Make Your Headlines “Catch Your Readers!”

The purpose of headlines is more than just making announcements. This is where you convince your audience that yes, this piece of content is worth their time, and here’s why.

With so much riding on headlines, we can’t talk too much about them! Writing catchy headings might come easier if you consistently write about breaking news, unexpected discoveries or “one weird trick” that solves common problems, but even the pros get stumped when they have to push out content each day, week, etc., all while making it sound new, exciting, or important.

But the reason you churn out helpful content to your audience regularly—through social media, email, blogs, flyers, posters, videos, press releases, etc.—is because you know that your church, school, or ministry has something to offer that could easily become exciting or vitally important to them. They just might not know it yet.

That’s why persuasive writing is all about communicating benefits rather than features, noting where your audience is at and what they want, and putting the reader right into the action. Verbs are action words, as we learned in grade school. Benefits are verbs. Run faster. Jump higher. Create more in less time. Stand out from the crowd. Recharge your batteries.

As a featured article quotes,

“It’s not about what you do, but about what I can do after you’re done.”
-Alan Weiss, management consultant

Also,

“Your event name is not a benefit.”
-Anne Wiley

A couple of our favorite articles from renowned communication expert Anne Wiley will help you create better headlines, subheads, and ads by strategically using action words that communicate the benefits in store for your readers:

Write in verbs, not nouns
https://www.wyliecomm.com/2018/02/write-in-verbs-not-nouns/?utm_source=WWT20180227A&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ezine

Make it F-A-B: Translate features to advantages to benefits
https://www.wyliecomm.com/2015/09/make-it-f-a-b/