8 types of headlines you can use in copywriting

8 categories of headlines you can use and copywritingKasauli simple and syndicate the

Do you know that 8 out of 10 people read your headlines but only 2 out of 10 read your main copy?

Since 80% people are going to read your headline, you can make the maximum impact writing effective headlines.

Therefore, writing power packed headlines has always been a critical part of the copywriting process.

In fact, copywriters like Bob Bly and David Ogilvy suggest that out of the total time you get to write copy for a project, spend 50% time on coming up with an effective headline, and then remaining 50% for the main body content.

When writing copy, should you write your headline first?

There is debate regarding this among copywriters.

If you ask a content writer, he or she will tell you it hardly matters as long as the headline represents the main gist of the content they are writing.

Consequently, many content writers first work on the copy and then based on the contents of the copy, create the headline.

The same happens with headings and subheadings.

First, they quickly jot down whatever thoughts come to them and then later they format the document with a headline, headings, and subheadings.

It depends on your process.

I write the headline first.

This is because my entire copywriting and content writing process centers around the main headline.

I believe that once I have worked out the headline, it becomes easier to write the rest of the copy.

Even when writing headings and subheadings, given a choice, I write them first and then the subtext beneath them.

Headlines and headings are interchangeable.

The term headings are used in terms of formatting and document referencing, and headlines are used as general terms to draw attention from people.

Headlines improve your conversion rate

Whether you want to improve your click through ratio or on-page conversion rate, your headline plays an important role.

Websites like BuzzFeed and Upworthy spend lots of time and effort on headlines that draw massive amounts of traffic from social media websites and search engines like Google.

You may have seen that the quality of the primary BuzzFeed content is not great but their headlines shock, intrigue, and humor.

BuzzFeed headline example

According to American Writers & Artists, there is a “Four U’s” approach to writing headlines.

Your headlines must

Be USEFUL to the readers.
Instill a sense of URGENCY in them.
Communicate to them that the message on the web page is UNIQUE.
ULTRA-SPECIFIC in nature to tell the readers precisely what you’re offering.

Questions to ask to write effective headlines

Want to write effective headlines?

Here are some questions that can help you write click-worthy headlines.

Does your headline offer a clearly understandable reward to the reader for reading the main copy?
Is your headline believable?
Does your headline contain specific facts that are easy to believe?
Does your headline figure a strong, actionable emotion?
Does your headline offer an answer to a question the reader is seeking?
Does your headline offer an irresistible proposition that is relevant to the needs of the reader?

Effective headlines can be of different types.

Listed below are eight types of headlines that popular copywriters and content writers often use.

Direct, straightforward headlines

Such headlines don’t beat around the bush.

30% discount on our holiday package
Buy the custom printed T-shirt now and get 20% off.
Free e-book: Data visualization made easy

These headlines offer straightforward proposition.

There is no mincing of words.

There is no guesswork.

The reader immediately knows what is being offered.

Indirect headlines

Some examples of indirect headlines are

Stop eating this meal now; want to know why?
The future of technology is right at your doorstep – find out how
You are never going to get this chance again
This is how you should have used your phone in the first place

Why are these indirect headlines?

They simply intrigue your curiosity.

They don’t provide any information.

To make sense of these headlines, you need to read the copy that follows.

News headlines

You can learn a lot from news headlines because they are meant to make people read news.

In the olden days when newspapers were sold on the roads, their sales depended on the headlines.

In the newspaper industry, headlines were written so that the newspaper sellers could scream them and prompt people to buy the day’s newspaper.

Some examples of newspaper headlines are:

NASA launches a new probe to Mars
The government in Bihar falls, the 3rd time in 5 years
The corruption charges reveal an interdepartmental web of intrigue
Credible Content decides to put more stress on day-to-day content publishing

You can see that news headlines are like direct headlines with the big difference that they are about news and not about selling stuff.

How to headlines

These types of headlines are quite prevalent in the blogging world.

Even on my own Credible Content blog, I have written a number of blog posts on the theme of how to.

Some hypothetical examples of the “how to” headlines are:

How to hire the perfect copywriter for your website in 3 easy steps
How to make an omelet that is not hard on your stomach
How to write copy that instantly converts
How to improve your English writing skills in just 2 days

Question headlines

As the name suggests, a question headline asks a question from the reader.

Questions are always intriguing.

Whenever you come across a question, if you know the answer, you want to respond, and if you don’t know the answer, you want to know it, especially if it is relevant to your need.

Some examples of question-based headlines are

Are you looking for a content writer who understands your business?
Are you sick of your current accounting software?
Do you know that germs can be life threatening?

