We all know that being able to write great headlines is half the blogging battle.
Getting people to click on your blog post is hard!
So what are the best strategies to get people to check out your content?
Simply said, there are 2 main formulas that can help you create successful headlines.
1. “How-To” Headlines
Some of the best headlines are “How To” headlines because that is something we often type when we search online to find answers to our questions.
How To [Blank] – learn something
- How To Pitch A Collaboration With Brands
- How To Get Brands To Notice, Collaborate, And Pay You As An Influencer
- How To Turn Your Social Media Followers Into Subscribers
- How To Write Your First Blog Post
- How To Get More Instagram Followers FAST
Building “How To” into your headlines makes the possibility of someone typing exactly what you named your headline a possibility, which will rank your post much higher in Google.
How To [Blank]: – semicolon for more info
- How To Make Money Blogging: The Most Comprehensive List Online
- How To Monetize Your Blog: The Secret Is In The Foundation
- How To Become A GDPR Compliant Blogger: Must Be Done By May 25, 2018
- How To Use Digital Marketing To Promote Your Startup: It’s All About Pitching Yourself
- How To Publish A Post Everyday: The Complete 365 Day Guide
This makes your posts easily searchable, but also allows you to differentiate it from other posts that may talk about the same topic.
How To [Desirable Quality] – become or do something desirable
- How To Become An Instagram Influencer
- How To Ditch Your 9-5 Grind And Become A Full-Time Blogger
- How To Live A 5 Day Weekend
- How To Become An Affiliate Marketer Brands Want To Work With
- How To Become A CEO Your Employees Respect
Everyone wants to be transformed in one way or another, but make sure not to build them up too much with your headline if you aren’t going to deliver that desired transformation.
How To [Blank] Without [Objectionable Action] – take out objections
- How To Start A Blog Without Any Expertise Or Money
- How To Find The Best Hashtags Without Spending Hours On Instagram
- How To Schedule Posts On Instagram Without Paying For A Social Media Scheduler
- How To Create Amazing Graphics Without An Art Degree
- How To Become An Entrepreneur Without Business Experience
If you can remove people’s objections, they are 80% more likely to click on your headline because they are curious as to how your statement can be true.
How To [Blank] and [Blank] – blank + blank
- How To Build A Credible Blog And Stand Out From The Rest
- How To Auto Post On Instagram And Find The Best Hashtags
- How To Discover And Engage Your Target Audience
- How To Start An Email List and Keep Subscribers Actually Reading Your Messages
- How To Gain Followers and Get Likes On Instagram
By adding an “and” in the middle helps increase the chances of your reader being interested in either one or both of your points.Â
How To [Do Something] in [Time Frame] – provide deadlines
- How To Start Working From Home Today
- How To Get 100 Pinterest Followers In 7 Days
- How To Get 30,000 Facebook Followers In 3 Days
- How To Set Up A Blog In Under 20 Minutes
- How To Get People To Hit Subscribe After Less Than 1 Minute On Your Site
People love deadlines, it’s what helps us move projects along. It’s what I did with this post actually! I put the headline in my calendar to go live on this date and it forced me to sit down and crank out all these headlines… which I will use at a later date and you’ll slowly start to see all of them get linked up to actual posts!
How To [Fix Something] – start with a question or problem
- Frustrated With Affiliate Marketing? 5 Things You May Be Doing Wrong And How To Fix It
- This Habit Prevents You From Becoming A Successful Entrepreneur (And Here’s How to Fix It)
- Tired Of Your 9-5? 10 Skills You Need To Start Learning Today To Help You Quit
- Boss Driving You Crazy? 10 Steps To Becoming Self-Employed
- Overwhelmed With Work? Tips and Tricks To Completing Your To-Do List Like A Pro
If your blog post solves someone’s problem(s), you’ve done an incredible job!
PIN the pic below then keep reading!
2. List Headlines
For your reference # means number for those who don’t remember what it used to stand for before Twitter came out! ?
