Headline – September Comes Fast: Successful Graduates Share 7 Reasons Why the St. Clair Advertising Program May Be Right for You.
For this headline, I first took into article content and the target audience. The article content is about the St. Clair College Advertising program, which should be included as a keyword and content indicator in the headline. This allows the headline to remain clear and get right to the point, which is to promote the program to graduating high school students. Understanding the target audience is crucial in writing a headline that captures their attention and generates curiosity. In the case of this headline, the audience being high school graduates indicates that they would be more likely to respond to a headline that utilizes emotional triggers through gain and fear in order to increase CTR. Graduating students often feel as if they have to decide their entire future at the age of 18 and they often feel overwhelmed and desperate for guidance and answers on what steps to take next. Speaking from experience, I did not know what I wanted to do back in 2014 and chose quickly chose something just because I thought it could make me money in the long run – bad idea. In the headline, “September comes fast” creates a sense of urgency and makes students fearful that they either don’t know what program to choose or that they have not registered yet.
Students are also seeking information and knowledge, specifically from those with comprehensive experience in order to determine whether a program fits their personality, interests, and goals. When looking at headlines for college programs, they think “What will I gain if I click on this link?” Therefore, your headline should make a promise that clicking it and reading the content will deliver a specific gain. This is where the word “reasons” comes into play because not only will the content deliver reasons as to why the program may be right for them, they are backed by professionals in the industry. Providing solid evidence to support the claim allows you to get the best results with regards to shares and engagement because the content is considered to be more trustworthy and authentic. In this case, it is because it is based on personal experience and success stories that makes the content more accurate, relevant, and attractive.[1]
The headline also uses the flagging technique to directly speak to high school students who are weary about the upcoming school year as September is fast approaching. This increases engagement and captivates readers on a personal level. The inclusion of the image of successful students pointing directly at the camera aligns with the headline as they look as if they are pointing at the reader (you). Finally, the article includes a unique rationale and the number 7 to appeal to the reader and increase CTR. The usage of the word reasons lets the reader know that the content will provide them with answers as to why this program may be right for them and why they should apply. The odd number, 7, helps students digest and recall the info more easily and increases CTR by 20% and aligns with the content. It lets readers know that there are exactly 7 reasons within the content of the article, making them more likely to click through.
[1] https://www.leadsquared.com/industries/education/5-keys-to-marketing-your-college-to-high-school-students/
Leave a Reply