How to Write Subheadings That Hook (and Re-hook) Your Readers

How to Write Subheadings That Hook (and Re-hook) Your Readers

Reader Comments (37)

  1. Hey Pamela

    This is a great insight, i did not know subheads can have a big impact on our content.

    I’ll implement it and see how it goes.

    Thanks for highlighting.

    Best
    Bill

  2. Great stuff Pamela! I love your Reader Attention Deficit Disorder mantra. So true. It’s so difficult for writers and bloggers to hold someone’s attention all the way to completion. Riveting subheads are just as vital and titles and headlines.

    Thanks Pamela. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Sincerely – Bill

  3. I shall go straight to my latest posts and improve the subheads. Hadn’t realised the strong impact and role they have. Thanks for this, Pamela!

  4. Great article, Pamela. And a real problem for most. I catch myself experiencing this syndrome as well at times. Part of the problems, as I see it… we are overloaded with information today. In one article, there can be several hyperlinks that can pull the reader off into many different directions. One needs to exercise discipline to avoid clicking a link and moving off on a tangent. In my own writing, I try to keep links to a minimum or include a suggested reading list at the end of the article. Thanks for the post…

    • Screens are distracting places! Anything we can do to encourage the reader get through our information will help it get consumed (and acted on).

      Love the suggested reading list idea (as you can see above). ๐Ÿ˜‰

  5. Thank you Pamela! Great content and probably one of the most valuable posts I have read by far. And I had no idea I suffered from RADD lol.

    I never knew subheads could have such an impact, I am very excited to start using this technique.

  6. This is a gem! Such simple advice yet so important. I plan to go through my post and add some sub-headings. And thank you for putting the resources at the end of the post so we won’t get distracted to leave what we’re reading. ๐Ÿ™‚

  7. Oh, Pamela:

    So RADD! Lol
    I’m adding this as a link to something I’m writing right now! I spend time on making interesting, meaningful subheads all the time. And recently, Ann Handley commented on one of mine, letting me know she liked it! WoW. Made me feel the importance of subheads, lending some “juice” to your work, right? Thanks for another useful article. Sue-Ann

  8. Maybe somewhat ironically, I shared this article based on the subheads before I even read the whole thing. You’ve definitely got this down to a science, Pamela. ๐Ÿ˜› I’m looking forward to using these tips myself. ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. Hi,

    Thanks for this article on subheads.

    Question: Does your use of the word ‘RADD’ cause any problems? There
    is an organization called – radd.org, so just wondered about something
    like this…

    Thanks again
    Bob

  10. Absolutely, subheads are important in content like blog posts. But, I find, they’re even more important in conversion-oriented marketing copy. If the buyer is simply skimming the home page or product page, then putting the main product benefits in the subheads can draw them in to read further. Or they can walk away, but at least they’ll walk away with those benefits stuck in their heads.

  11. Wow…

    For me, I have grown from a college amateur writer to somewhat-okay writer.

    I am here for two reasons – Improve my writing. I love Copyblogger a whole company.

    Sub-head’s. As of now, mine are vague, non-hook type and boring. I occasionally try something different though. Notes taken.

    No advice from me. I am glad to shower in the depth of writing and apply it to my own writing.

    Awesome post. You ROCK!!!

  12. Thanks for this great advice. I’m trying to increase readership and I can be a little long-winded, so subheads might be just the thing. Ready to give it a try!

  13. This is just the great stuff I’ve been racking my brain over, how to be less boring.
    I mean how to make the content more interesting for the average reader. My site and blog is not about selling anything but doing audio book reviews. I want to make it easier to read, more eye appealing and make readers return.
    Thanks for the excellent suggestion. You do rock.

  14. Great help. Thank you. Sharing with my writers guild immediately.

  15. As a sufferer of RADD I can completely relate to this post. In fact, I scroll independently of reading and if I cant catch up I tend to abandon a post.
    I find the headings extremely helpful. Only new to blogging and trying to keep my posts readable. Thanks for the tips.

  16. i have been trying to get a tutorial/article like that fully talk about sub head, this a very good and great article, i must confess, going to share with my people on social media and thanks alot.

  17. I love making a game out of writing fun H2s & H3’s! Very cool to see that it can have an impact on content for the reader.

  18. I love to read subheads because I skim the article then read what it is I am looking for. By then I am hooked and will likely read the entire article, mostly because if it’s a Copyblogger article its definitely worth reading.

  19. Hi Pamela,

    I hadn’t thought of this before, but I’m glad that you brought it up.

    How would you suggest balancing hooking head title angles vs gearing your subtitles for SEO benefits?

  20. Thanks for the great tips! Since so many people skim blog posts without digging deeper (or before digging deeper) into the content, I could not agree more that they are key to engaging (and reengaging) your readers.

  21. Impressive article! I completely agree with your opinion that subheadings play a huge role in capturing and holding a readerโ€™s attention and guiding the reader down the page. Another tip for a good subheading by me, as a content creator, Is making sure that itโ€™s just the right length. The reader must be able to scan it in just a few seconds, and it must be both informative and persuasive enough to captivate the audience.

  22. As a sufferer of RADD I can completely relate to this post. In fact, I scroll independently of reading and if I cant catch up I tend to abandon a post.

  23. Hey!

    I am getting more pro tips from copyblogger than I have gotten from some paid courses.

    The simplicity of this post is phenomenal and the tips shared can exponentially 10x one’s readership.

    I am definitely going to start implementing this.

    I used to think that being a good writer is the same as being a good copywriter, now I see there is just a thin line between.

    Thanks for the good work…

  24. I am a blogger and I can confirm that this is the best post I’ve read so far on subheadings. Defining them as an “ad for each section” is indeed true and helps me see them from another perspective! I almost forgot that they are super important! Thanks for the info.

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