The internet is a very crowded place, so when it comes to creating content – and more specifically headlines – what steps should you take in order to make sure that people click on, read and then share your work? Not only this, but what can you do so that you’re content is easily findable by search engine algorithms?
In this blog we will look at the essentials of ensuring that the headlines of your pieces are up to a great standard; especially when they are widely considered to be the most important aspect of a blog or article. The same principles apply online as they always have done with the titles of books and newspaper headlines. The headline should not be ignored and its influence never understated. Throughout this piece, I will go a long way to explaining why your title should be well thought out. I will also help you to realise that the headline is more than just the cherry on top and isn’t something to be glossed over.
Too often the headline is the neglected part of an article when it needs to be a well thought out and considered process. How are you going to get people to read your work and what makes it stand out in the increasingly crowded online marketplace? There is a science behind the creation of a headline and it should get the attention it deserves. It should not just be thrown together at the end of the writing process.
A headline must aim to grab someone’s attention. Famous copywriter, ad man and Neil Walker Digital hero David Ogilvy once said: “On average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.” So, if you can see that someone so revered as Ogilvy gives this much credence to titles, why aren’t you?
But how do you get people to actually care about your work? There are so many new platforms and channels which all demand our ever decreasing attention spans. The headline should resonate so much with your readership that they simply can’t just ignore your work. If you want great examples of quality headline writing, you should take a visit to the Buzzfeed website. They have a couple of superb tactics which directs a mammoth amount of visitors to their articles before they then go viral. They make such an impression on prospective readers and from a copywriting and content standpoint, they are a superb example of what sort of headlines you should be creating for all of your content.
Here are some interesting thoughts on the art of creating headlines:
- On average, 8 out of 10 people will read your headline copy, but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest. This is why its vital to not ignore their importance.
- If people are stopping reading your work at the title, you’re doing it wrong. You need to get them to keep on reading, make it compelling.
- The better your headline is, the better your odds will be of a higher number of people reading your work.
So, now you know why the title of your piece is so important. These are some of the tips you can use to concoct catchier titles and keep readers interested:
Use ‘power verbs’
By starting titles with verbs like ‘read’, ‘learn’, ‘download’ or ‘discover’, you are effectively enticing the reader with a call to action.
Use adjectives
Colorful adjectives such as ‘unstoppable’, ‘unconventional’ or ‘awesome’ are very appealing to the readers imagination; so be as descriptive as you can. Use a dictionary or thesaurus to dig out new words, heres some examples that you could use:
- Effortless
- Painstaking
- Fun
- Free
- Incredible
- Essential
- Absolute
- Strange
Play on reader’s curiosity
When reading a title which is in the form of a question, your interest is usually raised. Readers will be likely to click on blogs which are entitled with a question. The option to learn something new is very hard for people to resist. The better writers craft their books or blogs with cliffhangers which play on reader’s intrigue. Start with the title, and when you begin to write each new section, leave your reader wanting more.
People enjoy reading articles which will teach them something; use your headlines to tell your readers what exactly they will be reading in the article.
Write lots of lists
Writing list-themed titles is a great way to entice readers to click on your blog. In many cases, the best performing blogs have included lists in the title. Feed readers curiosity through the provision of thorough content, and doing this through an easily digestible list will draw them in so that they can then easily find the answers to any specific questions that they may have.
Try experimenting with using obscure numbers, single digit numbers and double-digit numbers before seeing which ones return the most clicks. We are strong advocates of the list format here at Neil Walker Digital; and while we mix thing up with each blog we post, the list has proved to perform well for both our clients and our in house content and blogs.
Always write your headline first
Before you start writing, you will already have the basic idea for your subject matter, but why is it important to pen the headline first? Your headline is a promise to your readers about what the piece of writing will consist of. It’s your job to clearly communicate the benefit which will be delivered through the writing. By writing your title first, you will have a more stringent guideline as to which you are writing.
