News headlines are the first taste of news that readers get, and as such, they play a critical role in their decision whether to read a story. They must summarize, generate interest, entice curiosity and satisfy immediacy needs. But how do they do that? Headlines are typically written by subbies, and whereas their colleagues in other sections of the paper might be more restrained, their goal is to encapsulate the whole story. This requires being creative, evocative and pithy in limited space.
It’s a tall order, but there is some hope. Research shows that headlines can be improved with specific language features, such as word length and how common a word is. Additionally, using power words like “secret,” “ultimate” or “one of the only” can increase click rates. And a more narrative style, such as the use of pronouns, tends to perform better than ones that are strictly factual.
While it’s tempting to go overboard with creative language, more systematic research is needed to understand how the way a headline is written impacts its performance. In the meantime, there are a few tried and true formulas that can help writers capture the attention of readers.
For example, the time-tested S-H-I-N-E formula (shorten the story to a single word, then add a verb that’s relevant and evokes curiosity) has been shown to improve click rates. Other proven strategies include using numbers in headlines, and incorporating emotional words like “want,” “should,” or “need.” The key is to be consistent, not necessarily original, in crafting your news headlines.