LeadMagnetGeniusWe touched on this, but it’s worth emphasizing: vague headlines kill interest. If a headline reads like, “Thoughts on Productivity” or “Spring Update 2025”, people have no idea what to expect, and they likely won’t bother. Be specific and descriptive. Even an internal company blog post titled “Spring Update 2025” could be improved to “Spring 2025 Update: New Features and Company News” – now at least you know what’s in it.
Another pitfall is being too clever or punny at the expense of clarity. A little cleverness is fine, especially if it’s immediately understandable, but if the reader has to decode a pun or metaphor to get what you mean, they’ll likely scroll past. Creative writing is nice, but in headlines for conversion, clarity wins. You can always use a more playful subheading once they’ve clicked if you want to show some flair.
And then there’s clickbait. Clickbait headlines are those that overpromise or intentionally mislead just to get the click, like “You won’t BELIEVE what happened next...” often with no indication of topic, or “This Trick Will Change Your Life Forever” when it’s really something trivial. These can get clicks in the short term but harm trust in the long run. People don’t like feeling tricked or not getting what was advertised. A headline that says “cure” but the article hedges with “well, it might not cure per se” – that’s a bait-and-switch. Don’t do that.
Instead, promise honestly and then deliver on that promise in your content. It’s fine to pique curiosity or highlight a big benefit, but ensure your content does reveal that surprising secret or does provide those steps.