This is a guest post by Marissa Lowman.
Headlines are the lifeblood of web and landing pages. Ever since the <h1> tag was invented, they’ve been the most important copy on a page…making or breaking the story or idea being communicated. If there is one consistent finding in landing page testing, it’s that headlines play one of the most crucial parts in conversion. A good headline pulls readers in to learn more while a bad headline fails to resonate and loses readers instantly.
Download our free report here for even more data-backed tips on writing awesome titles and headlines.
But writing great headlines is easier said than done. Unless you’re a professional copywriter, writing headlines is hard . It can be difficult to say exactly what you want while staying interesting at the same time.
7 Types of Headlines
1. The Know-it-All
These headlines offer practical advice or tips.
- Where to Sell Your iPhone 3G: Gazelle vs. NextWorth
- Social Media Use Cases: Arcade Fire
- How the Old Spice Videos are Being Made
2. The Teacher
These headlines teach you something you didn’t already know.
- Why Too Much Money is Worse Than Too Little
- The Responsibility Revolution for Companies
- Seven Leadership Traits that the Gurus Don’t Tell You
3. The Gossip
These types of headlines stir up controversy, pique your interest, and often have you asking “and then what happened?”
- And the Winner for Best Film About Design Is…
- Apple Hater Seeks Roommate in the Big Apple Via Craig’s List
- Seven Puppies Die Following American Airlines Flight
4. The Instigator
These headlines make bold statements, which may or may not be true, but they make you want to click to find out.
- How Porn Will Keep Me in Business
- Google Wave is Dead
- Are Most VCs Dinosaurs Who Need to Hurry Up and Die?
5. The Nay-Sayer
These headlines convince you that what you don’t know will hurt you.
6. The Campaigner
These headlines provoke people who have similar problems or issues to click on the articles and connect with other like-minded people.
- Dear Car Dealerships: Stop Sucking
- Who Wants to Be the Mayor of Pizza Hut
- 3 Ways to Dress Like a Millennial Woman
7. The Connector
These articles show the connection between two seemingly unrelated things.
- Social Media Marketing Lessons from Justin Bieber
- What Hugo Chavez Teaches Us About Twitter
- Dan Pickett: Find Your Founder: Five Romantic Tips from a New Technical Cofounder
Have you come across any effective headlines lately? What category were they in? Why did you click on them?
Originally published Jul 29, 2011 1:09:00 PM, updated February 20 2017
Topics:
Blog Headlines