# Ways To [Do Something] – educational
- 12 Most Profitable Niches For Making Money Online
- 5 Ways To Write A Ridiculously Shareable Post
- 5 Ways To Get People To Sign Up For Your Email List
- 6 Ways to Get Noticed By Influential Brands
- 7 Ways Get Your Blog To Come Up As #1 In Google Searches
Blog posts are all about what you can GIVE to your audience. People are attracted to posts that imply they are going to learn something valuable they can use in their lives from your post.Â
# Ways To [Do Something] When [Situation] – do something situational
- 7 Ways You Can Grow When Your Blog Has Failed
- 5 Ways To Be More Productive Throughout Your Day
- 11 Ways Your Mentality Changes When You Start Blogging
- 5 Ways You Become More Confident After Starting Your Own Business
- 10 Ways To Stay Positive When Your Business Isn’t Doing Well
Providing a situation is super relatable for many individuals. Anyone who has been in the situation instantly feels connected to the post and personally engaged in what you have to say.Â
# Top 10 [Blank] – top 10
- Top 10 Methods Of Making Money At Home
- Top 10 Online Courses To Help You Make More Money Blogging
- Top 10 Blog Post Ideas Guaranteed To Get Clicks
- Top 10 Places To Promote Your Product To Get Noticed
- Top 10 Instagram Accounts To Imitate In Digital Marketing
People are attracted to the format of a list with an even 10 points. It’s a great opportunity for your reader to get the best access to the best information without having to the research on it themselves — you’ve done the hard part for them!Â
# Steps To [Objective] – steps to do something
- 7 Steps To Dramatically Increase Traffic To Your Blog
- 6 Steps To Creating A Consistent Blog Theme
- 8 Steps To Help You Respond Wisely To Negative Comments
- 4 Steps To Taking Instagram-Worthy Photos
- 3 Steps To Becoming The Ladyboss You Always Wanted To Be
Who doesn’t love a list of logical steps to accomplish their goal? The best headlines are action-based. Rather than just naming a topic (ex. increasing traffic to your blog), your headline shows the reader that you will information they will be able to easily apply.Â
# Tips For [Objective] – tips to overcome objective
- 5 Stone Walls Every New Blogger Runs Into (And How To Move Past Them)
- 15 Tips and Tricks to Eliminate Distractions And Get More Done
- 22 Social Media Marketing Tips For Beginners
- 10 Tips To Overcome Stereotypes As A Woman In Business
- 8 Struggles Every Startup Faces And How To Handle Them
We are a society that loves overcoming obstacles and beating the odds. Underdog stories are our favorite stories. Self-improvement books sell out of stores. Having a headline that connects to that value is sure to get you clicks!
# [Adjective] Facts [Person/Audience] Should Know – things people should know
- 8 Essential Facts Every New Blogger Should Know BEFORE Launch
- 9 Instagram Secrets Revealed That Every Influencer Needs to Know
- 4 Surprising Facts About PR Agents That Every Affiliate Marketer Should Know
- 10 Social Media Marketing Strategies Every Entrepreneur Should Know
- 12 Important Facts About Pinterest Every Blogger Should Know
This headline options suggests urgency to the information you provide. It convinces the scroller that what you have to say is ESSENTIAL to their career or well-being.
# [Most-Asked] – questions answered
- 43 Most-Asked Pinterest Marketing Questions Answered Directly By Pinterest
- 23 Most-Asked Questions About Blogging Answered By A 6-Figure Blogger
- 15 Most-Asked Questions About Affiliate Marketing Answered By A PR Agent
- 20 Most-Asked Questions About The Legal Side Of Blogging Answered By A Lawyer
- 18 Most-Asked Marketing Questions Answered By A Professional
These headlines imply to the reader that you have listed to their questions and addresses their concerns. It’s a great way to give the audience a personal stake in the post and increase engagement.Â
# [Must] – things people must do
- 8 Must-Read Books To Grow As A Female Entrepreneur
- 5 Must-Use Platforms For Every Aspiring Blogger
- 6 Brands Every Beauty Blogger Must Collaborate With
- 7 Must-Have Widgets on Your Blog Site
- 10 Posts Every Blogger Must Write
Again, a sense of urgency and importance is sure to get you clicks. Anytime you see a list of something you MUST do for a group you are a part of, you can’t help but click to read more!
