Headline Hacks : Cheat Sheet For Writing Blog Post That Go Viral & Get Sells
Headline hacks! The key to online success. No matter how good your content is, without a good headline, it will just be another article lying around over the internet. No one wants to read it. No one even dares to click it. And if you are aspiring to make it big in affiliate marketing, this is the best way to put your business (and your money) to sleep.So, how do you ever prevent it from happening? Below are the 5 of the best ways you can write a good and compelling headline that will turn those curious browsers into avid readers.
1. Create a helpful headline
The most common reasons people hit the search bar in their browsers are to find an answer, look for a solution and to seek help. If your headline doesn’t fall into any of those categories, there’s a good chance it won’t get clicks.
And frankly, this is also one of the reasons why How To posts and articles with “The Best Way To” headline easily go viral. But do you always have to write about instructional materials?
Well, not necessarily. Because aside from guides, people are also highly curious about headlines and articles that appeal to them on a personal level. The more it relates to them, the better chances of conversion.
And of course, you need to make sure you can deliver. If a reader gets to the last sentence of your article without getting the help you offered, he won’t probably be coming back to your site anytime soon.
2. Highlight the benefits and be very specific about it
A person will only click a headline if he knows he’ll gain something from it. It can be advice, a special tip or information no one else knows about. And when writing your headline, avoid giving generic advice or common knowledge.
If a reader already knows the answer to his question, why would he bother reading your article? People are more interested in things that are new and fresh. Being specific about your headline also allows you to call the attention of your target audience. As much as possible, use the language of your target market in your headline and include the word “You.”
It just makes things more personal between you and your reader. It can sound unconventional for other people, but it will be compelling to the people you are writing to.
3. Don’t make it too long
Headlines should be clear and concise. Avoid beating over the bush as it will only make it ambiguous. Really, no one wants to read a three-line headline that can otherwise be explained with just a few words. So, why bother?
Just keep it direct to the point. Ideally, you should keep your headlines to not more than 20 words. Or, you can use the following tricks:
- Include your keywords in the beginning of your headline
- Add compelling emotional words, such as negative and positive superlatives
- Include numbers
- Throw in intrigue and drama to the equation
- Use an active voice
4. Create a vision with your headline and make it sound urgent
Aside from relating to your readers’ problem and offering them a solution, your headline should also be able to let them see what can positively happen when they go through your content. Take for example this headline:
“7 Things You Should Do Today To Get The Body You Want”
This headline actually does three things:
- First, it targets your reader’s issue which is his body or weight
- The word “Today” creates a sense of urgency
- The phrase “To Get The Body You Want” relays a vision
And if you are someone who’s having some real serious issues with your body, wouldn’t you feel compelled to just click?
5. Stand out from your competition
It isn’t enough to write a good headline. Because if you’re going to settle with a mediocre one, you’ll simply blend in with the rest. And that’s not good for your site or for your business. If you want to make it big, you have to know your competition and stand out from them. How?
Simple. Do your homework
- Use search engines to find what readers commonly search for with the same topic
- Utilize Google’s related search
- Find out how competitors created their headlines and do yours better
Headline Hacks Cheat Sheet →
List Headlines
A list headline is great to use if you want your article to be viral. Including the words “Top’, “Best” and “Greatest” can magnify your headline’s effect even more. You can start with a small number or create a big list, depending on how in-depth you want to go with your article. You can use the following formulas when creating your list headline:
[Number] Ways To [Do Something]
Top [Number] in [Category]
[Number] Steps To [Objective]
[Number] Things You Didn’t Know About [Subject]
[Number] Things That Can Change Your Life
[Number] TipsThat Will Get You [Goal]
Top [Number] Things [Target Group] Should Start Doing For [Goal]
[Number] Ways To Get [ Desired Outcome]
[Number] [Adjective] Ways to Get [Desired Outcome]
[Number] Problems Every [Target Individual] Has
[Number] Ways To [Goal] This [Time Frame]
[Number] Secrets No One Tells You About [Subject]
Examples Of List Headlines:
- Top 30 Most Influential People In The Beauty Industry
- 10 Christmas Gifts Your Mother Will Sure Love
- 17 Tips To Cure That Nasty Eczema
- 20 Bloggers To Follow on Natural Beauty
- 20 Websites To Visit If You Want To Eat For A Healthier Skin
- 20 Best Blog Posts of 2016 For All-Natural Beauty
- 20 Great Quotes To Inspire You To Be a Better At Taking Care of Yourself
- Top 13 Acne Products To Watch Out For This Year
- 11 Things I Wish I Knew About Microdermabrasion When I First Started
- 11 Instant Skin Boosters You Can Try Before Work
- 9 Ways Probiotics Make Your Skin Healthy
- 10 Ways to Immediately Improve Your Stressed-Out Skin
- 12 Things Every Woman Over 50 Regrets Not Doing This Sooner
- 24 Remedies I Follow To Get Rid Of Acne Overnight
- 9 Ways To Dramatically Improve Your Acne
- Top 10 Exfoliation Mistakes To Avoid
- 9 Reasons Some People Always Breakout
- The 12 Strange Techniques That Improve Your Skin Tone
- Free Book Tells You The 12 Secrets Of Healthy, Clear Skin
- 5 Amazing Discoveries That Banish Wrinkles Quick!
