How to Write Headlines That Win Readers and Influence People

Come up with brilliant titles if you’re not the “untold benefits” kind of person.

Photo by Darius Bashar on Unsplash

A great headline can be key to growing your readership from a handful of friends to thousands of readers.

In 2020, the year I started writing online, my articles were only read by a few friends (see exhibits A and B) — and I felt desperate. I had been deliberately practicing writing, with three undisturbed hours each morning, six days a week, for four months in a row.

I identify as a learning nerd, and so I started to reach out to what I perceived as ‘expert writers’ to critique my articles. And many said the same: you need to focus on your headlines.

And so I began practicing headline writing. And not soon after, my readership soared from hundreds to thousands (see exhibits C and D).

Exhibit A: The digital gap is increasing — we need to act now!; Exhibit B: Out of your head and into your body in less than 5 minutes; Exhibit C: My Life Became Richer the Day I Stopped Chasing Passive Income; Exhibit D: 3 Binge-Worthy Books for Life-Long Learners — Can you see the difference between crappy and great headlines? (Source: screenshots by the author)

Without a captivating headline, even the most brilliant content can go unread. Because if no one clicks on your headline, no one will read your work. So as a writer, your job is to draw the audience into your story, and then deliver on the promise your headline makes.

Headline Writing is a Skill You Can Practice

I am writing this article because I was searching for it four years ago. Crafting ‘clickworthy’ headlines is a complex skill that demands practice and dedication. It’s tough to give a focused promise of an interesting story in about 70 characters. I felt confused about the sub-skills required for writing great headlines.

So this guide is the practice I initially established for myself and have refined over 7 writing cohorts. Each step builds on each other. Start with 1, then follow the steps one after the other. Don’t give up if a specific step feels hard, you will get better at it with practice.

“The job of a headline is to merchandise your story and clearly convey what the story is about. Give the reader context about the…