Command or action headlines

Such headlines directly tell people to take an action.

Strong action words are used in the beginning of the command or action headlines.

Some example:

Download our FREE e-book now
Avail 20% discount now
Subscribe to our newsletter today
Order your biryani today
Do command headlines work?

Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t.

It depends on your messaging.

My personal take is that such headlines work better as subheadings or call to action buttons.

Readers should be exposed to such headlines when they have already read a major portion of your copy.

‘N’ reasons why headlines

Such headlines have become popular in the age of web content.

First, a few examples:

13 reasons why you want to use WordPress as your preferred blogging platform
5 reasons why you must hire a trained copywriter for your business
25 reasons why people are abandoning your shopping cart

“Reasons why” headlines can be very effective.

When people come across them, they know exactly how many points you are going to cover.

There is no magic figure.

Nonetheless, the grapevine is that odd numbers perform better than even numbers for “reasons why” headlines.

Testimonial headlines

Testimonials come from real people.

From real customers and clients.

Some examples:

Our business registered 5% growth after switching to this accounting software
Initially I was doubtful, but then I was blown away
They delivered a project in 2 weeks after committing to a deadline of 4 weeks

Testimonial headlines are easier to believe in.

Instead of you blowing your own horn or using some sort of verbal trickery, the customers and clients who have used your product or service themselves are vouching for you.

Listed above are the main categories of headlines that you can write for your web pages, blog posts, and articles.

Different headline categories may perform better in different situations.

No matter how great a copywriter you are, you need to experiment.

5 reasons for hiring a copywriter for better content

Leave a reply

5 reasons for hiring a copywriter

As a business owner, you must have heard this constantly- hire a copywriter.

But why?

Why should you invest in hiring a copywriter when you see no value in it?

If you have wondered the same, then it is very important for you to understand the key benefits of hiring a copywriter.

Once you know how valuable the services of a copywriter can be, you will be jumping up to find an expert copywriter that fits your business needs.

In this post, we will discuss why hiring an expert copywriter can boost your company’s growth.

Create a brand identity that stays with customers

Have you created something that you are proud of?

It is time that your audience feels the same way about your brand.

A copywriter can capture the essence of your brand and help you bring it to life.

Well-written content is the foundation of creating a memorable and recognizable brand.

It not only gives your brand a human voice that the audience can empathize with but also highlights your unique selling proposition.

When your audience can relate to your brand ethics, they are less likely to forget it.

Hiring a copywriter will ensure that you have made an impact on your audience’s minds.

Copywriting techniques are useful to hook readers, hold their attention, and incite some action from them that would move them one step ahead in the sales funnel.

Expert copywriters know how to write winning content that builds positive brand identity and generates ROI.

Showcase your brand’s ethical values by hiring a copywriter

Your brand ideals must be such that the audience can relate to that messaging.

And the best way for you to convey your brand messaging is through powerful copy.

Words that can convey what your brand stands for in an effective manner.

And this is where a copywriter enters.

While creating brand awareness, the copywriter also writes engaging content around your brand values and ethics.

They tell a story about their brand that makes the audience connect with your brand emotionally.

In addition, with the help of a copywriter, you can also connect to your customers and talk about your products while keeping your values intact.

Hire a copywriter and generate organic traffic through SEO optimization

SEO optimization is one of the most vital aspects if you are looking to build brand awareness.

Having SEO-optimized content will help you reach the maximum audience organically.

Copywriters can help you with their SEO skills to ensure your content ranks well on search engines.

Ranking on top will increase organic traffic to your website. A skilled copywriter will provide SEO-optimized content while developing your blogs and websites.

They will do everything that they can to ensure you are seen, which is one of the biggest benefits of hiring a professional copywriter. This includes researching for relevant keywords, applying keywords in your content, and optimizing information.

Expert copywriters make their living writing content and are well aware of how to write content for both Google and the real online audience.

When you hire copywriters for your business, they ensure that you not only get noticed by the search engine algorithms but also by the readers who are looking out for information.

Hiring a copywriter who knows your business and believes in it, will get you the maximum advantage.

Try to look for someone who shares the same values as your brand.

This will make it easier for you to build relationships with your audience.

Hire a copywriter who is equally enthusiastic about your brand

Finding someone who is equally enthusiastic about your brand as you are might not be easy to find but is a valuable asset to have.

A passionate and driven copywriter with similar ethics as your brand will ensure that your business skyrockets faster.

Finding someone with a similar belief system as yours is the best kind of partnership you can find.

A copywriter who believes in what he is writing will generate copy that will be convincing and engaging.

