4 Most Dangerous Headline Mistakes I've Seen: Nobody Talks About This
Headlines are everything for an article. A Headline is the only thing that convinces a reader to take action rather than just read.
About 80% of readers click on the article after reading the headline, and 20% of readers just read the whole content.
When readers see a poorly crafted headline, they scroll off to other blog articles and leave your article. The headline is the most critical element of your article, and some other elements are the subtitle, introduction, main subheadings, main body, and conclusion.
Headlines make the first impression of your story. The body of content also drives readers’ attention, but without a captivating headline, only a few viewers will click on your content.
The job of the headline is to convey the central message of the story to readers. It allows the readers to decide if the story is worth reading. A reader should know what the story is about and how it is helpful for him or her. The headline of your story should address all these questions.
Here are the 4 most dangerous headline mistakes I've seen amateur writers make and how you can fix them.
1. No Advantage For a Reader
The writer’s job is to convince the readers to read your story and find it useful. The reader should become curious to know from the headline what this story is about. How does this story relate to readers in real life? What do the readers learn from this story? The advantage of a headline is that it needs to be relevant and worthy for the reader.
How to Fix
Ask yourself, What is the advantage of this headline for the reader? If there is none, then you should rewrite it.
For instance
6 Amazing Writing Exercises For New Writers to Improve Writing Skills
4 Best Tips to Write on Daily Basis For Beginners in 2023
Lack of Curiosity
With the advantage of a headline, sometimes another mistake is that we do not present it compellingly. Raising the curiosity of the reader is something that adds extra interest to the reader's mind. Curiosity is an addition, that intrigues the reader's mind enough to read the whole content without shifting away.
How to Fix
You can add questions, ask readers to engage in a challenge, or add numbers and facts that support your headline.
For instance
5 Amazing Writing Tools New Writers Must Use in 2023
How to Set up An Attractive Medium Profile to Attract Followers
No Specificity
The headlines need to be more specific and clear, general statements and unsupported justifications are untrustworthy for readers. The power of specificity is the main reason readers stick with content from writers and bloggers. Readers respond to the article when the headlines are specific and to the point.
How to Fix
You can add a variety of things to the list. You can also add the words here, this, these, and are. You can also add percentages and facts to your headlines.
For instance
How I Became Medium Top Writer on Empathic Topic in Just 2 Weeks
Best Books 80% of New Writers Must Read in 2023
Lack of Simplicity
Sometimes writers lose the reader's interest by adding multiple concepts, complicated words, and unrelated things to impress the reader. Simplicity is the key to success. It is one of the most effective forms of communication that relates to readers.
How to Fix
Be careful to stick to one concept and avoid complicated and unfamiliar words. Use simple words in your headlines.
For instance
Top 7 Categories of Powerful Words To Write Attention-Grabbing Headlines
20 Popular Writers’ Quotes That Will Motivate You to Write Daily
Thanks for reading.
