It’s almost the end of the year, and if there’s one thing I hope you learn from me, it’s this:

Headlines are the most valuable pieces of copy.

Yeah, yeah, some people will fight me on that, but I’ll stand by my statement. And here’s why:

80% of people that visit your website will only read your headlines.

So it needs to do its job.

It needs to:
– Communicate exactly who you are talking to, what you’re talking about, and who you are
– Hook the 20% (or more!) of people that will keep reading

And I know what you’re thinking – “Sheesh, Melissa, that’s a lot of pressure for one little old line of copy.”

But, I’ll remind you that we’ve seen time and time again that it can be done! And when headlines are done right, they work. They keep people on your site longer, they get more people to keep reading, and they can ultimately influence your sales and revenue.

So, knowing how to write strong headlines is a game changer.

Settle in and buckle up. This is one copywriting lesson you won’t want to miss.

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Answer these 3 questions to write a powerful headline

The way I just described headlines, it sounds like it’s going to be mega difficult to write one.

But I’ve got an easy three-prong approach that will have you writing conversion-focused headlines quicker than you can drink your second cup of coffee.

When I sit down to write headlines for clients through my Signature Website Copy package, I set out to answer these three questions:

1. What results do you provide (the benefits of your product or service)
2. Who do you provide these results for (your target audience)
3. How do you provide these results (your product or service)

Including these three things shows your dream clients that they’re in the right place.

This info shows that you understand them, you’re talking directly to them, you know what they’re going through, and that you have the perfect solution. That’s the combo that keeps them reading.

For example, let’s check out my homepage headline:

You’ll see that I’ve answered all these questions with my headline and subheadline. The benefit of my service is that they can confidently step into the spotlight, book out their calendars, and become the go-to in their niche.

Because I work with a wide variety of clients, I didn’t do a super specific call-out for my target audience. But if you have a specific clientele, you should. If you photograph weddings, mention brides. If you work with clients trying to heal their gut, mention ladies with hot girl tummy probs.

And then finally, I tell them how I provide these results – story-infused words that clarify their message online.

So you can see that my headline section hits all three aspects.

If you want to write powerful headlines, open a doc and answer those three questions. Then play around with the wording and formatting.

I write about 10 different options and then cut the fluff and rearrange until I find one that really does my client justice.

And remember, you don’t have to cram all that info into one line. Subheadlines and eyebrow copy (the little line above the headline) are great ways to add in more.

Here is another example of a headline that I wrote for Emma Leigh Studios. See if you can answer those three questions about it:

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Do your own headlines answer everything?

If not, reach out to me here and we can talk about getting your headlines up to par.