The headline is the most important piece of an article. It’s how the story grabs attention and draws viewers in, so it must be clear and compelling. Often, the Army Digital Media Division comes across stories that have strong subject matter, but weak headlines. Viewers make decisions almost instantly about whether to read or share an article based on the headline alone. By improving the headlines of your stories, you can help viewers decide to click through and read them.
The first step in crafting a great headline is to understand what makes a good one. In addition to being interesting, clear and relevant, a top headline should have context and tone. It should reflect the spirit of the story – is it lighthearted or serious? Should the headline have a pun or cultural reference? These things can be fun, but you need to be careful not to go overboard.
The headline should also follow the inverted pyramid structure – most importantly, the most important information should appear first. This ensures that readers get the gist of your story even if they only scan or skim your headline and body. Finally, a top headline should not repeat the lede; instead, it should offer more details and pique reader interest to click through and read your story.