Blogs are a great way to not only convey valuable information, but to also build your brand and search engine rankings. That is, if they are opened.
Similar to emails, individuals are immune to blog content if they are not enticed to open it. With the daily overflow of information if your title does not make people stop scrolling and click – even if you do everything else right – everything will fail.
So, here are 5 tips to help you write a great headline:
1.Be accurate (and make a promise you can deliver)
If you fail to communicate what’s in it for the reader, do not expect them to read it. Lay out expectations as well as the benefits of opening your content.Do not use misleading titles, however. Be honest as failing to do so will result in breaking your reader’s trust and it can also significantly hurt your brand. A great way to avoid that scenario is using clarification-and brackets are the best way to do so.
A good example would be: “Why the millennials love Twitter (and how to make it work for your business)”.
2. Be creative!
Dare to be different and bold! The need for accuracy doesn’t translate into boring titles.Have a funny play on words or a statement that your readers would not typically expect.Trigger curiosity and stay away from typical titles, such as “ 5 ways to x” or “Top reasons why X is not working for your company” as they are overused and banal.
A great example of bold and different is a recent blog post published by Grant Cardone on LinkedIn titled “Why I never wash my Rolls-Royce”. This particular blog post received nearly a thousand shares and likes (and counting!).
3. Use power words
Some words get clicked on more, while others are shared more. Luckily, there is data on which words generate the best results: Dan Zarella, award winning scientist produced a list of the key words most likely to be clicked on, shared and re-tweeted:
Clicks: How to, Free, You, Tips, Blog post, Great, urgent, breaking
Shares: Smart, surprising, science, history, hacks
Retweets: Please, retweet, post, social
4. Include a picture
You don’t have to be a graphic designer to post great photos. Use resources like www.istockphoto.com or www.pixabay.com for royalty-free images. And if you want them customized use apps such as www.snappa.com to add your branding and customize the image to your liking. This particular app also gives you the option to create images compatible with blog post image specifications.
5. Less is more
According to scientists who surveyed over 2000 individuals in North America, the attention span of the average human is only eight seconds. (source).
That means, whatever you have to say, you need to say it quick and say it well. Don’t add fluff to your blog post title, be succinct and enticing!
Lastly, blog posts are great for SEO!
While we are on the look for catchy and intriguing titles, do keep an eye also on the Optimizing for Search Engines.Do your research and learn what your audience is searching for, then try to include those keywords in the title. If possible, list those keywords first for best results.
Pro tip: keep your headline under 70 characters so it doesn’t get cut off in search engine results.
What’s your process for crafting titles? Let us know in the comments!