By: Elizabeth Coffey, Marketing G2 Digital Marketing Specialist

The news industry has found itself in the middle of a wave of digital disruptions from diminishing online ad revenue to the rise of social media. To stay profitable, news media companies not only have to roll with the punches but play the digital game better than the disruptors do.

Here are news headline tips you can use to stay ahead of the game and gain some traction on social media.

1. Explain the news – People are busy, make your news headline clear and easy to understand on social, giving the reader a snippet of valuable information.


2. Use strong verbs – Action words grab reader’s attention making them more likely to click on your story or article.


3. Posting a listicle? Include a number – People like to know what to expect when they click on an article posted to social media. Numbers help your reader estimate whether or not they have time to read your article, making them more likely to click through.


4. Ask a question – Curiosity makes people click. Ask well-thought-out questions, but avoid sensationalized click-bait questions.


5. Use an egaging (but short) quote - Quotes are a huge driver of clicks because they offer the reader a tid-bit of information that piques their curiosity, making them want to read more.


6. Add some urgency – Words like “breaking news,” “this just in,” “update,” etc. convey a certain level of immediacy that will drive clicks from those who want to be up-to-date on the latest information.


7. Be recognizable – Readers want to know that they’re clicking on an article from a legitimate news source. Make sure to include your publication towards the end of your headline for social, preceded by an m-dash, comma, or other breaker of some sort.


8. Be emotive – People are emotional creatures and will click to read more if a headline tugs at their heartstrings or inspires some other emotion in them.

How do you write headlines for social media?