Key Takeaways
- Subheads enhance writing by helping readers quickly find information and understand key points.
- They serve as signposts, capturing attention and guiding readers through the content.
- Subheads make complex information digestible, breaking it into manageable sections.
- Using subheads increases engagement and reading time, as scanners are more likely to read them.
- To improve writing, incorporate more subheads for better clarity and audience connection.
What’s the most important thing you can do to improve your writing?
Add subheads.
They are the icing on your cake. Subheads are the icing on your writing.
They seem small, but they are powerful.
Subheads help your readers quickly find what they are looking for in your blog post or article.
Why are subheads essential to great writing?
If you think about your article as the cake, subheads are your icing.
Most people will taste the icing rather than eat the entire cake.
Scanners look at subheads to get a gist of your article. They want to quickly know what the article is all about and its main points.
Subheads create the headlines of your story.
Without subheads, you can’t guide your readers throughout your story.
- They are signposts along the journey of your article.
- They help scanners and readers consume your content.
If your subheads are meaningful and impactful, they can help you engage and grow your audience.
Okay, enough writing. Let’s back up what I’m saying with subheads.
How to improve your writing by focusing on the sub-headlines
How can subheads help you improve your writing?
1. Subheads help scanners
A subhead expresses your critical ideas to scanners, glancers, and skimmers.
People who don’t read your paragraphs will most likely read your subheads.
Subheads help scanners quickly understand your message.
They make it easy to digest some of your content.
2. Subheads make writing more memorable
Subheads are more memorable to your readers.
A reader who sees the key points of an article is likely to remember the entire purpose of your writing.
Some subheads may have numbers, and people are more likely to remember numbers.
3. Subheads capture readers’ attention
Subheads can turn your scanners and glancers into readers. People want to find what they want fast. Subheads help them do that.
Scanners look at the subheads first.
Then, if one catches their eye, they will read the corresponding paragraphs.
4. Subheads break up content
Readers need time to breathe and digest information.
Subheads break copy into bite-sized chunks. They make your content more accessible.
When your article is easy and enjoyable to read, more people will read your content.
Subheads increase reading time for scanners and for readers who are losing interest in your article.
They give your piece the time your readers need to breathe.
5. Subheads summarize key points
Subheads are headlines within your article.
These subheads help you and your readers summarize the article’s main messages.
Subheads help you better crystallize your thoughts. They allow you to summarize the key points you are communicating to your reader.
Bringing it all together
Add more subheads. Don’t think about cutting them. They are the key to successful writing.
Think about using subheads more often in your article.
Yes, you must focus on headlines, but don’t overlook the power of sub-headlines.
In our world of scanners, subheads are more essential than ever before.
There’s no guarantee your audience will read your entire story, but there’s a greater chance they will read your subheads.
Most readers only scan your story, but will read your subheads.
Subheads make your scanners and readers happy, as they read much of your story.
It helps you kill two birds with one stone, enabling you to achieve two things with a single action.
Yes, your readers “can eat your cake and have it too.” If your cake (article) has nice icing (subheads) on top.
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