The content will come from the heart and will speak to the masses in a much more convincing manner.

However, hiring someone with no knowledge or interest in your product can result in mediocre copy that will do just as much damage to your brand reputation.

The best way to go about this is to have a conversation with your copywriter and give them a detailed briefing about your product, brand, and brand values.

This will make them aligned with your thought process and produce a better copy.

Build trust and customer loyalty by hiring a copywriter

The trust you build with customers during your initial interaction is ever-changing.

Every time you post something from your brand, there is a chance to build a higher trust quotient and turn the potential buyers into brand advocates.

A copywriter is vital to ensure that the content posted on behalf of your brand is effective.

Almost 80% of people reported consuming content from brands over the last year – whether it was written, verbal, or visual.

The more the number of people consuming content, the more the chances to attract your target audience.

Once you do manage to gain attention, the next step is to gain their trust and not break it.

A copywriter creates high-quality content consistently to build customers’ trust.

Hiring an expert copywriter will help you – Drive sales, pull in new traffic, build brand loyalty, engage the masses, and reflect your values.

Conclusion

Hiring a copywriter has a lot more benefits than you can imagine.

They help you save time and effort by writing exceptionally high-converting copy for your business.

While you may be an expert yourself, hiring a copywriter will allow you to focus on more important things to improve your business.

A copywriter with his or her word placement skills can attract the target audience and encourage them to act.

Needless to say, good content is required for your website to perform well, both in terms of search rankings and engagement.

That being said, if you are lacking time to concentrate on your content, it is time to consider hiring a copywriter.

How to write an effective content writing brief for your content writer

Leave a reply

Writing an effective content brief

For more than two weeks I have been interacting with a client trying to understand what he really requires for his accounting website.

If you are wondering why I talk so much about accounting websites these days it is because, due to my improved rankings for phrases like, “content writer for accounting websites” I’m getting more work from accountants.

But I digress.

So, it has been more than two weeks.

Now, the client has begun to complain that the work hasn’t yet started.

The problem on my side is that I’m not getting a proper brief from the client.

What is a content writing brief?

A content writing brief can be a dedicated document, or it can be simply sent by email.

As long as there is a brief, I don’t even mind clients describing it to me on WhatsApp.

Some clients, especially agencies, sent content writing briefs even for individual blog posts and articles.

Many agencies use tools like SEMRush and with these tools, minute details about individual blog posts can be extracted based on keywords, competitor blog posts, and the number of words required vis-à-vis the competition.

Some agencies use a standardized template that asks you to follow a format something like

SEO title
One-line description
Target audience
Primary keywords
Secondary keywords
Meta description
Word count
Internal links, if any
Some competitor articles
CTA
Additional notes

Why is content writing brief important?

There are two types of content briefs.

One is the general brief that a client sends about the entire website.

This includes page titles, target audience, keywords and reference websites.

The other is the individual brief for blog posts, web pages and articles.

A content brief makes it easier for the content writer to focus on your core need.

It also prevents rewrites and reduces the number of revisions needed.

The content writer doesn’t miss critical bits of information because you have mentioned everything in the content brief.

Remember that when the content writer’s time is being wasted, your time too is wasted because the delivery of your content is delayed.

Before starting a project, here is the information I need from a typical client:

Clearly defined titles of the web pages

This is the site map.

Over the years I have learned that if the client and I are not on the same page about the exact titles of the web pages, it becomes difficult to write content.

Most of the client send me a bulleted list of web page titles they want me to work on.

We first mutually agree on the bulleted list and then I start working on the content writing process.

But this particular client has just told me the basic nature of his business – accounting outsourcing – and that’s it.

He keeps on saying that I should visit other websites and see how they have structured their content.

It doesn’t work that way.

Every website is unique

They have their own service descriptions.

Even if the basic nature of a business is the same – accounting outsourcing or engineering parts – people provide different sets of services and products.

No two websites are the same.

Why I need to be specific?

The clients are not paying an hourly rate.

They either pay per page or per word.

Hence, I need to be very specific about what pages I’m working on, otherwise, I end up wasting lots of time making changes because suddenly the client thinks that that was not the page he or she was looking for.

Whether I spend one hour or three hours on a document, they are going to pay the fixed rate, and hence, I need to have as much specific information as possible from them.

A list of reference websites

Most of the clients send me a list of reference websites whose content they prefer and the writing style they want me to emulate.

Of course, due to the problems of plagiarism nobody wants me to directly copy the content.

It’s just that when we have a list of reference websites, we have a clear idea of how the content flow must be and how various ideas must be expressed.

It also reduces my workload.

