Your headline matters.
It’s your first impression.
It’s the magic trick that turns passersby into actual readers.
Your headline has two jobs. It should:
- Grab attention
- Get the right people to read your content
Let’s take them one at a time.
Your headline should make people stop and pay attention
When I talk about headlines, I’m not thinking of those subtle literary titles you’d find on my bookshelf. Morten Pape and Maren Uthaug do something different with their headlines than I do with mine.
This is about headlines that get clicked (and read).
Headlines that pull people into your content.
Here are three core principles that make people stop and engage with your headline:
Principle #1: Is this about me?
Look at one of your old class photos.
Who’s the first person you look for?
If you’re like 99.9% of people, your eyes go straight to… surprise… yourself.
Because it’s all about us. The classic What’s in it for me?
Your headline needs to show the reader what they’ll get out of reading further.
Principle #2: Stand out from the crowd
Does your headline look like something we’ve seen a thousand times before?
Rewrite it so it has an edge.
It doesn’t have to be provocative or silly. But some headlines are just plain snoozy at this point.
With just a few tweaks—and your own personal tone—you can make them fresh and punchy again.
🛑 Learn to write copy that sells
✔ 7 tricks for writing copy that sells like toilet paper during a global pandemic
Principle #3: Tackle their objections head-on
People have at least a million reasons not to react to your headline.
So when someone sees it, their internal decision-making engine kicks in: Is this worth my precious time?
Everyone has objections. It’s part of making a choice. We weigh the pros and cons.
Too often we ignore the cons because we’re scared it’ll highlight what’s “wrong” with what we’re offering. But it’s the opposite. Acknowledge the objection—and neutralize it.
So a headline like:
- How to rank #1 on your most important Google searches
Becomes:
- How to rank #1 on Google – without pricey consultant hours
- How to rank #1 on Google – without working around the clock
- How to rank #1 on Google – without spending a dime
- How to rank #1 on Google – without...
Also read: Learn how to use your customer’s doubt as your strongest sales argument
Mini-bonus
And as the world’s tiniest bonus, remember: Numbers work. Numbers are fantastic in headlines. They help set expectations: “Okay, I’m getting 7 tips, great.” or “Cool. I just need to follow 5 steps. I can handle that.”
Your headline should attract the right people
We tend to want to reach *as many* people as possible. Because the math says: If 10 readers = 1 sale, then 1,000 readers = 100 sales.
But that’s not how it works.
You’ll sell more by reaching 10 *right* readers than by reaching 1,000 wrong ones.
Let’s make this super practical and pretend we’re selling hedge trimmers.
We have to start excluding people. First, everyone who lives in an apartment. Then everyone who’s replaced their hedge with a fence.
Makes sense, right?
But you can narrow it even more. Because hedge trimmers vary. And so do hedge owners.
Who are you talking to?
You can’t write for both the self-employed gardener who loves trimming other people’s hedges—and me (owner of a 2-meter wide, 100-kilometer long hedge I *hate* trimming).
The pro gardener has totally different pain points than I do.
We respond to different headlines.
5 Templates You Can Use for Your Next Headline
1. How to Get [Desired Result] Without [Common Objection]
For example:
- How to keep a clean home without tidying all day
- How to afford your dream vacation without draining your bank account
- How to build an impressive CV without 10 years of experience
- How to grow the greenest lawn on the block without using harsh chemicals
- How to master meal planning without spending hours in the kitchen every day
- How to host a cozy garden party without blowing your savings on catering
- How to build a profitable email list without hustling for every single subscriber
2. [Number] Mistakes Most People Make When They [Do Something Related to Your Offer]
- 7 mistakes most people make when writing sales copy
- 3 mistakes most people make when selling their house
- 5 mistakes most people make when optimizing their blog for SEO
Or go even leaner for bigger impact:
- The one mistake everyone makes when planning their dream trip
- The one mistake everyone makes when they start investing
3. [Desired Action] Like [Expert] Without [Objection]
- Run like Kipchoge without getting injured
- Garden like Søren Vester – without pulling weeds every day
- Dress like Helle Thorning-Schmidt – without draining your kids’ college fund
4. [Bold/Provocative Statement]
- Facebook ads are dead
- You’re bad at taking breaks
5. The Secret to [Desired Result]
- The secret to winning with Facebook ads
- The secret to Kipchoge’s running technique
- The secret behind LinkedIn’s algorithm