headline had the best likelihood to perform well online. 

This benefitted us in two ways. The first benefit was that my interns could practice their copywriting skills and learn which headline formulas worked best. Second, we had a bunch of winning headlines we could use to promote the post via email, social media, etc. Win-win.

What a great idea!

I want you to do this, or at least something like it. 

Heather has created a free printable in the Free Printable Library to help you practice your headlines. It includes some headline generators and headline analyzers to help you write and pick the winners. 

And, if you have our 5-Minute Marketing Planner, be sure to check out the “101 Irresistible Headline Formulas”. You can get to it by clicking on “Content” and then “Headlines”, or just scroll to page 28. 

Enjoy the exercise! And remember, practice makes perfect.