18 Secrets to Crafting Compelling Headlines for Business Content
Crafting headlines that capture attention is an art form, and we've gathered insights from top content marketers and marketing managers to sharpen your skills. From making headlines actionable to creating suspense with unfinished thoughts, explore the eighteen expert tips on constructing headlines that stand out in the business world.
Make Headlines Actionable
Utilize Clear, Focused Language
Start with “I Can't Believe”
Use Numbered Listicles
Convey Message with a Creative Tone
Align Headlines with SEO Practices
Highlight Content Benefits
Combine Specificity and Curiosity
Write Short, Relevant, On-Brand Headlines
Extend a Straightforward Invitation
Keep Headlines Short and Purposeful
Leverage “People Also Ask” for Email Titles
Conduct Keyword Research for Visibility
Focus on the “So What” Factor
Rely on Answer the Public
Emphasize Active Verbs and Power Words
Use the Audience's Language in Headlines
Create Suspense with Unfinished Thoughts
Make Headlines Actionable
In crafting attention-grabbing headlines for business content, I prioritize making them actionable. This approach is key because it transforms the headline from just a statement into an invitation that engages the reader right from the start.
For example, rather than a generic title like “Ways to Improve Your Marketing Strategy,” I would use “Boost Your Marketing Strategy Today: 5 Proven Tactics.” This not only captures attention but also communicates the immediate value and practicality of the content.
Mariam Mushtaq, Content Marketer, Springworks
Utilize Clear, Focused Language
Grabbing your audience's attention is key. If your headline isn't strong, your content isn't going to get noticed. With headlines, less is definitely more. Overly complex, wordy headlines are boring and get scrolled past. I value using strong verbs, active voice, and fewer characters.
Also, crafting the headline to be about my audience’s pain points is one of the best things I can do to capture their attention. Use vocabulary the audience is familiar with, and focus on benefits and solutions to problems.
Another way to nudge the reader to engage with the headline is to word it as a question. Sure, it won't pique the interest of everyone, but the right audience member will come up with an answer to the question in their head or check out the content to discover the answer.
Finally, for headlines, it’s important to trust the data—sometimes the headlines that pack the most punch are the ones we don’t expect right off the bat. A/B test, adapt, and make improvements as you learn.
Nicole Denson, Marketing Manager, Big Leap
Start with “I Can't Believe”
The simplest trick I love to use is to start your brainstorming with the phrase, "I can't believe that..." and develop the idea from there. So, for example, I might start with "I can’t believe that this one iOS app has changed the way I work," then delete the sentence starter. So, the headline could then become “The One iOS App That Changed the Way I Work,” or “The One iOS App That Will Change the Way You Work.”
The prompt helps remind you that what you’re sharing should be something unique and important to the reader. If it’s too generic or doesn’t speak to actual needs, people won’t want to read further.
James Delapa, Director of Digital Marketing, Wrike
Use Numbered Listicles
Numbered headlines (listicle-style) seem to work well in grabbing the attention of readers and earning the favor of search engines. Why? They offer upfront transparency about the article's contents with a format readers trust—often an organized article with clear, actionable segments that readers can more readily digest in today's content-saturated world.
Emily Holzer, Content Marketing Manager, Mangomint
Convey Message with a Creative Tone
Working in B2B, many companies remain in the comfort zone of safety, meaning they avoid clickbait headlines. Working in a company with a friendly, familiar tone of voice allows me to be creative with the headlines and not limit myself.
That being said, I always keep in mind that the headlines should accurately convey the message of the rest of the content. Writing attention-grabbing headlines using copywriting frameworks is easy, but managing expectations and meeting the readers' needs is more complicated. I have discovered that crafting compelling headlines comes naturally if the topics are timely and the content contains original stats or expert opinions.
Therefore, the focus should be on selecting the most important insight from the content and using that as a headline, ensuring that the content elaborates on the headline.
Merilyn Uudmae, Content Manager, Teamdash
Align Headlines with SEO Practices
At Capicua, we have conducted a thorough analysis and study to determine the significance of a headline once the content is published. Our content guideline emphasizes headings should be designed with both people and search engines in mind.
Therefore, we recommend paying attention to several factors, including the targeted keyword and ensuring the heading is similar to what the user would write when searching for content. Additionally, it is essential to keep the title under 60 characters.
Highlight Content Benefits
One tip I follow when shaping headlines for business content is to focus on the benefits that my content provides. People want to know how something can benefit them, so I ensure that my headline offers them an idea of what they want to gain.
I also use strong, descriptive words and keep my headlines concise and easy to understand. Another helpful practice is to think about the emotions that my headline can elicit. Emotions can make people click and engage with your content, whether it's curiosity, excitement, or even fear.
Jared Floyd, Executive Producer, Ajax Creative
Combine Specificity and Curiosity
One key practice I follow for crafting attention-grabbing headlines is balancing specificity with a touch of curiosity. It's about being clear on the content and piquing the reader's interest.
For instance, instead of a generic headline like “Improve Your Marketing Strategies,” I'd opt for something more specific and intriguing like “5 Unconventional Marketing Tactics to Double Your Leads.”
This approach does two things: it tells readers exactly what they'll gain (specific tactics, accurate results), and it sparks curiosity (how did these tactics work?).
We try to respect the reader's time by being specific, and by adding an element of curiosity, we entice them to read more, promising insights they might not find elsewhere.
Madhurima Halder, Content Manager, Recruit CRM
Write Short, Relevant, On-Brand Headlines
The reality is, every headline should be an attention-grabbing headline. Just remember, no one likes clickbait. While you want to make sure your B2B content headline is engaging and quickly stands out to your ideal target audience, make sure it isn't fluff.
