If you want potential customers to zero in on your content, you have to hook their attention with the right title or headline. Unfortunately, a lot of marketers are in such a hurry to get their writing and posting finished, that they overlook this key detail and lose readers as a result.
We want to help you avoid making the same kinds of mistakes. So today, we offer our five proven ways to write better headlines for your blog posts and social media updates…
#1 Offer a Numbered List
Readers like numbered lists (like the one we used to title this article) for a few reasons. First, they suggest a certain length, and hint at some concrete takeaways that can be used right away. Additionally, when you see a headline like “5 ways to…” you are forced to ask yourself how many you can think of, and what you might be missing out on. That can make this sort of title almost irresistible.
#2 Ask a Poignant Question
In the same way, there is a small mental trick associated with poignant questions. When we hear or read a directed question, our mental makeup compels us to look for an answer. In that way, this kind of headline can start your reader thinking about something that they wouldn’t have paid much attention to otherwise. They may even come back to your article and click on it just to find the missing answer to the question you posed.
#3 Lead With an Eye-Catching Statistic
Numbers, and especially ones that stand out, always tend to grab attention. That’s because they paint ideas and results in very understandable terms. If I mention that I’m getting into shape, you might congratulate me without giving it any further thought. But if I mention I’ve lost 50 pounds, or cut my body fat percentage in half, you understand immediately that I’ve made a huge transformation and may ask follow-up questions to learn more. The same goes for an article that starts out with a compelling fact or statistic.
#4 Appeal to the Reader’s Curiosity
Although this tactic is often overused by click bait marketers, the fact remains that a lot of people will click on a headline if their curiosity gets the best of them. As an example, if I promise you “The ONE Thing Google Search Spiders Hate,” don’t you want to read my post and find out what it is? If you have the content to back up a headline like that, it’s probably going to be a winner.
#5 Mention a Current Topic
A lot of readers are drawn to topics and headlines that relate to subjects they already know about or are interested in. So, if you can latch onto major events – elections, sports championships, popular TV programs, and the like – you might be able to attract a much bigger audience for your content than you would have otherwise. You don’t want to shoehorn your ideas into something that doesn’t fit, of course, but tying in current events is a great way to increase views.
Looking for more great ideas you can use to take your Internet marketing to the next level? Call or email our team today to set up a free consultation and let us put our experience to work for you.