- 10 “Skin-Friendly” Pieces Of Advice You Should Never Take
- Top 10 Weirdest Ways To Get Rid OF Acne
- Top 10 Strange Ways to Getting Clear Skin
- 5 Most Useful Ingredients In Your Skin Care Products
- Top 10 Things You Should Never Do If You Have An Extremely Oily Skin
- Clear Skin! 20 Ways to Getting Rid Of Acne
- Skin Care Taboo – The 5 Dirty Little Secrets Cosmetic Companies Don’t Want To Talk About
- 5 Skin Care Myths You Shouldn’t Believe- Ever!
- 5 Ways To Be A Better Skin Without Cosmetic Products
- 50 Ways to Have More Fun With Your Skin Care Routine
- 10 Hilarious Confessions Of Desperate Acne-Sufferers
- 10 Nasty Habits That Break You Out
- 10 Advanced Tricks For Clear Skin You Probably Never Heard Of
- 9 Reasons Why I Won’t Be Changing My Skin Care Routine anytime Soon
- 15 Things About Freckles Should Stop Making A Big Deal About
- 5 Acne-Problems Every Teenager Has
- 8 Signs You’re Failing With Your Skin Care Routine
- 8 Things Skin Care Myths You’re sick of hearing in 2016
- 9 Reasons Society Needs To Go All-Natural
- 15 Reasons Coconut Oil Make The Best Skin Care Product
- 15 Ways To Save Your Skin During Winter
- 22 Important Differences Between Physical And Chemical Sunscreens You Should Know
- 5 Things to Keep in Mind Before You Ditch Your Moisturizer
- 18 Simple Things You Can Do To Relieve Dry And Itchy Skin
- The 10 Different Types of Face Cleansers You Need To Try
- 20 Things Only People With Rosacea Know
- 27 Of The Most, Ridiculously Crazy Things People Have Done For Beauty
- 7 Things Nobody Tells You About Argan Oil
- 10 Things You Should Consider Before Going Completely Going Organic
- 23 Skin Care Experts Share Their Weirdest Client Experiences
- 10 Reasons Why You’ll Fall In Love With Double Cleansing
- 10 Truths All Acne Sufferers Need To Hear From Cosmetic Companies
- 9 Things You Should Know About Pregnancy Acne
- 12 Natural Skin Care Ingredients You Should Add To Your Beauty Arsenal
- 5 Signs Your Facial Cleanser Isn’t Working For You
- 5 Lies Top Cosmetic Companies Make You Believe
- 5 Skin Care Products That Changed My Life
- 7 Best Home Remedies To Try This Season
- 33 Things Only People With Acne-Prone Skin Do
- 6 Of The Weirdest Acne Treatments Of All Time
- The 12 Incredible Natural Remedies For Dry Skin You Should Try
- The 12 Terrible Skin Care Ingredients You Should Avoid
- 7 Things Nobody Tells You About Using Oil On Your Face
- If You’ve Ever Thought About Oil Cleansing: Here’s 7 More Things To Convince You
- 10 Things You Need To Know About Working Out And Acne
- 15 Surefire Signs Your Diet Is Making You Breakout
- 17 Things That Happen When You Use Natural Skin Care Products
- 7 Awesome Things About Coconut Oil You Shouldn’t Feel Bad Enjoying
- 12 Wonderful Smoothie Recipes For Your Skin
- 7 Things I Dislike About Retinoid
- 5 Things That Tell You Have Dry, Acne-Prone Skin
- The 7 Good Things About Manuka Honey You Should Know About
- 10 Undeniable Signs You’re Overexfoliating
How-To Headlines
How-To headlines are your best bet when it comes to conversion. Because it addresses your readers’ problems and offers a solution, it’s almost natural for them to click and read your content.
