Tips in 10: Creating powerful headlines
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Transcript of Tips in 10: Creating powerful headlines
Heart Internet’s Tips in Ten
Creating powerful headlinesYou’re just ten slides away from discovering how to craft
compelling headlines and titles.
Headlines 101
This deck covers:
• Theory behind headlines• Different approaches• Golden rules• Where these skills can be used• Some examples (good & bad!)
Headline theory
Headlines…
• Are the single most important part of any written communication
• Grab attention• Tell the whole story• Use simple language• Work best short (but don’t miss out key
information)
Approaches
Sensationalist – stats, drama Straight/hard sell – explicit, descriptive, no tricks
Wordplay – print, billboard advertising, banners
Approaches
Puns – sports media, red top press “How to” “X ways to” – suited to blog posts Cryptic – read/click bait titles (requires
research or knowledge)
Approaches
Delayed drop – real story is revealed later in text (be very careful)
Quote – provocative, controversial, sensationalist (grabs attention, “not my words”)
Images – newspapers predominantly
Words to live by
• Creating a news-style headline can help even if you’re not writing a journalism piece; it helps focus your mind and summarise your main point.
• Think about the brand and audience.• Don’t let the headline dictate the copy, they should
complement each other.• Never try to be too clever; simple is better.
Don’t give up
• Be flexible – if your headline isn’t right for just now, save it for future use.
• Don’t beat yourself up about the end result; classic lines are one in a million.
• Come back to it several times if needs be until you’re happy with the message and the tone.
Other areas to use these skills
Good headline writing practise can help with other pieces of copy, such as:
• Print ads• Infographics• Banner ads• Social media images and posts• Email marketing subject lines• Pitching work to externals• Blog post titles• Presentations