From a copywriting standpoint, the headline is probably the most important part of your article. It’s the first, and sometimes only thing that people see on Facebook, Twitter, Google News or their inboxes. It has to be powerful enough to convince them that they should keep reading — or that your story is worth their time. If your headline fails, your article is effectively dead in the water.
There are some headline formulas that have withstood the test of time. A question headline works because it leverages a psychological effect that makes readers want to find out the answer. It also creates curiosity about what your story will say — for example, “How do you get a stain out of a carpet?”
Trigger words like free, new, exclusive, guaranteed and only work to draw in readers. When used in combination with an emotional hook, they’re even more effective.
Shorter headlines work better than longer ones because of the limited attention spans of online readers. It’s best to stick with a few words or a short sentence, but don’t be afraid to use a long headline when it’s appropriate. A study by Steve Rayson found that longer headlines — those that are at least 15 words in length — correlate with higher social media engagement on Facebook. The only downside to a long headline is that it may be truncated when posted on Facebook or as the title tag in an