{"id":19932,"date":"2021-03-31T11:54:38","date_gmt":"2021-03-31T15:54:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/?p=19932"},"modified":"2024-01-17T09:53:53","modified_gmt":"2024-01-17T13:53:53","slug":"avoid-these-common-headline-mistakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2021\/03\/avoid-these-common-headline-mistakes\/","title":{"rendered":"Avoid these common headline mistakes"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>8 approaches to avoid<\/h2>\n<p>What\u2019s in a name?<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_26291\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-26291\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"26291\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/writing-tips\/micro-content\/how-to-write-a-good-headline\/headline-mistakes\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/headline-mistakes.png\" data-orig-size=\"450,300\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"headline-mistakes\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Just say no&lt;\/strong&gt; Write great headlines when you steer clear of these 8 common headline writing mistakes. &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.istockphoto.com\/photo\/wrapped-fish-gm909280070-250451617&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Image by AngelaBuserPhoto&lt;\/em&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/headline-mistakes-300x200.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/headline-mistakes.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/headline-mistakes.png\" alt=\"Headline mistakes\" title=\"Headline mistakes\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-full wp-image-26291 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/headline-mistakes.png 450w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/headline-mistakes-300x200.png 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 450px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 450\/300;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"26291\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/writing-tips\/micro-content\/how-to-write-a-good-headline\/headline-mistakes\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/headline-mistakes.png\" data-orig-size=\"450,300\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"headline-mistakes\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Just say no&lt;\/strong&gt; Write great headlines when you steer clear of these 8 common headline writing mistakes. &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.istockphoto.com\/photo\/wrapped-fish-gm909280070-250451617&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Image by AngelaBuserPhoto&lt;\/em&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/headline-mistakes-300x200.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/headline-mistakes.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/headline-mistakes.png\" alt=\"Headline mistakes\" title=\"Headline mistakes\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-full wp-image-26291\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/headline-mistakes.png 450w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/headline-mistakes-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-26291\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Just say no<\/strong> Write great headlines when you steer clear of these 8 common headline writing mistakes. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.istockphoto.com\/photo\/wrapped-fish-gm909280070-250451617\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Image by AngelaBuserPhoto<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A great headline can mean the difference between a story that gets read \u2014 or one that gets passed over.<\/p>\n<p>So what\u2019s the headline formula that will produce compelling headlines that appeal to search engines as well as to your target audience? Whether you\u2019re writing a blog post, news release or social media status update, try these tips for drawing readers in with your headlines:<\/p>\n<h3>1. Avoid vague heads.<\/h3>\n<p>These are actual headlines that appeared in actual publications:<\/p>\n<h5>Prepare for the worst<\/h5>\n<h5>Help me cope<\/h5>\n<h5>Keeping it together<\/h5>\n<p>These headlines are so vague, they could all apply equally to stories about my husband getting ill, my business going bankrupt or my finding out that the mini-mart is out of Twix bars.<\/p>\n<p>If your headline could apply to any story, you shouldn\u2019t use it for any story. The best headlines are ultra-specific. Write a unique headline for your unique story.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Tighten loose heads.<\/h3>\n<p>These, too,are actual headlines that appeared in actual publications:<\/p>\n<h5>Preparing for the successful sale of your business<\/h5>\n<h6>(I\u2019m sure there was a more successful way to write this headline.)<\/h6>\n<h5>What is intellectual property, and why should you care about it?<\/h5>\n<h6>( I already don\u2019t care about it, because this is such a bad headline.)<\/h6>\n<p>Vague heads are less like headlines than story ideas. \u201cI know, let\u2019s do a story on what is intellectual property, and why should you care about it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A story idea isn\u2019t a headline. Good headlines take time and effort to write.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Reverbify label headlines.<\/h3>\n<p>In 1986, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/06\/09\/magazine\/justin-trudeau-chrystia-freeland-trade-canada-us-.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&amp;smid=nytcore-ipad-share\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The New York TImes<\/a><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/06\/09\/magazine\/justin-trudeau-chrystia-freeland-trade-canada-us-.