How To Write Headlines People Can’t Help But Read — from an Expert’s Playbook

Headlines are the first thing readers see, and they determine whether your content gets read or ignored. It’s a preview of what’s to come and what they’ll get out of it

In today’s digital age, where content is constantly competing for our attention, creating headlines that stand out has never been more important. While reading reading seasoned writer Nicolas Cole’s book “The art of Online Writing” showed me how tiny tweaks in a headline can make a huge impact — and I had to share it.

A great headline nails three things in an instant:

What the piece is about

Who it’s for

The promise: what problem it solves or the solution it offers

Clarity Over Cleverness

An interesting point about creative or clever headlines. Often, writers aim to be “creative” or “clever” with their titles, but the real trick to creativity is clarity. If your headline is vague, readers won’t know what it’s about. If it’s too general, they won’t know if it’s for them. And if your promise isn’t clear or compelling, they’ll just scroll on by. True creativity is the art of clarity.

He explains with this perfect example:
“The Big Idea.”
What’s the “big idea”? Is it for me? What do I get out of reading this? The mystery leaves a lot to be desired.

Now, let’s take a different angle:
“The Big Idea That Needs To Get Through Politicians’ Heads To Fix Racial Inequality In America”
Boom. Immediate clarity. The reader knows what it’s about and who it’s for — those interested in social change. Plus, it promises to dive into something powerful. That’s how you get attention.

Or let’s try this:
“3 Big Ideas From Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos That Changed The World Forever.”
This headline tells us exactly what we’re about to get: ideas from major innovators. It speaks directly to anyone curious about business, leadership, or creativity. Clear, specific, and to the point.

One more:

“This one big idea will completely change how you view college” is a bold promise. This headline tells readers, “After you read this article, you won’t think about college the same way.” And you need to keep that promise — otherwise, readers might label your writing as “clickbait.”

So here’s the rule: Don’t try to be clever, be clear.

The Promise: Make It Worth Their Time

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about headlines, it’s this: you have to make a promise, and then keep it. A headline without a promise is like a gift with no contents — it’s empty.

For example, take a headline like:
“How To Write Better Headlines”
Okay, I get it. But what do I get out of it? Why should I bother clicking? It’s a little vague, right? Now let’s give it some punch:
“5 Simple Tricks to Write Headlines That Get Clicked Every Time”
That’s a headline that promises actionable value. I know exactly what I’ll learn, and I’m ready to dive in.

Or take this:
“How Data Analytics Changed My Business In 30 Days”
The promise here is huge. It’s bold. It’s personal. I know exactly what I’m going to get — a transformative story about the power of data analytics.

The key takeaway here: Don’t just tell them what it’s about — promise them something they can’t resist.

Curiosity Gap

One concept that I find most important while reading is the idea of curiosity gaps — a headline should hint at something valuable without giving everything away.

Here are some phrases you’ll often see online, but cole don’t recommend using them:

“You’ll Never Believe What Happened Next!”

“This CRAZY Situation Couldn’t Have Gotten ANY Worse”

“The Secret No One Wants You To Know…”

These headlines rely on shock value and can feel manipulative. While they might get clicks, they often fail to deliver and damage trust with readers. In short, they’re clickbait, and that strategy only works for so long.

Better, less clickbaity examples of The Curiosity Gap are headlines that speak directly to the audience, the problem, and the promise:

“The 1 Mistake All New Project Managers Make — And It Costs Their Company $500,000”

“7 Simple Things You Can Say To Your Partner To Show How Much You Care”

What makes these headlines powerful isn’t their “creativity” or “cleverness” — it’s their clarity and focus.

The first question Cole encourage writers to ask yourself is, “Who is this piece of writing for?”

I learned that audience and subject matter are two separate things. Many writers create content first, then wonder, “How do I get this in front of a billion people?” But the size of your audience really depends on the size of the question you’re answering.

Cole explains with example, not many people wake up thinking, “What’s new in biotechnology?” It’s a niche, so your audience will be limited to those already interested in it. But more people wake up wondering, “How can I be happier? Am I in a healthy relationship? How can I make more money?” These broader questions attract a much larger audience. By choosing topics like happiness, relationships, or money, you naturally reach more people

A Headline Makeover: A Little Tweak, Big Impact

Let’s do a quick before-and-after to show you how these principles work in action. Here’s an example of a headline that could use a little work:
“How to Write Headlines That Work”
Sure, it’s okay. But it’s not grabbing anyone by the collar and saying, “You need to read this!” Let’s tweak it:
“3 Simple Tricks to Write Headlines That Get Clicked Every Time”
Now that’s a headline that promises something tangible and actionable. It’s clear, specific, and speaks to the reader directly.

Or let’s take another:
“The Importance of Data Analytics in Business”
Nice, but let’s make it irresistible:
“How Data Analytics Can Double Your Business’s Revenue in 30 Days”
Now that’s a headline with a big promise. It’s clear, speaks directly to business owners, and offers real, actionable value.

Now, an interesting part: Cole mentions, ‘To be honest, I used to write my headlines last.’ And to be honest, sometimes I do that too. I want to leave you with a question: How about you? Do you write your headlines last or first?