The subheadline is something that can be used to supplement a great headline and draw in readers if you do it correctly. In this article, we’re going to define the subheadline and help you to use it more effectively, offering strategies that work and going to the expert for advice to figure out exactly how to craft the perfect subheadline to go with your content.
What is a Subheadline?
The subheadline is the headline that is below the main one, usually composed of a few more words and expanding upon what the main headline is trying to say. For example, suppose that there was a book called “Write Right.” That would be the headline. The subheadline might be something like “A Guide to Help You Write Better.” Not every piece of content uses a subheadline, and you won’t find them online too often, but they can be extremely useful. They are used a lot for non-fiction books.
Even with fiction books, the subheadline might be regarded as the name of the book. For example, George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire Series started with the first book “A Game of Thrones.” That might be the headline while the subheadline might read “Book 1 in the Song of Ice and Fire Series.
When it comes to marketing, the subheadline can do a whole lot for you. If your reader didn’t understand your headline, they might be more interested after clarifying what it is by reading the subheadline. Plus, it gives you another opportunity to sell to the person. If the main headline didn’t sell them, the subheadline might do the trick. Even if not, you may still be able to draw them into your content and get that conversion. It all depends upon what you are using the subheadline for.
Expert Tips: How to Craft a Great Subheadline
- Be descriptive. You have more words so use descriptive ones and choose them wisely.
- Know how many characters you have. If there is no character limit, then try to see what would be too long for the headline that you have.
- Make your subheadline smaller than your actual headline, but still big enough to glance at and be able to tell what it says.
- Look at examples of great subheadlines online and try to figure out why they used the words that they did and copy them.
