How to Write Magnetic Headlines

A Bit About Me

• Vice President Marketing (11 years) – Fulk Chiropractic (Kansas City)• 12 Doctors • Content Marketing, Advertising, Social Media Marketing• Mother of two

The POWER of the Headline

• Every Day– 2 million blog posts– 294 billion emails– 400 million tweets

• 8 out of 10 people read the headline, but only 2 out of 10 read the rest.

• A good headline translates into $$$

Write the Headline First

• Your headline is the promise to the reader. It communicates the benefit you’ll deliver in exchange for their valuable time.

• A Headline Must– Be USEFUL to the reader– Provide him with a sense of URGENCY– Convey that the main benefit is UNIQUE– Do all of this in an ULTRA-SPECIFIC way

Do Keywords Matter?

• The epic battle! – SEOers say keywords are the most important

aspect of the blog post title. How else will you rank high?

– Purist “write for humans” camp who ask, “What’s the point of search optimized post titles if not one reads or shares them?”

What’s the Verdict?

• Keywords matter. Good keyword research gives you a window into the mind of your target audience.

• Don’t go after the most popular keywords.• Focus on the niche phrases.– More of them & less competition

• THIS is perfect for writing for humans. Speaking the language of your audience attracts more readers, links, retweets and traffic.

How to Write a Killer “How to” Post that Gets Attention

• IT’S ALL ABOUT BENEFITS• People love tips and tricks that make their life

better, easier and happier.• Be clear– Spell out the benefits– Content that focuses on benefits and the

procedures (How to…) is more emotionally engaging.

Famous “How To” Headlines Why they work

How to Win Friends and Influence People

• How to (Benefit 1) and (Benefit 2)• Seems simple• There’s a subtle relationship that suggests if you

achieve the 1st, you automatically achieve the 2nd.

Other Great Examples

• How to Save Time and Get Things Done• How to Get a Better Job and Make More

Money• How to Save Money and Retire Rich

How to (Mundane Task) That (Rewarding Benefit)

• The challenge: Extract the true benefits of learning how to do something.

• Ask yourself: “What’s the true benefit of your tutorial?” Then figure out how to say it – Specifically.– How to Get a Mortgage That Saves You Money– How to Get a Mortgage that Cuts you Monthly Bill in

Half– How to Get a Mortgage That Gets You in Your Dream

Home While Saving you $937 a Month

“List Posts” That Always Work

• Do you Recognize the 7 Early Warning Signs of High Blood Pressure?– (People love a “heads up” on potential problems.)

• 10 Ways to Beat the High Cost of Living– (A classic that would only flop if you don’t deliver)

• Five Familiar Types of Headaches– Talk about the problems you know you’re readers

are having

List Posts that Always Work

• How to Give Your Kids Extra Calcium – These 3 Delicious Ways– Mix the “How to” with the “List”

• 5 Types of Homebuyers – Which Group are you In?– Set categories so readers can self-identify

themselves.– Quizzes: Which Frozen Character are You?, etc.

Headline Formulas That Work

• Who Else Wants (Blank)?– Who Else Wants a Great WordPress Theme?– Who Else Wants a Higher Paying Job?

• The Secret of (Blank)– The Secret of Getting Your Home Loan Approved– The Secret of The Chiropractic Adjustment

• Get Rid of (problem) Once and For All – Get Rid of That Carpet Stain Once and For All– Get Rid of That Lame Mullet Hairdo Once and For

All• Here’s a Quick Way to (Solve a Problem)– Here’s a Quick Way to Get over a Cold– Here’s a Quick Way to Potty Train a 2 Year Old

Five Guaranteed Ways To Get the Click

1. Pose a Provocative Question (Are You Ashamed of the Smells in Your House?)

2. Use the Word “You”(You Don’t Have to be a Geek to Make Money Online)

3. Make it Personal(Tell a personal story)

4. Add “The Little Extra Thing”(Do You Know What Triggers Your Headaches? This List Will

Surprise You.) – BUT you must deliver on this….5. Read, Read, Read

Every word in your headline should contribute to promising a benefit

or provoking curiosity – or it should be axed.