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Career development 19 Types of Headlines

19 Types of Headlines
By Indeed Editorial Team
Published May 12, 2021

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and
subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help
guide your career journey.

Strategic headlines can help media outlets or marketing companies attract readers to their
articles or other content. These brief statements can tell an audience how certain context
applies to them and what they can expect to learn by reading a particular article.
Understanding different types of headlines can help you choose the right one to use. In this
article, we explain what a headline is and provide a list of 19 types of headlines you can use
to entice readers.

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Career Guide
What is a headline?
A headline is text above an article that summarizes its overall content. Its purpose is to
quickly capture the attention of readers. Because headlines are titles that appear before an
article, they are often the deciding factor regarding whether a reader clicks on an article
and, therefore, are most enticing when they're persuasive. Writers use headlines for news
articles, blog posts, advertisements, social media posts and press releases.

Related: 25 Tips for Creating Ad Headlines

19 types of headlines
Here is a list of 19 types of headlines you can use to capture the attention of readers:

1. Direct headline
A direct headline clearly states the purpose of an article. It usually involves facts in the
article to summarize the overall idea. Readers know exactly what they are going to read or
see when you use a direct headline.

Example: "15 Puppy Pictures To Cheer You Up"

2. Indirect headline
An indirect headline takes a subtle approach by hinting at the main point of an article. Since
it doesn't directly state the key idea, it targets a reader's curiosity to discover what the
article is about.

*Example: "Shoe company floats on in 2021"*

3. News headlines
News headlines make important announcements about a company or its products.
Journalists often use these types of headlines in news articles to efficiently share recent
information with the public.
Example: "Beach Cove Taffy Announces New Location Near Myrtle Beach"

4. How-to headline
This type of headline teaches readers ways to learn a new skill or solve a problem through
an outline of steps. To write a how-to headline, writers start with the phrase "how to,"
followed by the action they want their readers to learn. It also helps highlight why that
particular article might benefit them.

Example: "How To Drive in a Foreign Country Like a Local"

5. Question headline
A question headline poses a question to readers with the intention of providing the answer
within the article. These tend to be topics consumers may be interested in regarding a
company's products or brand.

Example: "Do You Know Which of Our Vegetables Has the Most Vitamins?"

Related: Content Marketing Basics: What Is Content Marketing and How To Do It

6. Command headline
Command headlines tell readers what to do or what they can learn by reading an article.
Companies typically use this type of headline when creating an advertisement. Most
command headlines start with a strong action verb.

Example: "Simplify Your Wardrobe With This New Technique"

7. The "reason why" headline

This headline tells an audience why certain situations occur. This type of headline typically
results in a list article format, which readers often prefer over other types of articles since
it's easier to skim.

Example: "8 Reasons Why Your Outfit Is Affecting Your Interview"

8. Emotional headline
Emotional headlines typically target either a positive or negative feeling to encourage an
audience to read an article. To do this, writers use powerful words such as affordable or
stressed.
Example: "Ways You Can Prevent Work Burnout in the New Year"

9. Wordplay headline
A wordplay headline uses a creative formation of words and phrasing, typically in the form
of a pun or irony. Companies often use these headlines when trying to make a less
important topic amusing.

Example: "Local Auto Race Hits Bump in the Road"

10. Brand name headline

Brand name headlines use recognizable organizations to compare a company's business or
products to its competitors. This can be helpful for new businesses trying to participate in a
similar market as a more established company.

Example: "Skeeter Expected to Gain More Popularity Than Peach Scooter"

11. Best headline

Best headlines rank certain items above others. These can attract readers who look for top-
rated content, such as the best restaurants to try or the best computer to buy, for example.

Example: "Best Cities To Live in After College"

12. Two-part headline

A two-part headline uses a punctuation mark, such as a colon, em dash or parentheses to
combine two ideas. Usually, both parts of these headlines can stand alone, but together,
they increase the chances of capturing a reader's attention.

Example: "Why Word-of-Mouth Advertising Can Increase Sales: The Five Key Steps"

13. Relational headlines

Relational headlines connect a reader to the subject of an article by using second-person
language. Relating the topic to the reader helps them become interested in reading and
discovering how this article can help them.

Example: "Here's How You Could Make $1,000 From Your Couch"
14. Location-specific headline
Location-specific headlines attract readers by making them feel included in knowledge only
a select group of people would know. These headlines focus on something that people in a
particular area share in common.

Example: "12 Things Anyone Who Lives in Seattle Knows To Be True"

15. Challenging belief headline

A challenging belief headline convinces individuals to read by using a reverse psychology
technique. Usually, these headlines begin with, "You won't believe..." which often makes
viewers want to read an article to see whether it actually surprised them.

Example: "You Won't Believe How Celebrities Are Losing Belly Fat"

Related: How To Write an Editorial in Five Steps (Including Tips for Writing a Killer One)

16. Confrontational headline

Confrontational headlines are persuasive, as they attract people who either agree with the
headline or have opposing opinions. Posing a controversial stance can entice individuals to
read and see whether the article changed or enforced their existing opinions.

Example: "12 Reasons Why Recycling Is Hurting the Planet"

17. Testimonial headline

A testimonial headline begins with a quote from a company's consumer. This gives viewers
an objective, opinionated statement from someone who has used a company's products.

Example: "This Cooking Plan Helps Me Make Meals for My Picky Children"

Related: What Are Testimonials?

18. The "backed by science" headline

This headline supports a statement by confirming its thesis with scientific evidence and
proof. Writers use these headlines for articles that include research on a particular idea.

Example: "Scientists Believe Cicadas Are About To Emerge From Underground"

 p g g

19. Background headline

Background headlines start with contextual information. This is usually a two-part headline,
with the first part providing background and the second half explaining the significance or
reason for the first statement.

Example: "Millionaire Donates $5 Million To Local Grocery Store; Thanks Cashiers With Bonus"

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Tips for writing successful headlines

Here are some tips to help you write successful headlines:

Be clear: When writing your headlines, be clear about what information your article
covers so readers know what to expect.

Use keywords: Try to incorporate a highly searched keyword into your headline to help
generate traffic to your article through search engine optimization (SEO).

Know your audience: In order to attract readers with your headlines, it's helpful to know
the target audience you want so you can emotionally appeal to them and their interests.

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