A welcome mat is a small rug. You place it outside the front of your house or apartment. Your guests can wipe their feet on it before they enter. It’s the perfect way to welcome your guests while keeping dirt, water, and mud outside.

Think of your headlines like a welcome mat. You need to make it welcoming for your readers so they will read your story.

This means you need to summarize your story with a powerful headline. It’s the most challenging part of writing a story, but it’s the most critical part.

Writing headlines is an art and a science.

Headlines create that crucial first impression. If you write compelling headlines, your readers will want to learn more immediately.

The right headlines can attract disinterested and skeptical readers, making them feel “welcome” in your home.

We’re in a tough competition for reader attention. Your headlines must be compelling. Otherwise, you will lose your audience to your neighbors.

How do you write better headlines to make your stories more welcoming?

How to write better headlines

Let’s dive into 10 simple ways to write better headlines.

1. Tell your readers what they’re getting

Don’t always try to come up with something clever. Tell them that by doing X, you’ll get Y.

• What will the readers gain from reading your story?
• Will they be entertained?
• Will your readers be educated?
• Or will your readers be inspired?

Your readers should know what they are getting before they read the entire story.

Engage your readers and clearly explain what they can expect from your story.

2. Tap into emotions

Positive, happy headlines get more shares, according to CoSchedule.

Why?

The anticipation of positive benefits and emotions makes us want to share the content. When it comes to anticipation, our emotions play a significant role.

People expect happy experiences, according to Unbounce. Make them positive.

3. Less is more

Be less wordy. Re-read them. Are there words you can cut? It’s essential to keep your headlines concise.

According to CoSchedule, the best length of a headline is 55 characters.

That’s approximately six words. Take a minimalist approach.

Focus on what matters and remove the unnecessary details.

4. Keep them simple

Don’t make your headline complicated. Get to the point. Strive for simplicity.

Your readers primarily use mobile devices, so your headlines should be concise and straightforward.

Sand it down.

• What’s the essence of your story?
• What are the key takeaways?
• Why should a reader care?

Please put them in your headline. Use simple and straightforward language.

5. Be specific

When you are specific, you give clarity to readers. People crave specificity. Being vague has no power.

The more specific you are with your headline, the more unique it is.

Readers want to know precisely what they are getting with your content.

You can use your sub-headline and introductory paragraph to elaborate on your headline. Specificity is the number one way to get more clicks and readers.

6. Use numbers

When you use a number in a headline, you instantly hook the reader’s interest. Your readers will want to know that those [insert number] things are.

Numbers make your story authoritative.

A list is what our brain prefers to get information.

Our brains like organization and structure. 

HubSpot analyzed its most shared blog posts.

What did they find? A little less than half of their most shared posts contained a number in the headline.

7. Add a year

The HubSpot most-shared posts study mentioned earlier. It found that most-shared posts featured either a year or a number in the headline.

The number of years of work is beneficial because of the experience, and the content is up-to-date and relevant.

It helps set the expectations so the reader knows exactly what they are getting.

8. Review popular stories on blogs and news sites

We can learn a lot from the mainstream media. They write many headlines in a competitive media landscape.

By reviewing their websites, examine all the headlines and note which ones catch your attention.

Write them like those.

Take a moment and find out what consciously and subconsciously attracted you to the headlines.

What catches your interest?

9. Bookmark good headline templates

One of my favorite bookmarks is an article that includes formulas and templates. They work.

10. Pique their curiosity

Research shows curiosity increases with knowledge. The more we know, the more we want to know.

Carnegie Mellon University professor George Loewenstein coined the term “curiosity gap.” It describes the gap between what we know and what we want to know.

This gap produces emotional consequences.

We seek out new knowledge to scratch the mental itch. Give your readers a little mystery. Arouse curiosity without creating spammy clickbait.

Bringing it all together

Hopefully, these 10 tips will help you write mouth-wateringly good headlines.

People often decide to read or ignore your story by reading only the headline.

David Ogilvy, the “Father of Advertising,” suggested:

• 100 people will read a headline.
• Only 20 people will actually read your advert or story.

The correct headline can make or break your story. Spend time on them.

They are an essential tool to grow your readership. How welcoming are you?

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