Creating high impact headlines

David Ogilvy, an advertising executive who was widely hailed as “The Father of Advertising, said, “On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.”

So, what does it take to write a compelling headline? To begin, learn the four basic functions of a headline:

1. To identify content
2. To relate something specific about the season, event, etc.
3. To capture the readers’ attention
4. To create a visual/verbal connection with the dominant photo(s) or element

A two to five-word headline cannot do it all. As a result, primary and secondary headlines need to be written. When creating the primary headline, consider the following literary techniques:

ALLITERATION
Primed to perform
From warm-ups to practices to showtime of Cirque du Soleil’s ‘La Nouba’

ANTONYM, SYNONYM, HOMONYM
Four the win
Cross Country takes fourth state championship

ONOMATOPOEIA
Quack, quack, BANG
Hunters flock to lake on first day of duck season

RHYME
Exam Cram
Three-day schedule replaces exam week

PUN
Blood, Sweat & Cheers
Competitions, practices lead to weekend at Nationals

ALLUSION
Differences, opinions & issues, Oh, my!
Debate Team takes sides on domestic surveillance

Visit our customer site at studio.balfour.com to order classroom sets of the headline handout for great examples of design as well as writing.