A subhead is a type of mini headline. It can be used to help communicate your message, make it more compelling and highlight important points.
Although usually appearing below or above a main headline to support or expand upon the headline concept, subheads are also particularly useful for targeting the online audience to break up text and emphasise important points. Most web surfers are busy and have short attention spans. They scan pages and are quick to move on if they don’t see something interesting or useful on any given web or blog page.
Subheads are smaller than headlines, but are distinguishable from the main text (‘body copy’) by being printed in a larger font, or emboldened, underlined, or italicised. Often, they will be set in a different font colour.
- Writing subheads is much like writing headlines, except that you might think of subheads as working together in sets to help your body flow more easily.
- Make each subhead as clear and concise as possible. The idea is to leave no question unanswered in your reader’s mind as to what idea or supporting element that subhead is introducing. For example, rather than writing, “Simplifying your purchase orders has never before been easier!” consider, “Easy and safe to order.”
- Make your subheads sound informative and active by using the news style of writing — for example, as if they were previews to important information to come in the subsequent section. Example: “Intelligent Battery warns you before your car engine stalls on you.”
- Include at least one benefit in your subheads. The idea is to entice your readership into wanting to know more.
- Subheads must appear noticeably different from adjacent text. One easy way to achieve this is to put your subheads in a bold font that is of a different colour to your main body text.
- Make sure there is more space above each subhead than between each one and the corresponding body-copy section.
- A one-line subhead is more effective and easier to read than a two-liner.
- Use a new subhead every time you introduce a new theme, idea or message.
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