You can waste a lot of time creating amazing content if you don’t invest similarly in writing irresistible headlines. What’s the point of great content if you can’t get anyone to click on it in the first place? In this episode, we walk you through the mindset and techniques you need to write the kind of headlines that will fill your audience funnel with the kind of people you need so that your content can work its long-term magic.
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Here is a quick rundown of what you’ll find in this episode:
- A review of the section in Episode 50 where we discussed headlines, including: the 50/50 rule, the 80/20 rule, and the four U’s.
- Why your headline has to make a promise, and why that promise needs to be benefit-driven
- An explanation of explicit and implicit benefits (and when you need to use one or the other)
- Additional questions you should ask yourself (see below) once you’ve arrived at a headline you’re satisfied with
- Why your content absolutely must deliver on the promise that your headline makes
- Jerod’s unexpected mini-rant on why delivering on your headline’s promise is so important
Resources and links mentioned in this episode:
- [50] 3Q Before You Publish Your First Piece of Content
- Writing Headlines That Get Results — by Brian Clark
- How to Write Magnetic Headlines
Here are the additional questions you should ask yourself about your headline:
- Have you looked at templates for successful headlines to see if one might fit your content a little better?
- Look at your recent headlines — are you falling into familiar patterns? Do you need to shake it up a bit?
- Do you have two competing ideas that might be worth testing?
- Have you spent a few minutes wordsmithing it to see if you can get the main keyword closer to the beginning? (Not just for SEO, but to make sure it’s visible in search and podcast directories)?
- Is there a verb to make it more kinetic?
- Are you using the passive voice? Don’t!
- Is your headline as short and to-the-point as it can possibly be (while still including main keywords, clearly articulating a promise, and describing a benefit)?