The headline should still quickly sum up what the reader can expect to encounter. And while humor can sometimes be a great approach, make sure any humor you might use aligns with your brand voice and tone guidelines. So, to sum it up—write short, relevant, on-brand headlines that pack a punch.
Chanoa Tarle, Freelance Copywriter and Strategist, Chanoa Tarle
Extend a Straightforward Invitation
Having worked in the field, I've witnessed how this practice serves as a compass when crafting impactful headlines. It involves aligning the core message with the audience's expectations. By seamlessly integrating the essence of your business content into the headline, you establish an immediate connection with your target audience, guiding potential customers directly to the heart of your message without unnecessary detours.
This process eliminates guesswork and ensures that the headline serves as an accurate preview of the valuable insights or solutions awaiting the reader. Such alignment not only captures attention but also cultivates trust.
Customers appreciate clarity and authenticity, and a headline that accurately reflects the content positions your business as a reliable source of information. In essence, maintaining this alignment in crafting headlines is akin to extending a straightforward invitation, assuring your audience that what they seek is precisely what you offer.
Jeffrey Pitrak, Marketing Account Manager, Transient Specialists
Keep Headlines Short and Purposeful
Make it short and tell them why they should read it. The lengthier the headline, the less likely anybody will read it. And when they know they'll get something by reading the article, they're more likely to go to the actual article.
Steve Manjaly, Freelance Content Writer, Steve's content writing services
Leverage “People Also Ask” for Email Titles
This might not be the fanciest or sleekest practice, but simply using Google's “People Also Ask” questions as the headline for your article or email puts you right in the driver's seat for getting people's attention.
If you think about it, the whole thing makes a lot of sense. Google knows more about our users than anyone else, so if certain questions keep popping up in the “People Also Ask” section, then it's obvious other users have that same question. Why not use that information to our advantage by telling users you understand their pain points and that this email/article will address them?
That being said, I do believe this strategy is more effective for email headlines than blog posts, as search results might blend too much of this information together, whereas an email stands out by itself.
Garrett Carlson, Content Marketing Manager, The Loop Marketing
Conduct Keyword Research for Visibility
Carrying out keyword research around the content and topic is crucial to ensure that it is going to be seen. Using software such as Ahrefs will provide keyword analysis, demonstrating what customers are searching for, but also questions and terms you can use for subheadings or tags. By finding out the search volume for relevant terms and sentences, your content is more likely to be shown at the top of search results.
Annie Everill, Digital Marketing Executive, Imaginaire
Focus on the “So What” Factor
My top tip for crafting attention-grabbing headlines for business content is to focus on the “so what” factor.
Highlight the benefit, not the feature—instead of saying “5 Sales Hacks for 2024,” say “5 Sales Hacks That Doubled Our Revenue & Can Do the Same for You.” Additionally, spark curiosity or surprise by using unexpected language or statistics to make readers intrigued. Saying “The Counterintuitive Marketing Strategy That Boomed Our Local Business” piques interest more than “Effective Marketing Strategies for Local Businesses.”
Another approach is to promise actionable results. It is clear what readers will gain by clicking, like “Simplify Your Workflow: The 3-Step System to Boost Productivity.” Lastly, appeal to the audience's emotions by tapping into pain points, aspirations, or desires relevant to the business. Writing, “Finally, Achieve Work-Life Balance: Stop Juggling & Rediscover Your Time” caters to a common modern struggle.
Jianwei Kapp, Marketing Coordinator, Achievable
Rely on Answer the Public
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a big buzzword these days. In simple terms, SEO is a way to improve your website by creating content based on what people are searching for online.
With SEO, I typically form my headlines at my journalism institute or on my own personal blog using what people are searching for. There's a great website that I use, AnswerThePublic, to see what people are Googling in my target niche and at what frequency per month. That way, I can create content that captures some of that search volume and hopefully get some organic clicks on my blog.
For example, since I am a media coach, I talk to my clients about how important landing a media feature can be for growing their business. I will go onto an SEO website, like Answer The Public, and will Google search keywords related to the media. Search queries like “how to get featured in the media” come up often, so it makes sense for me to create a blog post that answers those keywords and search queries.
Mercedes Barba, PR and Media Coach for Small Businesses, Mercedes and Media
Emphasize Active Verbs and Power Words
We craft our headlines with a maximum of six to eight words, emphasizing active verbs and impactful power words like “ultimate” and “exclusive.” To strengthen credibility, we often incorporate numbers or statistics.
Finally, we prioritize the inclusion of relevant keywords to optimize our content for SEO, ensuring greater visibility and impact. I’d also recommend doing A/B testing to find the most effective headlines that resonate well with your target audience.
Linnea Johansson, Digital Communication Manager, Right People Group
Use the Audience's Language in Headlines
Make sure to consider the language your target audience uses. Sometimes it's tempting to make a headline as quirky as you can—but if it deviates from language, your audience sees it as spoken by “one of their own,” then it makes it harder to grab their attention because they think it's not for them.
Veniz Guzman, SEO Expert and Content Strategist, Promet Source
Create Suspense with Unfinished Thoughts
Share an unfinished thought. The brain is wired to desire closure, so anytime we read a snippet of something, we want to know how it ends. If you read a question, you will be curious to know the answer to find closure.
We leverage the power of unfinished thoughts by using them to create headlines that grab the audience's attention without revealing the juicy details. The headline can include statistics, controversial opinions, or something exciting but unfinished. This compels the audience to click on our content to get the closure they seek, which drives engagement.
Over my nine years in digital marketing, this has consistently proven to be effective in helping us capture and hold our audience's attention.
Valerie Lavska, CMO, Promodo