Great headlines sell.
They do the hard work of getting you to stop, pay attention, and change your focus from over there to RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!
This is true for direct mail. It’s true for newspapers and magazines. It’s true for television (those scrolling chyrons on the bottom of your screen are headlines. It’s true for public speaking. They won’t remember the words, but they will remember the stories and the great oneliners.
People remember headlines.
If you don’t read the headline, you won’t read the “lead” (or lede) sentence. If you don’t read that, the communications fail.
Every sentence and paragraph has a job to do. There is no right or wrong length unless you’re solving for a segment on broadcast television or radio. The right length is what it takes to get your point across.
There are loads of resources on how to write a great headline and lead. There’s a formula. They almost never start with “I.” You can even ask ChatGPT.
A great headline is proof that the writer understands two things: The offer and the audience.
Be that salesperson. Be that memo writer. Be that communicator. Don’t hit “send” until you can lead your “pitch” with a great headline.