# Quotes From [Famous Person] That Will [Desired Result] – quotes and desired result
- 5 Empowering Quotes From Eleanor Roosevelt That Will Inspire Any Woman to Be A Ladyboss
- 12 Quotes From Maya Angelou That Will Remind You To Be Kind To Yourself And Others
- 18 Quotes From The World’s Most Successful People That Will Convince You Not To Give Up On Your Dreams
- 20 Quotes From Female Entrepreneurs That Will Convince You To Start Your Own Business
- 10 Quotes From Technological Innovators That Will Inspire You To Live Your Best Life
This type of headline is great because it connects a famous person to your post. Chances are, if someone really loves a famous individual, googles their name and sees your post about their quotes, they are pretty likely to click it.Â
# [Blank] That Will Change Your Life – life changing
- 12 Little-Known Tips For Affiliate Marketing That Will Change Your Life
- 15 Incredible Websites For Bloggers That Will Change Your Life
- 26 Facts About Social Media That Will Change Your Life
- 10 Books For Women In Business That Will Change Your Life
- 5 Products That Will Change Every Blogger’s Life
No matter how good our life currently is, we’re always searching for things to make it even better. This headline connects with that desire and encourages your reader to click to learn more about how they can change things for the better.Â
# Things You Didn’t Know About [Person/Thing] – things you didn’t know
- 9 Things You Didn’t Know About Digital Marketing In The Business World
- 15 Things You Didn’t Know About Starting A Company
- 8 Things You Didn’t Know About Blogger, Entrepreneur And Influencer Elaine Rau
- 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Instagram Influencers And How They Got There
- 5 Websites You Didn’t Know Existed But Should Have Be Using
Anytime you have a secret to reveal or a little-know fact to uncover, it’s good to make it clear in your headline. Showing the reader that your post will give them new information about a subject is a great way to get them to click and read more. Why would I want to read about a topic I already know everything about? I’m much more likely to click on a post that promises to tell me something I didn’t already know!
# Things To Remember About/When/If [Blank] – things to remember when/about/if
- 10 Things To Remember If Your Startup Isn’t Paying The Bills
- 6 Things To Remember When Your Blog Isn’t Gaining Subscribers Quickly
- 5 Things To Remember About Conflict Resolution When Your Employees Aren’t Getting Along
- 8 Things To Remember If You’re Part Of A Pinterest Group Board
- 12 Things To Remember If You’re Struggling As An Entrepreneur
People generally like to be encouraged. This headline promises that there are solutions to the problem they currently face. Who doesn’t click on a post with solutions or at least things to remember in their situation?Â
# Things Only [Group] Understand – things only certain people understand
- 14 Things Only Female CEOs Will Understand
- 15 Things Only Instagram Influencers Will Understand
- 23 Things Only Lifestyle Bloggers Will Understand
- 15 Things Only Full-Time Bloggers Understand
- 20 Things Only Female Entrepreneurs Understand
We love to feel like we blog; it’s why exclusive groups are so sought-after. This headline connects with a desire of your audience to be a part of a special group. Plus, they want to see if everyone feels the same ways as them — it’s validating!
# Things We/You Should [Blank] – things you should do
- 20 Things You Should Do To Keep Your Subscribers Happy
- 15 Things We Should Start Saying To One Another To Empower All Women
- 7 Things You Should Do To Support Female Business Owners
- 10 Websites You Should Be Using As A Blogger
- 5 Things You Should Do As A Female CEO
Again, the best headlines are action-based. This headline promises that you will provide information the reader can apply directly to their own life.Â
# Things [Group] Do Differently – things to do differently
- 15 Things Great Bloggers Do Differently
- 10 Things Successful Entrepreneurs Do Differently
- 12 Things Instagram Influencers Do Differently
- 6 Things The Best CEOs Do Differently
- 5 Things Graphic Designers Do Differently
Again, improvement is a big thing for us. This headline implies that there is something I could be doing better to be more successful, and who doesn’t want to be more successful?
PIN the pic below then keep reading for the BONUS headline!
3. Bonus Headline
Why [Action/Thing] Is/May Be
- Why Covering Multiple Niches Is the Worst Thing You Can Do For Your Blog
- Why Graphics May Be The Most Important Part Of Your Post
- Why Not Having A Website Is the Biggest Business Mistake You Can Make
- Why Having A Blog Is Essential For Marketing Your Business
- Why Taking Your Own Photos May Be The Best Thing You Can Do For Your Blog
Another action-based headline that is easily-applicable for the reader. If they are making the mistake you mention in your headline, they will be VERY likely to click to read more and find out why they need to change _____.Â
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me at ladybossblogger@gmail.com, and I would be glad to answer any questions you may have!
If you loved this post, please PIN the pic below!
Much Love,
<3 Elaine Rau
Bethany Peterson is a junior at Wheaton College (IL) studying Interdisciplinary Studies and Journalism with a minor in Spanish. She has worked in blogging for three years first as a staff blogger for 31Women Ministries, and now as an intern with LadyBossBlogger. She serves as Co-Editor in Chief at the Wheaton Record and hopes to go into journalism after graduation.