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&amp;smid=nytcore-ipad-share\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> ran a column<\/a> about Canada\u2019s campaign to forge a free-trade deal with the United States. The headline:<\/p>\n<h5>Worthwhile Canadian Initiative<\/h5>\n<p>Michael Kinsley, then the editor of <em>The New Republic<\/em>, declared it to be the most boring imaginable headline.<\/p>\n<p>Label headlines \u2014 like <em>Worthwhile Canadian Initiative<\/em> \u2014 are boring. They identify the topic without saying anything about it. They are nouns or noun phrases without verbs.<\/p>\n<p>Here, for example, are a few of the label heads that have crossed my desk lately:<\/p>\n<h5>Bulletins<\/h5>\n<h5>Chemical update<\/h5>\n<h5>Field distribution<\/h5>\n<h5>Graphics systems<\/h5>\n<h5>Strategy statement<\/h5>\n<p>With label headlines, you miss the chance to reach the huge and growing percentage of your audience who just read the display copy. You lose readers who rely on headlines to draw them into the story. And you sap the energy from your pieces, because labels have no verbs.<\/p>\n<p>But a headline isn\u2019t just a topic.<\/p>\n<p>Avoid label headlines.<\/p>\n<p>To fix label headlines, say something about the topic, and make sure your subject has a verb.<\/p>\n<p>instead of:<\/p>\n<h5>Charity Collection for Geneva and Africa<\/h5>\n<p>Write:<\/p>\n<h5>Help African orphans, vulnerable children, Manchester\u2019s poor<\/h5>\n<h6>Donate to XYZ\u2019s autumn charity collection Oct. 15-31<\/h6>\n<p>Verbs are power words. Make sure your headline has one.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Stop ing-ing.<\/h3>\n<p>Who ever decided that \u201cPresent Participling Noun\u201d was a clever headline? You\u2019ve seen (maybe even written!) ing-ing headlines like these:<\/p>\n<h5>Introducing the Strategic Growth Incentive<\/h5>\n<h5>Making dams safer for fish around the world<\/h5>\n<h5>Ending Child Trafficking through Collaboration, Awareness, and Support<\/h5>\n<p>So what\u2019s wrong with \u201cIntroducing the Strategic Growth Incentive\u201d?<\/p>\n<p>Ing-ing headlines focus on your organization\u2019s actions instead of the reader\u2019s needs. They suck the subject out of the headline. And they substitute present participles \u2014 weak nonverbs \u2014 for power words, like verbs.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2019\/11\/stop-it-with-the-ing-ing\/\">Stop ing-ing<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>When you find these headlines in your own copy, rewrite. Use subject, verb, object. Then you\u2019ll end up with power words like <em>stoke, step, shape<\/em> and <em>turn<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>And that will put the energy back in your headline.<\/p>\n<h3>5. Skip the buzzwords.<\/h3>\n<p>Chris Smith, senior lead communications specialist at Entergy, writes:<\/p>\n<div class=\"excerptbox\" style=\"border:1px solid black;\">If you put a barbwire-fence headline at the top of your page, most readers will not trespass on your story. Or read it.<\/p>\n<p>Not to pick on an otherwise fine industry publication that shall be nameless, but I saved for this column a recent, scary headline (adults strongly cautioned \u2014some content may be too intense for some viewers). Ready?<\/p>\n<h5>FERC, Maine Sign OCS Hydrokinetics MOU<\/h5>\n<p>This in a publication not, as far as I know, aimed only at the 12 people who know all of those concepts. I know what FERC is, and I once bought shoes in Maine, for which I think I signed a check.<\/p>\n<p>If you find yourself writing a headline with more than two acronyms plus a five-syllable word, maybe you should stop going to lunch with the engineers.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Indeed. And if you\u2019ve crammed \u201cstrategic,\u201d \u201cvalue-added,\u201d \u201cproactive,\u201d \u201csolution\u201d and \u201ccore competencies\u201d into your headline, it\u2019s a bad headline.<\/p>\n<h3>6. Skip \u2018headline words.\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>Copy editors \u2014 who must often squeeze sense into a headline or subject line with very few characters \u2014 have developed a vocabulary of super-short words.<\/p>\n<p>You see these terms in headlines, but rarely anyplace else. They\u2019re words like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Accord<\/strong> for agreement<\/li>\n<li><strong>Eyes<\/strong> for sees<\/li>\n<li><strong>Flap<\/strong> for controversy<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ink<\/strong> for signs<\/li>\n<li><strong>Irk<\/strong> for irritate<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mull<\/strong> for consider<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nab<\/strong> for steal<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nix<\/strong> for cancel<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pact<\/strong> for contract<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pan<\/strong> for criticize<\/li>\n<li><strong>Scribe<\/strong> for writer<\/li>\n<li><strong>Slate<\/strong> for schedule<\/li>\n<li><strong>Veep<\/strong> for vice president<\/li>\n<li><strong>Vie<\/strong> for compete<\/li>\n<li><strong>Weigh<\/strong> for consider<\/li>\n<li><strong>Woes<\/strong> for miseries<\/li>\n<li><strong>Woo<\/strong> for persuade<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Don\u2019t use these words in your headlines. Instead, steal the idea behind these \u201cheadline words.\u201d Use more familiar one-syllable words to develop sharp heads of your own.<\/p>\n<h3>7. Don\u2019t drop key elements.<\/h3>\n<p>Is there a deadline for responding to your message? Create a sense of urgency with a call to action in the headline.<\/p>\n<p>Are you writing to a subset of your target audience: asthma sufferers, maybe, or single moms? Consider calling out to them in the headline.<\/p>\n<p>If there\u2019s a key element to the story, consider including it in the headline.<\/p>\n<h3>8. Don\u2019t make the reader groan.