Stuff Writers Like

What pro writers know, and you don’t, about writing kickass headlines

Why do your headlines fail? You're an excellent writer with a wide vocabulary, so why is it so hard to write a great headline or email subject line that grabs your readers' attention and doesn't let it go?


OK, so maybe your headlines don’t always fail—in fact, we’re sure they don’t.

But when they do, you will always find the reason why here in this infographic by Neil Patel’s QuickSprout, the kings of infographic marketing and traffic generation.

From print journalism headlines to direct-response email subject lines, pro writers know what gets readers’ attention. Great headlines and subject lines are snappy, on topic, speak to the reader and promise immense value.

One of our favorite parts of the infographic is the shortest but most useful: See “Why Headlines Fail.”

And as you strive for more creative, more effective headlines, never forget something marketing and conversion expert Flint McGlaughlin of Marketing Experiments hammered into my brain early in my copywriting career:

Clarity trumps persuasion. Clarity trumps persuasion. Always and forever, clarity trumps persuasion.

No one likes to be fooled. Giving your reader an unjustified or unfulfilled promise in your headline or email subject line is one the worst things you can do as a professional copywriter. It’s a conversion killer. Worse yet, it loses your readers’ trust.

As long as you are clear and on topic, let the creative juices flow.

Do you have any more tricks to writing kickass headlines or email subject lines that grab readers’ eyeballs? We’d love to hear about them.

what-makes-good-headline-subject-line

I want more stuff like this in my inbox.

An occasional email for writers, by writers, about writing.No Fields Found.

Our Staff

Hi! The staff here at Stuff Writers Like posted this nifty piece of content. We didn't give it a byline, because, well, maybe we didn't write it. But we do like it. Please allow us to take this opportunity to introduce ourselves. Stuff Writers Like is powered by a motley crew of writers, misfits and grammar deviants. They say you have to know the rules before you can break them. Or as Mark Twain said, "Get your facts first then you may distort them as you please." Stop by our About page and consider joining us. We don't bite—unless nibbling counts.

Latest posts by Our Staff (see all)

September 10, 2014
stuff-writers-like-favicon-white © Stuff Writers Like
Terms | Privacy