When Your Message Matters - Stop Writing Subheadings for the Skim.
- Mar 24
- 4 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
We know People are busy.
They don’t read.
They scan. They skim, and decide in seconds whether something deserves their attention.
But what if some content are too important to be skimmed
Like your change communication, or the new compliance procedure, or critical instructions before a major rollout. Stuff that needs their attention.
How do you get people to read all the way through?
Have you noticed how when you're about 100 metres from a McDonald's, you start seeing their signs everywhere? Bus stops. Train stations. Motorway billboards.
You're not being convinced. You're being nudged.
And that's the difference between messaging that gets ignored and messaging that gets read.
Treat subheadings like psychological breadcrumbs.
Most writers use subheadings as labels, writing them as a way to organise content into logical, sequential, tidy sections.
The goal is to move away from a subheading that says: “Here’s what this section covers.” to one that says:“Here’s why this matters to you.”
Small nudges, big impact: 5 Things you can do
Subheadings, when designed correctly, keep your audience reading.
Think of them as signposts for your reader’s brain.
Each one should make the next step feel inevitable.
They say: “You’re in the right place.” “Keep going.”
Here's what you can do:
Tease the payoff
Give readers a reason to keep going. Complete thoughts stop movement.
Curiosity carries your reader forward. Open a loop, and don’t close it.
A strong subheading should feel like the beginning of a sentence your reader needs to finish.
For example: "The one line that's killing your social media engagement.”
It doesn’t explain. It invites. And that invitation is what keeps them reading.
Set the emotional tone.
A good subheading doesn’t just tell the reader what they’re about to read; it shapes what they’re about to feel.
Before you write it, ask yourself: What do I want them to feel at this point?
Curious? Write a subheading that asks a question
Challenged? Write one that pokes at an assumption they hold.
Relieved? Write one that signals you're about to make something simpler. Respected? Write one that treats them like someone who already understands the answer.
The tone you set in the subheading primes your audience for the emotional payoff.
Address objections before they form and mirror your reader's internal monologue
Your reader will be silently asking:
“Do I need to read this?”
“Is this relevant to me?”
“Why should I care?”
"What do I have to do with this?"
A subheading that acknowledges their doubts stops that internal conversation before it starts:
“What this means for your sales team—and when to hand in reports.”
“When will the Saleshub be operational?”
Why is this update happening now?"
You're not avoiding the objection. You're acknowledging it, which makes the reader feel understood before you've made your case.
Test them in isolation.
Your subheadings are the thread that runs through your piece.
The skeleton. If someone shook your piece and only the bones remained, would your message still be understood?
Try reading just your subheadings.
Do they tell a clear story or point to your key message?
5. Use them as a pattern break
Readers will naturally, after two or three sections, go on autopilot, absorbing without really processing.
A subheading that breaks the expected pattern snaps them back.
This could be a contrarian question. A humorous single word when everything else has been a phrase. Or a sudden shift to second person in a piece that's been speaking generally.
By breaking the pattern, you re-engage your reader, keeping them present and moving through the content instead of letting them drift past what matters.
All the way to the end:
When it comes to your high-risk communications, you can't leave it up to chance. You can’t hope people will slow down, pay attention, and read every word, because they won’t.
Designing small, deliberate nudges into your subheadings and treating them as part of the writing process, not a filing system, helps carry your reader from one idea to the next. And your critical communication achieves its purpose.
2 questions for your team:
Are your subheadings written for the writer or the reader? Your reader doesn't need organisation. They need orientation.
Does each subheading make the next section feel inevitable or optional? If a reader can comfortably stop after any section and feel finished, your subheadings aren't creating enough forward pull. Each one should leave a thread slightly unresolved.
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Messaging designed to survive the rooms you’re not in
🎯 Hi, I'm Vivien,
I help global B2B communication leaders and teams design messaging that survives across stakeholders, buyers, and employees—so critical decisions move faster, updates don’t get ignored, and your credibility stays intact.
While everyone else is still talking about ICPs, Frequency, Channels, and Engagement metrics...
I pinpoint where your messaging gets distorted and uncover the human filters shaping it.
Then I rebuild it so it stays intact as it moves through the people and decisions that matter most.