Finding my own reference websites is like throwing darts in darkness.

I can do that – find reference websites on my own – but then, as I have mentioned above, it rarely happens that a client pays an hourly rate.

When you are doing research, you never know how much time it is going to take.

Since the client is managing his or her business, I assume he or she has a better idea of which websites precisely represent their business.

A list of keywords

Although I provide SEO content writing and blogging services, I’m not an SEO agency.

Since most of the clients are paying for content and not for SEO research, I don’t subscribe to expensive SEO tools that are normally used for keyword research.

I’m not saying every business requires SEO tools.

If you have a good understanding of your customers, it is easier to create a basic list of keywords to target for.

As a content writer, I see keywords as a guideline for formulating language.

People use Google and other search engines in their own language.

They type the queries in the language they use in their day-to-day interactions.

The same language must be used when writing content so that it is easier for people to find it on search engines.

This is why a basic list of keywords is important.

Some writing-related guidelines

These are not absolutely necessary but there are some clients who have very specific requirements.

I have been writing content for more than 17 years now and I pretty well understand how content must be written for the web.

I know how it should be formatted for better SEO.

I know how to write content that is easier on the eye.

Nonetheless, sometimes there are certain words and terms the client wants in the content that I may not be aware of because I’m not from that profession.

For example, there must be some legal terms for a law attorney that must be used on the website.

Architects use different jargon – although I discourage the use of jargon, sometimes they are important to express certain concepts.

Then there are some words that need to be avoided.

I have another client who doesn’t want certain words to appear in his content and in the beginning, he hadn’t informed me of that.

After having worked on 15 documents suddenly he realized that the words he didn’t want on his website were appearing in the content.

He wanted those portions to be either deleted or revised.

Wasted lots of time.

A content writing brief saves lots of time

On the client side, it hardly takes 30-60 minutes to write a good content writing brief.

The problem is that some clients cannot understand that a content writer works on a tight schedule simply because the clients are not ready to pay an hourly rate.

On the other hand, they expect a content writer to work as a hired hand, which is not possible.

Two hours wasted in revisions and to and fro communication means two hours of lost revenue for the content writer.

When I had just started working as a content writer I must have wasted hundreds of hours simply because the clients didn’t give me the right content writing brief.

Now I am savvier in that regard.

Take for example the above-mentioned client whose work has been delayed by almost 2 weeks.

I’m not going to spend a few hours finding information that he should have found and delivered to me.

That’s his or her job.

Are you doing customer centric or products centric content writing

Leave a reply

Should content writing be customer centric pr product centric

How do you draw the difference between writing customer centric or product centric content?

I was reading this blog post on the importance of being customer centric or product centric when designing products or mobile apps, and thought that this philosophy is also applicable to content writing.

What is customer centric content writing?

In simple terms, customer centric content writing means focusing on benefits rather than features.

Features are important.

A mobile phone that comes with 280 GB memory sounds quite impressive.

This is a feature – our phone has this much memory.

What is the benefit to the customer?

You’re not going to have to delete data to make more space very soon.

Many phone users face this problem.

They go on making videos and taking photographs unmindful of the space they are taking, and then suddenly, they begin to get the warning that they are running out of space.

280 GB is a lot of space.

You can tell your customers that they can store up to 10,000 videos (depending on the length).

You can tell them that they can store more than 100,000 photographs.

They are not going to have to delete data for at least a few years.

As a content writer, you need to be the customer’s advocate.

It is the customer who buys a product or a service.

It is the reader who reads your content.

If there is no connection, the customer is not going to buy, and the reader is not going to read.

How to write customer centric content?

To be able to write customer centric content you must understand what the customer needs.

Instead of thinking about what you are offering, think about what the customer wants.

Here are a few things you can do to write customer centric content.

Use the language your customers use

Every industry has its own set of jargon.

Jargons may be important within the industry because they make your communication unambiguous and eliminate scope for contradictions and confusion.

Sometimes, something that can be explained in a couple of sentences can be explained in a single word using a jargon.

But your customers may not understand them.

Take for example if someone tells you, “Give me a hard copy.”

Most people won’t know what “hard copy” means unless they have used the word before.

They won’t be able to make out that “hard copy” simply means giving some information on a printed sheet, through a printer.

Hence, if you are writing content for a printer, instead of saying, “it gives you 500 hard copies per cartridge” you can say, “you can print out 500 sheets per cartridge.”

Write in a very simple language

Although I don’t believe in dumbing down readers, when people are quickly reading, they don’t want to spend time deciphering what your sentences mean.

When I’m writing content, as much as I can, I use simple sentences.