Poorly crafted headlines will result in content which does not perform to its potential, so by writing that first, you will have created a straight to the point headline which is then followed by crisp, concise and well structured content.
Stick with what works
Readers enjoy headlines that begin like ‘How to…’ and ‘Learn…’. It might seem like it has been done a million times before, but that’s because it’s a proven strategy.
Capitalise on mistakes
People are always making mistakes, so creating a headline which shows how people can learn from them will draw a large audience.
Create a sense of urgency
You could try telling your readers that they only have a short window to read your content, this is more likely to get them to read it.
Incorporate trigger words
By using certain words in your titles, you can dramatically increase your click-through-rates. Some of the most common trigger words are:
- Free
- Secrets
- Easy
- Instantly
- New
- Discover
- Powerful
- Guarantee
- Results
- Amazing
- Bonus
Write a few titles
Never just stop and one title, the best writers will think of a few different titles before they opt for their final choice. Try different combinations of power words and get creative! Writing more titles takes time but it allows your content to get the exposure it deserves.
Stats over opinion
People like to read hard evidence rather than opinions, so if you have any interesting facts or numbers in your content, use it in your title.
Put people over search engines
Chucking keywords at your title in order to make it more search engine friendly isn’t a great idea if it makes it boring. Never concentrate on just doing this and try to appeal to your fellow human over search engine algorithms.
Appeal to emotions
We all human after all, so if you can, try to make an emotional feeling within your headline, it is a great way to draw your reader in and catch their attention.
Keep it short and clear
Creating titles that are powerful, optimised and benefit driven can be a difficult task, but short headlines can really make a huge difference to your online content. Your customers will have short attention spans and may be very busy, so you need to appeal to their limited time. With social channels like Twitter being tailor made for shorter messages, you should make sure that your titles are effective on there, as well as any other social platform you are using.
Double up
You can combine a few elements and create a ‘double whammy, for example your headline could read: ‘How to improve your content writing in 3 simple steps.’
Make a huge promise
You should promisee your reader something valuable that they cannot get elsewhere. For example, this could mean teaching them a new skill, or you could persuade them to try something they have never done before. You could even reveal the secrets of a tale which has never been revealed by anyone before.
You need to dare your reader to read the article, be seductive and offer them something exciting. Always strive to create novel, exciting and accurate headlines, create something that they will want to go out of their way to read.
Choose an approach
There are many different ways of approaching a title, here are some of the more common ideas which can help attract you more readers.
Sensationalism is a great tactic, you could make big claims to drive your readers curiosity. Always make sure that you back up these claims and be wary about dropping names so that you don’t get in trouble.
Being controversial or taking a very strong stand on an issue can be a very effective strategy when it comes to attracting traffic to your website. It won’t work in every case though, avoid subjects like race and religion as you don’t want to offend anyone and tarnish the image of your company.
Problem solving is a great tactic to adopt, offering blog topics which will run through the problems that your customers may be having will go along way to ensuring you become a trustworthy brand. Craft the titles well so they are easy to digest whilst making it obvious what the post contains.
Know what you’re writing and who you’re writing to
The world’s catchiest title won’t do you any good if you are clueless about the topic you’re talking about or if you don’t know your audience well enough. This information is very important because it will enable you to:
- Write intelligently about the topic or product
- Deliver the content that your audience wants
- Speak directly to your target audience
- Build trust and triggering them to act on it through purchasing your services
Hopefully, these tips can help you create fantastic headlines which encourages people to read your content, it can then go on to become an extremely successful post which is shared again and again over many different social media channels.
When its done properly, content writing can generate significant revenue for a company. Don’t ignore the fact that the title of your content is very important, so theres no point in wasting valuable time and money on creating amazing content which fails in the headline department. You can even tweak and mediocre blog into a fantastic lead-generation weapon just by changing your title slightly and adhering to the guidelines we have covered in this blog.
Writing great titles takes practise, but stick at it, as it’s not impossible.