Our quiz, What Kind of Writer Are You? got a lot of responses from you – thanks!

We’re still tabulating the results, but one thing is certain…

… more than half of the quiz-takers are Copywriters!

So if you’re one of them, here’s something we’re sure you’ll find helpful, whether you’re writing a marketing letter, crafting a blog post, or making a sales page.

4 Little-Known But Simple Ways To Write Seductive Headlines

1. Scare Your Audience
Think of your target audience and ask yourself, what are they afraid of? Then use that fear to compel them to read your content.

Writing a copy for a weight-loss product? Here are sample headlines you can use:

• 7 Lies That Doctors Tell People Who Want To Lose Weight
• The Dangerous Truth About Exercising Everyday
• Warning: ‘No Rice’ Diet Is Doing You More Harm Than Good

2. Promise a Solution
Name a problem and offer a simple, easy or efficient way to solve it. Your audience will surely want to read more about it.

Selling a coffee maker? Here’s how we’ll do it:

• How To Avoid Drinking Bad Coffee Once and For All
• The Easy Two-Step Guide To Making Great Tasting Coffee At Home
• The Secret To Having a Productive Morning, Finally Revealed

3. Name-Drop A Brand or Celebrity
Playing on aspiration is a powerful marketing tool. Bait your audience with a famous brand or celebrity and they’ll bite the line.

Crafting a blog post for an airline company? Consider writing these headlines:

• Oprah Winfrey Will Not Mind Booking Economy With Us, Here’s Why
• The National Geographic Guide to Traveling to Exotic Destinations
• Travel Like Lady Gaga: 10 Tips When Flying With an Entourage

4. Point Out a Mistake
People hate making mistakes and if there’s a way to avoid them, they’ll surely be interested to know how. Throw in some “scare tactics” (Tip #1) and you get an irresistible copy.

Will this work for an Italian restaurant magazine feature? Yes, it will:

• 8 Mistakes When Eating Spaghetti
• Common Mistakes That Restaurants Do When Serving Pizza
• Dining With Children: 11 Mistakes That Make Parents Look Irresponsible

But Wait There’s More…

We’ve highlighted in this article four easy writing techniques that will help your headlines get more attention. But it’s worth mentioning two types of headlines that you can always rely on any time.

They may not be as “less known” as the four above, but these classic headlines still work today. In fact, we’ve used them in most of the examples above.

The List Headline

• 28 Facts That Will Help You Become a Better Internet Marketer
• 4 Must-Haves For A Well-Designed Website

The How-To Headline

• How To Create an Engaging Job Post at 199Jobs
• How To Do Digital Marketing: Real Estate Industry Professionals

Use just one or combine a few – it’s all up to you as long as you are able to achieve your goal, which is to seduce your audience into reading that first paragraph of your content.

What about you? Any other tips on how to create great headlines? Share them below in the comments section because we’d like to hear your thoughts.