When I’m writing content, my intention is not to showcase my prowess as a writer or a content writer.

My only purpose is to make my writing convincing and simple so that people do business with my clients.

Sometimes my sentences contain just three words.

In a copywriting e-book I read that even if sometimes you make grammar mistakes, don’t worry.

Though, I don’t agree.

Grammar mistakes make you look unprofessional.

Nonetheless, use as many simple sentences as you can.

Avoid writing compound and complex sentences as much as you can.

Write for a clearly defined persona

Write for a person.

Don’t let it be a vague person.

Before starting to write your main content, on a sheet of paper or in a Word Doc, make a list of the attributes the person has (for whom you are writing).

You can write her age, her income, the region she comes from, her marital status, how much she generally spends on similar products and services you are promoting, how she has conversations, what are her habits, and so on.

Creating a persona can be time-consuming but it improves the customer centricity of your content writing process.

Once you have defined the persona, imagine the person is sitting in front of you and you are talking to her.

Have a conversation – use a conversational tone.

It is very important to use the language your customer uses on day-to-day basis.

Answer all the questions and fears your customer may have

Your customers may react with “so what?”

They must come up with, “what if?”

Suppose you’re promoting a cloud-based accounting software.

Think of all the questions your target customer may have.

Think of all the apprehensions.

Make a list of all the reasons why that customer may not take a decision in favor of your cloud-hosted accounting software.

Will they be able to port their existing data as it is?

Is there a steep learning curve?

Is the software going to cost more in terms of time and money compared to their existing software?

Is the software accessible on all devices?

Is it customizable?

How many reports does it generate?

How is it going to improve your accounting?

Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages to such an extent that they should start using the software?

Why shouldn’t they use your competitor’s software?

And so on.

Think in terms of what your customer may think.

Speak in a definitive language

Instead of telling them many people are using your software, tell them 1500 people are using your software.

Don’t just tell them that yours is the best software – show them the accolades it has acquired.

Tell them stories of people who have improved their businesses or their personal lives with your software.

Don’t use vague expressions like “etc.” or “so on”.

Even if you have just three claims to make, just make those three claims and then leave it up to the customer whether she wants to be impressed or not.

Write a list of problems your product solves

Customers are more interested in knowing what problems your product solves rather than what cool features it has.

Your mobile phone has haptic touch? What does it mean?

How does it solve the phone user’s problem?

How does it give more feature to the user?

You offer storage space in the cloud?

How easy is it to upload and sync files?

Can the files be synced across all devices?

How much data can be stored?

How secure is the data on your servers?

Don’t assume solutions to what sort of problems people are seeking.

Talk to them.

Conduct interviews.

Conduct survey and polls.

Have one-on-one chats.

What is product centric content writing?

Product centric content writing is when you talk about the features and the parameters of the product without telling your customers how these features and parameters are going to improve their lives.

There is a dialogue in a Kevin Costner movie, Field of dreams: “If you build it, they will come.”

This is pertaining to the Las Vegas city that was being built, but does it hold for products?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

When Steve jobs came up with the idea of an iPhone people laughed at him.

It was hard to imagine a mobile phone without a keyboard.

Nonetheless, he went ahead with the innovation and the rest is history.

In such a context, you can say that sometimes the product-centric approach works.

But these are rarest of the rare events.

When writing content, you must strike a balance between customer centric and product centric content writing.

Even when you talk about features, talk about them in such a manner that they read like benefits to the customers.

You are not choosing the topics your readers want

You are choosing topics that are too competitive

You are not publishing content with greater frequency

You are not using your keywords properly

You are publishing thin content

Your Google click-through-ratio is low

Your bounce rate is high

When writing copy, should you write your headline first?

Headlines improve your conversion rate

Questions to ask to write effective headlines

Direct, straightforward headlines

News headlines

How to headlines

Question headlines

Command or action headlines

‘N’ reasons why headlines

Testimonial headlines

Create a brand identity that stays with customers

Showcase your brand’s ethical values by hiring a copywriter

Hire a copywriter and generate organic traffic through SEO optimization

Hire a copywriter who is equally enthusiastic about your brand

Build trust and customer loyalty by hiring a copywriter

Conclusion

What is a content writing brief?

Why is content writing brief important?

Clearly defined titles of the web pages

A list of reference websites

A list of keywords

Some writing-related guidelines

A content writing brief saves lots of time

What is customer centric content writing?

Use the language your customers use

Write in a very simple language

Write for a clearly defined persona

Answer all the questions and fears your customer may have

Speak in a definitive language

Write a list of problems your product solves

What is product centric content writing?