As we approach the Budget on 26 November, the newspapers are filled with dramatic speculation about what the chancellor might announce.

After a quick scan of the websites of popular UK newspapers, I found the following headlines:

• How much more Council Tax could YOU be paying under Rachel Reeves’ desperate Budget assault on the ‘wealthy’?
• Rachel Reeves warns EVERYONE faces tax hikes as she paves the way for manifesto-breaking Budget
• How much could an Income Tax rise cost you?
• Pound PLUMMETS and FTSE loses £22 billion after Rachel Reeves hints at tax rises

If these headlines are to be believed, tax rises have already been confirmed, and they will almost certainly affect YOU.

We see similar rhetoric in the lead-up to most fiscal events and, as you probably know, many of the changes the headlines warn about don’t happen. You’ll also know that market fluctuations around a Budget are relatively normal and often short-lived.

So, while tax rises and market disruption may be likely, the situation is perhaps not as dire as the papers suggest.

News outlets use these kinds of headlines because they catch people’s attention and drive engagement. While this might be effective for them, you may want to avoid using the same tactics in your financial planning content because you could harm your relationships with clients and prospects.

Read on to learn why sensationalist headlines don’t work for financial planning content.

Studies show that sensationalist headlines drive short-term engagement at the expense of long-term credibility

Media outlets’ primary aim is to drive clicks. The more readers they have, the more revenue they generate. That’s why alarmist headlines are so effective for them, because research shows that negativity improves engagement.

According to a study in Nature Human Behaviour, each additional negative word in an average-length headline increased the click-through rate by 2.3%.

However, the aim of your financial planning content is not simply to drive engagement. You’re trying to inform clients and prospects, build trust, and open a dialogue.

Research suggests scaremongering headlines may be less effective for reaching these goals.

A study in MDPI explored the effects of “breaking news” headlines on credibility and trust. The findings showed that:

“If a piece of information is presented in a sensational way, it might attract more consumers’ attention in the short term, but in the long run it will reduce the credibility of its content.”

Trust is crucial for financial professionals, and using scare tactics in your content could undermine your own credibility. This might mean that potential clients are less likely to trust you with their wealth.

Alarmist headlines encourage your readers to panic

Your clients often rely on you for reassurance during times of turmoil. Before a fiscal event or during a period of market volatility, clients might be prone to panic and could make choices that work against their financial plan. By offering guidance and reassuring them, you can help clients make informed decisions and remain on track to meet their goals.

However, if you publish content with alarmist headlines, you encourage more panic.

Ultimately, this means that your clients are more likely to make rushed decisions, and your job of calming their concerns becomes that much harder.

Conversely, if you publish content with measured, positive headlines, you display a sense of calm and control. Your readers will pick up on this and may be more confident about their own situation as a result.

Dramatic headlines often focus on problems, not solutions

All the headlines I listed at the start of this article focused solely on the potential negatives of the Budget. Using exuberant language and unnecessary capital letters, they warned readers that they would definitely be taxed more, and that was the end of it.

But, as you know, clients who benefit from professional financial advice can find ways to plan around legislative changes. This means they can still work towards their goals, even if their tax burden increases.

If you use problem-focused headlines, you fail to demonstrate this benefit of financial planning to readers.

For example, if you were writing about Inheritance Tax (IHT), you could drive engagement with a scary headline like this:

• How much will YOUR FAMILY pay as Inheritance Tax receipts rise to £7 billion?

That might worry readers and get them to click on the article, but it doesn’t show them how you could help.

As an alternative, you could try:

• 3 ways a financial planner can help you mitigate Inheritance Tax as receipts reach £7 billion

This headline still has the same engaging statistics about rising IHT receipts. But crucially, it also alleviates the reader’s concerns in the same sentence by shifting the focus onto the solution.

That way, instead of simply scaring them, you’re illustrating the benefits of financial planning and encouraging them to start a dialogue with you.

Get in touch

Our expert team is on hand to help you with writing headlines and excellent content to go along with them.

Email hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300 to find out how our team of talented writers could support you.