Headlines are the one aspect of your copy that you can guarantee everyone will read. They are the key to creating engaging content, that will pull your audience in.
Writing a good headline, however, is easier said than done. Headlines need to showcase the main topic of the piece, hint at the main take-away, help your reader navigate the text, and include key SEO terms – all within a very small word count.
So how do you combine all of the above, and more, without sacrificing readability? Clients Plus specialises in creating high-quality digital content for financial planners and advisers, including client newsletters. In this article, we give our top 5 tips to get the most out of your financial newsletter headlines.
1 – Start With a Good SEO Keyword
Best financial marketing practice is to have a list of your SEO keywords to hand. These keywords not only help you craft great copy but can also inform which topics you should be writing about. When it comes to writing headlines SEO words are the best place to start – even if your copy is for your client newsletter and won’t directly affect your SEO rankings. They should tell you which words stand out to your audience, and will engage them to read on.
2 – Don’t Forget Your Target Audience
Any piece of content should be written with a specific target audience in mind, and headlines are no different. Build up a profile of your client newsletter audience; age, gender, location, occupation, pain points, and tailor your headlines to them. The more relevant your content is to your audience, the higher your open and click-through rate will be.
3 – Utilise the Power of Numbers
As soon as you read a number in a headline, you know exactly what to expect. Using numbered lists to organize your text gives it a reader-friendly structure – just look at the headline for this blog! Number lists are also great inspiration if you’re stuck for content ideas.
4 – Try Word Formulas
After numbers, copywriters and SEO specialists use word formulas to craft successful headlines. Here you can essentially fill in the blanks and find success. A great place to start is with the two most popular choices; [do this] like [well-known example], and everything you need to know about [popular search term].
5 – Plan Out Options
It doesn’t matter if you start with the headlines for structure, or if you write the content first and fill the headlines in after, you should always plan your content out and give yourself options. The best way to land on the perfect headline is to create multiple options. Write everything down till you land on the one that will grab everyone’s attention.
Are you struggling to come up with fresh and engaging financial newsletter content ideas? Sign up to Clients+ today and you’ll receive a free piece of expert-created financial planning content.
