Headline Writing Tips From Writing Memos for Million-Dollar Deals
My 9-to-5 helped me discover the 3P principal for headline writing
12 Years.
That’s how long I have been writing memos as a core part of my full-time banking job.
Crisp, nuanced, conversational, informational, and above all—problem solving. That is the kind of headline or title that has helped me land deals worth millions of dollars.
On Medium, the way people consume content, headlines, and pictures helps your article stand out for the readers.
3Ps —Problem, Promise, and People— the holy trinity of headline writing
1. Problem: When people are scrolling on Medium, they are looking for content that will help them solve any of the following problems:
Entertainment Problem: some form of dopamine hit
Information Problem: latest update or news
Bigger Life Problems: the challenges they are facing in life or how to be better at something
In the headline for this article, the problem that I am solving is to become a better writer on Medium, i.e. a life problem
2. Promise: If you want people to keep reading and invest their time, you need to promise them something in return.
Don’t give it all away at the start. Intrigue people with your headlines. They should tempt the reader, like irresistible bait.
I am promising the reader serious advice that they can use to become better writers on Medium.
Something I have learned from writing memos for deals with big financial stakes running into millions of dollars.
3. People: A headline shouldn’t appeal to everyone—only to the target audience.
In fact, it should be so clear that it repulses readers that are not the intended target because nothing can be worse than a headline that does not intrigue anyone in any way.
This article is for writers who want to become better on Medium, which is clearly established in the headline. Anyone who does not want to be a writer on Medium will likely not be interested.
Given the importance of having a click-worthy headline, I spent a disproportionate amount of time perfecting mine. I have a four-step process that I follow:
- Draft 3 versions of the headline
- Consult Medium in search of top-performing articles on similar topic
- Re-write the drafts, keeping in mind the insights from step 2.
- Pick one
As with any other skill, the more headlines you write, the better we will get. But if you keep in mind the 3P principle from the outset, you will soon be an expert at getting the reader to click on yours.
As I find my own voice, my writing will touch on a variety of topics. I hope it gives you something to think about or, better yet, helps you act. Do share your thoughts in the comments section so we can keep the dialogue flowing.
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Thank you for reading!
