A/B Testing Headlines Without a Big Budget

A headline can double or halve how many people read a piece, and you can test yours without spending anything on fancy software.

Think of two nearly identical articles where one earns twice the clicks simply because its title promised a clear benefit. The words mattered more than the work.

Start by writing three or four headlines for every important piece, each with a different angle, and pick the one that is both specific and useful, since practice is the cheapest test you can run.

Then test at small scale by sharing different titles on different channels or times, and watch which version earns more attention for the same content. Keep a running note of the patterns that win and apply them to the next piece. Over time you build an instinct for titles that pull.