Your headline is the first thing a person sees. It s called a hook and will determine whether or not a reader will continue with your story. Therefore, knowing the biggest mistake when writing a headline. is crucial.

Having a good headline may not be a secret, but what you think is a good headline, may not click with someone else.

And isn't that what you want- a click?

How to get them to click?

Make it about them. Do not make the mistake of including yourself in the headline. The cold hard truth is your (potential) reader doesn't really care about YOU. He cares about himself.

What DO readers want?

Your readers wants to know what they will get from reading your post.

Will it teach them something?
Will it give them an advantage over others?
Will it help them succeed?
Will it help them make more money?
Will it improve their health?
Will it enhance their relationships?

Love, health, and money (success) are the top 3 things people want. If you include one of these topics in your headline, you have an advantage.

And finally…

Will it eliminate a pain point?

A major pain point in people's lives is the fear of making a mistake. You learned this at an early age when your caregivers pointed out all the things you shouldn't have done. .

The primary reason for pointing out your errors was most likely because they wanted to keep you safe, but you didn't see it that way. All you heard was “NO-NO”, and NO-NOS are BAD.

Then in elementary school, you were traumatized by the Xs on your homework and exams.

Ouch! Making mistakes hurts your precious ego and instills shame.

Be Honest- It's why you clicked on this article, isn't it?

You wanted to learn how to avoid the pain of making a mistake.It entailed a lesson and a strategy for you to avoid embarrassment.

The headline was written with YOU in mind. It didn't try to reel you in with a comedic punch, that the author thought was funny (Not everyone gets comedy) and it isn't titled, "What I Learned About Writing Headlines."

The word YOU is IN the headline.

The biggest mistake you can make in a headline is making it about yourself. Never use the words I, Me, or MY.

Once again the hard truth is- very few people care about you, but they want you to care about them.

And as a writer, you should care about them. You should satisfy their needs. After all, readers help YOU earn a living as a writer.

See how that all works!

It really is all about YOU, isn't it?

Have no shame. It's human!

Conclusion:

The biggest mistake you can make when writing a headline is using the words I, ME or MY.