<\/h3>\n<p>John Russial, associate professor at the University of Oregon, begs you to stop writing headlines like:<\/p>\n<h5>The pear facts about anjous<\/h5>\n<h5>Plan for a fence at jail has some neighbors railing<\/h5>\n<h5>Rail plan is \u2026 on track \u2026 off the track \u2026 at a crossroads \u2026 going downhill \u2026 going uphill \u2026 moving at full throttle \u2026 huffing and puffing like the little engine that could<\/h5>\n<p>And anything <strong><em>taxing<\/em><\/strong> around April 15.<\/p>\n<h3>9. Avoid confusing the reader.<\/h3>\n<p>Books bulge with confusing headlines. Among my favorites:<\/p>\n<h5>NFL to ask its players to donate brains for study<\/h5>\n<p>Ouch!<\/p>\n<h5>Include your children when baking cookies<\/h5>\n<p>Yum!<\/p>\n<h5>Statistics show that teen pregnancy drops off significantly after age 25<\/h5>\n<p>Yup! Or even after age 20.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/freakonomics.com\/2012\/12\/05\/homicide-victims-rarely-talk-to-police-and-other-horrible-headlines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Read more ridiculous headlines<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>10. Don\u2019t get it wrong.<\/h3>\n<p>Read far enough into the body copy to get the headline right. A catchy headline does nothing if the information it relays is incorrect.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMake sure the big type does not contradict the little type,\u201d\u00a0 writes Russial.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s one that does contradict the little type, from<em> Inc.<\/em> magazine:<\/p>\n<h3>Hot Tip: Set Cost-Cutting Targets<\/h3>\n<div class=\"excerptbox\" style=\"border:1px solid black;\">If there\u2019s a single new trend in cost cutting, it may simply be this: Setting cost-cutting targets is out; rethinking every single expenditure from the ground up is in.<\/div>\n<h3>Head first.<\/h3>\n<p>Want to convince people to click to read, increase conversion rates and social shares, boost content marketing results and otherwise improve the ROI on your message? Write more compelling headlines.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/revvingupreadership.com\/2010\/06\/what-readers-see-on-a-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Headlines get twice the attention of body copy<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/revvingupreadership.com\/2015\/02\/inside-my-head\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">They change the way people think<\/a>. And they\u2019re the gateway to your message.<\/p>\n<p>Lose readers in the headline, and you\u2019ll likely lose them altogether.<\/p>\n<div id='MMC-Display' class='widgets_on_page wop_tiny1  wop_small1  wop_medium1  wop_large1  wop_wide1'>\n\t\t\t<ul><li id=\"custom_html-87\" class=\"widget_text widget widget_custom_html\"><div class=\"textwidget custom-html-widget\"><a title=\"Display copy-writing workshop, a mini master class\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/corporate-communications-training\/mini-master-classes-home\/display-copy-writing-workshop\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/display-copy-writing-training-mmc.png\" alt=\"Display copy-writing workshop, a mini master class\" title=\"Display copy-writing workshop, a mini master class\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" border=\"0\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 250px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 250\/250;float:left; text-align:left; margin: 0 auto; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 2px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 18x; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; color: #FFFFFF; max-width:100%; max-height:100%;\" class=\"img-max lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/display-copy-writing-training-mmc.png\" alt=\"Display copy-writing workshop, a mini master class\" title=\"Display copy-writing workshop, a mini master class\" width=\"auto\" height=\"auto\" border=\"0\" style=\"float:left; text-align:left; margin: 0 auto; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 2px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 18x; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; color: #FFFFFF; max-width:100%; max-height:100%;\" class=\"img-max\"><\/noscript><\/a><h3>Get the word out with display copy<\/h3>\r\n\t\r\n<p>\u201cReaders\u201d don\u2019t read. Even highly educated web visitors read fewer than 20% of the words on a webpage.<\/p>\r\n\t\r\n<p>So how do you reach \u201creaders\u201d who won\u2019t read your paragraphs?<\/p>\r\n\t\r\n<p>Learn how to put your messages where your readers\u2019 eyes really are \u2014 in links, lists and CTAs \u2014 at our <a title=\"Display copy-writing workshop, a mini master class\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/corporate-communications-training\/mini-master-classes-home\/display-copy-writing-workshop\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>display copy-writing workshop<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"btn btn--depth\" style=\"text-align: center;  margin: 10px 0 20px; width:100%;\"><a id=\"btnTT\" style=\"\" title=\"BOOK NOW\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/corporate-communications-training\/mini-master-classes-home\/display-copy-writing-workshop\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-width=\"91\">BOOK NOW<\/a>\r\n<!-- [if mso]>\r\n<p 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avoid<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":26291,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[88],"tags":[240,483,345,331],"class_list":{"0":"post-19932","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headlines","8":"tag-headlines","9":"tag-magazines","10":"tag-readers","11":"tag-story","12":"entry"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.4 (Yoast SEO v23.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Avoid these common headline mistakes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Just say no: 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