I started working in higher ed publications offices in 1998, and since starting my own company in 2004, my team and I have worked with more than 75 different colleges, universities, and independent schools. We know — and love — education.
All of us get bombarded with thousands of messages every single day. Your headline is the primary tool you have to entice your audience to read the stories you’ve developed.
You can have the most beautifully crafted story in the world, but if readers can’t get past your headline, they’ll never appreciate all the work you did to make the story great.
A crummy headline will make your reader say “Why bother?”
Unfortunately, I know all about bad headlines.
I’ve written my share of them! “Success stories?” Check. “Going places?” Check. “The Pioneer?” Check. (Maybe you’ve done your own versions of these!)
Ugh.
Compare those to headlines like these:
At first, I couldn’t articulate WHY these headlines were better than almost anything I had written, even though I knew they were.
So I dug deep. I collected hundreds of headlines from alumni magazines, consumer magazines, and online publications. I analyzed them, I categorized them, and I learned from them. I got advice from some of the best headline writers I know.
And now, you can apply the same lessons — the ones I spent years learning! — to your headlines today.
For the first time, I’m thrilled to introduce the Headline Bootcamp, mini-course that’s been years in the making. I’m sharing everything I’ve learned about creating headlines that keep your audience reading your publications, from alumni magazines to campaign newsletters to email blasts.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel with every headline!
You can use the formulas that have been successful for others, use resources I’ve collected over the course of years, and know immediately if a headline is great — or needs a second look.
Bonus PDFs: You’ll get “cheat sheets” that you can use for easy reference. These PDFs are perfect to print out, tack to your bulletin board, and refer to when when you’re working on your headlines.
“I liked that you gave examples of both good and not-so-good headlines. Going over the mistakes were really helpful, because those are the things we all do, and it helps to be reminded that those aren’t the best. I liked the tested headline formulas, because that gives me somewhere to start.”
“Usually, I just try to come up with one perfect headline, but by aiming for quantity I think I’ll be more likely to find quality in the end. I think it will be freeing to change my mindset. I will definitely use the cheat sheet with the various types of headlines I can use. I’m excited to try several them.”
“By the end of the course, I was busy thinking of better headlines for upcoming stories — and trying not to kick myself when I thought of a better headline for our lead story in the last issue (in about 5 seconds). I can see myself trying everything you said in the webinar. It all made so much sense and was so doable.”
“I was really impressed. You covered a lot of ground and presented the information in a user-friendly way. I absolutely got tools that were practical and smart.”
Good headlines attract more readers. Good headlines are a signal that you care about your publication — even the tiny details that others might skip.
Learning the skill of creating better headlines is one that will benefit you not just today, but also years down the road.
Imagine seeing that blinking cursor at the top of your story and knowing you can create a headline that your readers are going to love. Even if you feel stuck, you have a tested process to follow and plenty of examples to get you started.
You’ve done the hard work of crafting your stories. Great headlines will make them stand out and get noticed. Your publication — and your school — deserve nothing less.
Get course access for one person
Get course access for your entire in-house team
(same email domain).
We’ll send details to add your whole team after purchase.
How does the bootcamp work? What happens when I buy?
When you buy the bootcamp, you’ll receive a folder with all 7 video modules, plus cheat sheets and PDFs. You’ll have access to this material forever, and you can review it at any time.
Is this a self-paced course? How long does it take?
Yes, this is a self-paced course! You can speed through all of the material over a long lunch hour, or space it out as you have time.
There are number of different action steps along the way — some take just a minute or two, some take longer, and some encourage you to work with others. These can take as much or as little time as you wish. That said, you will absolutely see improvements by spending as little as 15 minutes on the action steps.
Finally, course is designed for you to take action over time — you can review, learn a few things, implement immediately and see improvements. Then, you can come back when you need a refresher or have another publication you need to tackle.
I have other questions about the bootcamp that aren’t included here.
Email me at erin [at] getcapstone.com anytime! I want to make sure that this is one of the very best courses you’ve ever taken, and I want you to feel 100 percent confident that this is a course with lessons that will benefit you for the rest of your career.
Capstone helps schools create more effective print magazines through action plans, strategic storytelling, and online courses.