In this conversation, I sat down with Alison Carter from the Indianapolis Star, and we got right to the heart of what makes someone stop scrolling and actually click.

Alison lives in a world where attention is currency, and she didn’t sugarcoat it. Great content isn’t enough. If the headline doesn’t do its job, the rest doesn’t matter.

A few takeaways that stuck with me:

• You don’t have to give it all away
  A good headline makes a promise, not a full confession. Hint at the value, spark curiosity, and let the reader lean in. If you tell them everything upfront, there’s no reason to click.
• Stop asking questions, start giving answers
  It feels natural to ask a question, but data says it actually hurts performance. Flip it into a statement. Instead of asking why something happens, tell them you have the answer waiting inside.
• A little negativity goes a long way
  People are wired to avoid mistakes. Headlines about what’s going wrong or what to fix often outperform the feel-good versions. Not doom and gloom, just enough tension to make someone pay attention.
• Lead with the headline, not the afterthought
  This one made me wince a little. Don’t write the whole piece and slap on a headline at the end. Start with what you want someone to think, feel, or do, and build from there.

If there was one “aha” moment, it’s this. Your headline isn’t decoration. It’s the invitation.