How to Create Stirring Headlines

By Sanjay Johari

Imagine a situation where you are driving to your workplace. You are going by your usual route. The roads are familiar to you, the areas you pass through are familiar to you, even the behavior of the traffic is known to you. You are not concentrating fully on driving � you don�t have to because driving by this route has almost become a habit. Your attention is partially on driving and partially on other thoughts.

Suddenly you notice a big �STOP� sign on the road. You come out of your thoughts and try to figure out what is happening. You are now giving full attention to what lies ahead. The road is closed for repair and you are advised to take the road on your right side. You mentally adjust the route you have to take now. You are forced to re-plan rest of your journey.

The headline of your webpage and subject line of your email should work something like the �STOP� sign. When people are browsing through different web pages they are absorbed in their own thoughts. As soon as they arrive at your web page, the headline should stop them in their tracks. The visitor to your web page should get hard enough jolt by your headline to take notice, just as the drivers are jerked out of their reverie by the �STOP� sign.

The subscriber of your newsletter should be drawn by your subject line as he looks at his in-box containing many emails he receives every day. The subject line of your email should attract the attention of your reader otherwise the email may not even get opened. .

Creating Headlines

Your headline has a fair chance of getting attention if it fulfills two conditions �

1. It presents an unusual situation
2. It appeals to human sentiments

You can create a headline on your web page using tricks of fonts, colors and graphics to satisfy the first condition, but it will probably not have the desired impact unless it also satisfies the second condition. The message the words convey in a headline is by far more stimulating than its appearance. The appearance of headline can be used to enhance the impact of the message.

The human brain is induced into action by what may be called the trigger points. While every person will have his own trigger points based on his experience, there are some features common to most of the people. Try to recall how your mind is conditioned to react to the �STOP� sign.

There are several trigger words that touch the common sentiments. For example the word �free� is a powerful trigger word. The thought that we cannot get anything free of cost is imbedded deeply in our brain. Therefore when we see a �free� offer we recognize it as an unusual situation and have the illusion that we can get something without spending anything. If this word is present in a headline we sit up and take notice � it is almost an instinctive reaction.

There are some trigger words that give suggestion of a better future. In real life we are trained not to expect any drastic change for the better. Therefore when something gives a mild hope of improved future we notice. �How to� is another powerful trigger word. It is generally used to address a problem or a concern and gives a hope that solution is within reach.

There are several other trigger words which appeal to different human sentiments. Curiosity is another natural trait in humans which is often exploited in creating headlines. There are words that give a feeling of movement and action and have greater appeal than passive words. I had initially kept the title of this article �How to Create Effective Headlines�. Later I changed it to �How to Create Stirring Headlines�. The word �stirring� looks more dynamic than �effective�.

Apart from the choice of words the style of the headline has a strong bearing on its acceptance. A question in the headline is more stimulating than a plain statement. The headline �Autoresponder Explained� can be improved to get better response by changing it to �How Does Autoresponder Work?� The question makes the headline appear more dynamic and challenging.

While creating a headline the focus should be on the reader and not on the content. The headline should indicate what problem is being addressed rather than the solution that is presented in the content.

The importance of headlines cannot be over-emphasized. Unless your headline is able to grab attention your content is of little use. It is always wise to put in sufficient effort in creating good headlines. One approach is to create a large number of headlines and then select the best one out of them. You can take help of your friends and well wishers in identifying the most suitable headline.

Your headline is your showcase � design it well to attract people.

Sanjay Johari regularly contributes articles to several ezines. Discover how network marketing can help you attain financial freedom and success in life. Visit his website on http://www.sanjay-j.com