How to write compelling headlines

These are my notes from the course Ship30for30

How to write a good headline that induces curiosity :

• If the answer to what your reader is reading is “..ok?”, then you have a problem. The headline should not leave readers guessing. It also shouldn't give away the full story or answer.

Examples :

• “3 worrying health trends that affect city dwellers, and how to reverse them in just 2 hours a week”
• “You're not really a business if you don't pay your people”
• “You Won't Believe She is Ten Years Old”

The 1 chip rule

• Your job as a writer is to make your reader ‘eat the first chip’. They are then 10x more likely to eat the second one, and so on.

Examples :

• “3 Ways User-Centeredness Will Up Your Game as a Early Career Consultant”
• “After Trying Every Diet and Getting to 9% Body Fat, I Can Tell You, They Are All The Same”