Even if your reader doesn’t have any existing issues, a how-to headline, when written in an intriguing way, can still attract curiosity. Here are the basic formulas for this type of headline.
How To [Objective] And [Objective]
How To [Goal] In [Time Frame]
How To [Objective] Even Without [Obstacle]
How To [Desirable Outcome] While You [Desirable Outcome]
How To [Desirable Outcome] Even If [Obstacle]
Examples of How-To headlines:
- How To Get Rid Of Acne Overnight
- How To Exfoliate Without Damaging Your Skin
- How To Double Cleanse In Five Minutes
- How To Choose The Right Product For Your Skin Type Like A Pro
- How To Turn Kitchen Ingredients into Skin Care Products
- How To Establish a Skin Care Routine You Can Be Proud Of
- How To Make People Line Up And Beg To Try Your Skin’s Secrets
- How To Get The Best Moisturizers Out Of Natural Ingredients
- How You Can Get Rid Of Wrinkles And Saggy Skin Almost Instantly
- How To Get Clear Skin When You’re In A Tight Budget
- How To Turn Your Kitchen Ingredients Into Great Skin Exfoliants
- How To Fast-Track Your Skin Care Routine
- How To Get Rid of Ance Scare Without Breaking The Bank
Question Headlines
Question headlines should be specific. They should be able to target your reader’s problem or a particular question he wants to get answered. In writing these headlines, make sure to keep in mind your readers and not your business. Writing for personal interest won’t likely bring you any gains.
- Confused about Double Cleansing? Find The Answers Here.
- Dry Skin Problems? This Article Can End Them
- What Makes The Best Moisturizers? (These 3 Products Do)
- Who Else Wants Beautiful, Young-Looking Skin?
- Do You Recognize The Early Warning Signs of Skin Aging?
- Six Types Of Skin Care Enthusiasts- Which One Are You?
- Are You Too Good For Beauty?
The WHY Headline
When your reader has a problem, the best approach you can give is to provide an explanation for it. The WHY headline is great to use to address people who want to check if they have the right information in mind or if they are skeptics trying to prove their point.
The simple formula involved in this type of headline:
Why + [Predicted Problem]
Why Your [Subject] Causes [Negative Effects]
Examples Include:
- Why Your Moisturizer Isn’t Working For You
- Why You Need To Stop Drinking Coffee Now!
- Why Creatine Causes Skin Breakouts
- Why You Don’t Need Those Expensive Makeup removers
- Why Picking At Pimple Is The Worst
- 9 Reasons Why Your Moisturizer Suck
- 11 Reasons Why Most Acne Treatment Fail
- Why Your Facial Cleanser Won’t Work, 10 Fresh Alternatives To Try
- 11 Reasons Why I Don’t Like Physical Sunscreens
The ULTIMATE Headline
Creating an article with this type of headline can take you hours, days or even weeks to finish. But once done properly, it can keep earning you shares and backlinks for several years- particularly if the solutions you offered in your article work as promised.
The ultimate headline formula:
The Ultimate Guide To [Goal]
The Ultimate Guide To [Objective] + Time Frame
The Ultimate Guide To [Goal ] + Adjective
Examples Include:
- The Ultimate Guide To Getting Rid Of Acne
- The Ultimate Guide To Moisturizing Dry Skin
- The Ultimate Guide To Eczema Relief
- The Ultimate Guide To Double Cleansing
- The Ultimate Guide To Removing Makeup Completely
Threat Headlines
Threat headlines contain strong, appealing words such as “Warning” and “Shocking” to trigger an unsettling feeling in the readers. These words make reading the article irresistible because of the imminent threat invoked.
The basic formula for threat headlines:
Warning! Your [Subject] + Negative Effects
The Shocking Fact About [Subject], [Subject] and [Subject]
Examples:
- Warning! Your Cleanser Might Be Doing More Harm To Your Skin
- The Shocking Truth About Body-Building Supplements And Acne
- Warning! Use These 5 Skin Care Ingredients At Your Risk
- Warning! Why You Should Never Use This Oil On Your Face
- The Shocking Fact About Milk, Dairy, And Acne
