Category: writing

subheadings, titles, writing, writing advice, writing better, writing well, writing with clarity

5 Ways to Hook Readers With Your Subheadings

1. Move from the general to the specific. As one whiskey maker put it, “Don’t be vague — ask for Haig.”

Example: Scenarios for Changing Trusts
Revised: How to Divide Trust Assets Fairly

Another way to clarify your subheadings (and improve SEO) is to use questions people ask from Google’s Instant or Answer box or Answer the Public.

Example: When Should You Decant a Trust?

Several subheadings in a long article can form a table of contents.

2. Keep count – In a study of 100 million article headlines by digital marketing experts BuzzSumo, the top two most engaging headlines began with a number.

Example: 7 Ways NOT to Win an Argument

Numbers in headings can also help your SEO. For instance, many top-ranked pages have numbers in the titles and subheadings. They’re timeless attention-getters in ads and on magazine covers.

3. Add benefits – Think of subheadings as part of the content that helps promote your piece throughout. Feature a different benefit in each subsection.

Example: Sharpening Your Subheads to Build Engagement

4. Get active – Through action verbs and persuasive wording, subheads can lead into a call-to-action.

Example: “Listen to music ad-free and offline, free until December 6, 2022. Cancel anytime.” (Spotify)

5. Use moderation – Explain, but not too much. Leave some mystery with simplicity.

Example: How Sears Keeps its Promise

 

Interested in repurposing or re-posting your existing content? Consider a makeover to help increase impressions.

BOOST YOUR ENGAGEMENT

 

How have you used subheadings effectively? Feel free to comment further below.

Quotes

“Subheadings are like signposts for your readers.” ~ Cinden Lester

“Write subheads that reveal, rather than conceal, your contents.” ~ Ann Wylie, Wylie Communications

Comments? Suggestions? Need help with your communications? Contact me.

writing, writing advice

Five Articles That Are Easy to Create

These types of articles can be short enough to make your writing life easier, especially if you need inspiration just before a deadline.

1. Lists – Like this one! Sometimes referred to as “listicles,” you need at least three to five items for a decent list.

2. “How To” – Again, this type of article is usually specific, which often means your piece won’t be overlong (“How to Kill Fungus Gnats,” “How to Save $10 a Day”). And, you can make it into a list to reduce the word count.

3. Infographics – Aptly named, interesting information presented as an illustration looks appealing, and suits social media and blog posts, however, these can work well in print articles, too. You can easily convert a “how-to” into this format.

Example: How Does Rent to Own Work?  Facts and statistics on a topic also work well within this framework, as do histories and timelines. You don’t need to be a designer, but some sense of design helps, however, you can use an infographic generator instead.

4. Essays/Opinions/Blog Posts – They’re often based on personal experiences, which require little to no research. I usually feature this type of blog post, but this one is different. 🙂

5. Q&As – Question and answer format articles, such as FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) and interviews are good examples of this style, which makes them easy to compile.

Example: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

These are among the easiest types of content to create quickly. Have more suggestions? Feel free to post.

And if you find creating content tough and lack time, read my free ebook, 14 Ways to Write More in Less Time.