---
name: Headline Writing
description: Earn the click without betraying trust.
---
# Headline Writing

The headline does 80% of the work; most readers never get past it. But a headline that overpromises burns the trust the article needs to land.

## Techniques
- **Promise a specific benefit.** "Cut your AWS bill by 30%" beats "Save money on cloud".
- **Use the reader's vocabulary.** The words they searched for or think in.
- **Numbers and specificity.** "5 mistakes" outperforms "some mistakes" — the brain trusts what it can count.
- **Curiosity with substance.** "The bug that took down our checkout for 6 hours" — curiosity plus a concrete stake.

## Avoid
- Vague hype ("The ultimate guide to…"). Sounds like SEO spam.
- Bait-and-switch. If the headline promises X, deliver X in the first paragraph.
- Cuteness that obscures the topic. The reader should know what they're getting.