What stops you scrolling and makes you click that read more button? What makes you click through to one article and not another? Which ads get your attention when you're flicking through a magazine? How often do you delete emails without reading anything more than the subject line?

Your blog post, article, ad, letter, web page, or email could be the most interesting, exciting, entertaining or valuable piece of content ever written, but it doesn’t matter if nobody reads it.

And this is why your headlines and subject lines are so important.

But all too often, they are treated as an afterthought. People put plenty of effort into researching, writing and editing, and then undo their hard work by sticking a bland headline at the top.

And I‘ll hold my hands up - I’m guilty of doing this sometimes too.

It’s easy to get complacent, especially with emails. After all, people have signed up to my email - they want to hear from me - so they’ll open my emails regardless of the subject line, right?

Wrong.

Headlines matter. Subject lines matter.

It doesn’t matter how good your content is - you need to give people a reason to read it.

Fortunately, there are plenty of easy ways you can improve your headline. The right approach for you will depend on the subject of your content, the platform you’re sharing on, and the readers you are trying to attract.

Clear and specific

Sometimes the simplest approach is the best. Use clear language, avoid jargon and don’t be vague. Tell people who your content is for or what it’s about.

Research has also shown that headlines with numbers get more clicks. This is probably because it tells us exactly what we can expect. So instead of “Top Tips For…” try “10 Top Tips…” and instead of “How to…” try “7 Ways To…”

Be specific.

Benefit-driven

Show readers what’s in it for them if they read your content. Why will they be better off? How will reading your content improve their life or business? Why should they give you their time?

Problem-focused

While benefit-driven headlines focus on the benefit your content provides, problem-focused headlines focus on the problem your content solves.

Emotion-led

Emotion-led headlines tap into basic human psychology and create connections with readers by evoking or addressing a feeling.

Humans tend to pay more attention to negative information (why do you think 90% of news stories are bad news), so headlines that evoke anger or fear tend to be effective at grabbing attention.

Asking a question

When we’re asked a question, we can’t help but respond (even if we don’t respond out loud). Our brains just see or hear a question and react. That’s why headlines that ask a question get attention - we automatically think about the answer.

Creating FOMO or urgency

Fear of missing out (fomo) is a big motivator, so headlines that play on this or create a sense of urgency can compel readers to click.

Provoking curiosity

Sometimes we can’t help clicking through to something simply out of curiosity. We want to know the answer, the secret, the trick or the hack.

Keyword optimised

If you’re writing to get found in search engines, then your headlines need to be keyword optimised (as well as appealing to readers).

Using sensationalist clickbait headlines to trick people into reading your content or overpromising but then underdelivering is a surefire way to piss readers off.

Yes, your headline is important. Yes, you should make it appealing. But misleading readers, outright lying, or failing to deliver on what you’ve promised is the quickest and easiest way to lose their trust.

Pay attention to your headlines and subject lines, but don’t compromise your integrity for a few extra clicks.

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P.S. I also have a free 14-day email course to help you improve your sales copy and marketing content. You can find out more and sign up here.