How to Write Better Headlines (+ a Free Template)
Whatever you say has to be impactful. Whether you’re selling a product or a service, or you’re talking on social media or your website. It has to grab them. It has to get them interested, and it has to keep them reading the rest of what you have to say so you can sell your stuff. That first thing they see? It’s called the headline. And the one thing any small business owner or copywriter needs to know is how to write better headlines.
Because a lot of what we see in YouTube ads, on billboards, in TV commercials, and in between the next Instagram story is drivel.
It doesn’t keep us from looking back to our phones, scrolling past, pressing the ‘Skip Ad’ button, or muting the TV. It’s not doing its job. It’s only getting in the way of our primary objectives, and taking up valuable brain space.
Which sucks, because when a good piece of copy finally does come along, a lot of people are too tired of advertising to give it the attention it deserves.
But on the off-chance they do stop long enough to read the headline, and it hooks them enough, then they’ll keep reading.
That is the sign of a really good headline. But how do you know what’s a good headline and, more importantly, how to write it?
In this blog post, we’re diving into:
- How to write better headlines
- 5 headline templates with examples
- A free template with even more tried-and-trusted headlines
Let’s get into it ⬇️
1) Deeply understand your target audience
Before you can know the right headline that’ll grab your target audience’s attention, you first need to know everything about your target audience.
Demographic information like where they’re from, how old they are, how much money they make every year, how much money they can spend on non-necessities, their education level, things like that.
You also need psychographic information like if they’re introverted or extroverted or an ambivert, what their interests are, what they value, what their stance is on certain sociopolitical topics, all that jazz.
Here’s an example of a client profile I put together for my client’s brand voice guide:
(La Luz y Soul)
On top of that, who makes the buying decisions for what you’re selling. Do they make the choice, or does their child influence their decision? Or their best friend? If it’s them, do they make the purchase, or does their partner buy it. Or their mother?
What’s their perception about your brand, or what you’re selling? Do they think what you’re selling is a need or a luxury? Do they not know about you, or have they heard of you? Do they know everything about what you’re selling, or don’t have a clue?
This connects to the next section ⬇️
2) Find out which stage of awareness they’re in
In case you were wondering, there are 5:
Unaware Stage: People in this stage don’t know they even have a problem that needs to be solved. They may just think this is something they have to put up with, or something everyone has to deal with.
Problem-Aware Stage: People clue in to the fact that something is wrong, and it needs to be fixed.
Solution-Aware Stage: In this stage, they’ll research several options to solve their problem.
Product-Aware Stage: Once they’ve done plenty of research on the best ones that’ll solve their problem, they’ll shortlist the best options.
Most-Aware Stage: They’re ready to make a decision and just need a final nudge to get over the finish line.
Knowing which stage your reader is in will help you figure out what your headline should say.
It’s why I used a headline that called out their problem and educated them on how to fix it in this post:
…but I used a headline that would differentiate me from other website copywriters in this post:
Both had the same goal: to convert website copywriting clients. But my approach was different.
I go into further detail about the stages of awareness in this blog post — and after you’ve figure out this out, the next thing to do is figuring out…
3) What decision maker they are
There are 4 types of decision makers you may be talking to. You will never just be talking to one decision maker because even though you’ve identified your target audience, every person within that group is unique.
So they might be a:
Methodical Decision Maker
They take their time to make a decision, and want to get all the information to answer every question they might have. They’ll love a website with lots of pages, a super long sales page that goes into extensive detail, and tons of social proof.
Competitive Decision Maker
They think with the logical part of their brain and love all the information too,. But they also make decisions quickly after reviewing it all. More than anything they’ll want to know what they get, proof you’re credible and that it’s worked for people like them, and that it’ll get them what they want.
Humanistic Decision Maker
They rely on other people’s opinions before making a decision. So, they’ll love to see social proof like number of clients you’ve had and their success stories, using testimonial quotes as headlines will be very enticing to them, and they want to know your why, your mission and values, and some personal facts about you!
Spontaneous Decision Maker
They’re skimmers and make decisions quickly. So they’ll probably look for the big and bold headlines, a quick summary of what they get, and the button to ‘Buy’.
Whether you’re writing copy for a web page, a long-form sales page, a landing page, or a TikTok video, you need to know if:
- you’ll have your readers attention long enough (methodical vs. spontaneous)
- if they care more about you as a brand or what you can do for them (humanistic vs. competitive)
- And more
A good general rule of thumb, when it comes to your website, is:
Top, middle, and bottom of the Webpage: for Spontaneous and Competitive Decision Makers
Everything in between: for Methodical and Humanistic Decision Makers
Social proof: for Spontaneous, Competitive, and Methodical Decision Makers
Your ‘About Me’ page/mini-section: for Humanistic Decision Makers
Now! On to the final factor in how to write better headlines ⬇️
4) Figure out the primary objective of your headline
Once you’ve gotten to know your target audience, what stage of awareness you’re in, and what kind of decision maker they are, you can figure out what your headline should do.
Yes, you’re right, the main thing it should do is keep people reading. But what will keep them reading?
If they’re a methodical decision maker in the solution-aware phase, they might be more receptive to a problem-based headline like “Your growing business needs a back-end that can keep up” because it lets them know that they’re going to find out about the thing that’ll get them what they want.
While a values-based headline like “Better books every tax season, made simple” would be more enticing to a competitive decision maker in the product-aware stage because it tells them what they’ll get from you that they wouldn’t get from anyone else.
You can have a problem-based headline, values-based headline, segment-specific headline that talks to your target audience, a campaign-level headline if you’re running a timed campaign, or a dream-based headline that speaks to what your target audience really hopes for.
But it has to be an informed choice when you pick which kind of headline to use. Which will get your reader to keep reading, or to click the button? That’s the question you have to answer.
5 headline templates
#x Reasons to [thing that will help them + sell your offer]
This works because it educates your reader about the problem they’re going through and that it isn’t normal to be experiencing it. It’s an excellent hook and opens a loop so they have no choice to keep reading. And it gives them value, while opening the floor for you to promote your offer.
Your [thing they’re struggling with] needs [solution to the problem]
This works because your reader might not know the solution to their problem, or they’ve tried other solutions that haven’t worked. This headline template tells people what the solution is to their problem, while bridging the gap between their problem to their dream state.
Finally, [thing they want that you offer]
Your reader may be considering multiple options to solve their problem, so a headline template like this positions your product or service as the ideal choice compared to competitors, focusing on one main message/benefit.
[#x target audience] have trusted us with [thing] and are happy they did
Similar to the other headline template, this positions your brand/product/service as the best option compared to competitors. Focusing on your unicorn factor or a social proof point that would set you apart.
Feeling [problem]? Try/Get [thing]
Some of your readers might just need a final nudge to get them to click that button. This headline template is great for that because it’s explicit about the benefit they get by taking action!
Grab the FREE Headline Swipe File
It can keep people reading more of your copy (and might even teach a naive older sister to bring her brother and sister to Canada’s Wonderland before Labour Day weekend ends)
Your headline is also the hardest. Luckily, I made it easier for you with this free Headline Swipe File of 59 tried-and-trusted headline templates you can use for your website copy, content marketing, and paid advertising.
