The "How To.." Headline

Headlines  that begin with "How To" are known to be highly effective because people want information on how to do or get things (or at least think they do). Brian Clark at Copyblogger describes how to write a killer "How To" headline by focusing on the specific benefits.

Here are some of his examples:

1.    Double-Benefit Headlines

How to Win Friends and Influence People

Brian notes that double-benefit headlines such as the one above, have twice the power of a single-benefit headline. Further, this headline subtly implies that if you achieve the first benefit, you will automatically achieve the second benefit. 

2.    How To [Mundane Task] That [Rewarding Benefit]

How to get a Mortgage That Saves You Money

 In this example, Brian notes the importance of specificity in naming the benefit. The more specific, the better. I find this is one of the most challenging and most important aspects of writing a good headline. When seeing your headline, people need to be able to say, "yes, that is exactly what I want." It's hard to get them to say that if your headline is not specific.

3.    The "How To" Without the "To".

How I Improved My Memory in One Evening

This headline goes for the curiosity factor--evoking your prospect's curiosity so that he reads beyond the headline.

A great post. Reading it will help you write better headlines. After all, the headline is the most important aspect of your copy.  Without a compelling headline, no one is going to read beyond it. You can read the whole post here.