by | May 28, 2014

You know you need to have a strong online marketing strategy to grow your business. You know that consistently generating quality content is absolutely essential for being found on search engines, and for building credibility with your potential customers.

You probably even know that a blog is one of the best ways to ensure your website always has fresh, new, and relevant content.

But there’s a problem. You don’t know the first thing about blogging!

Welcome to the third post in this blog series, where we discuss how to come up with killer headlines that your audience won’t be able to resist.

The headline is the single most important part of your post. It can make or break your content; even if you have the best blog post ever invented, if searchers and prospects aren’t intrigued enough by the headline to want to find out more, they’ll never see it.

In fact, according to CopyBlogger (a blog about blogging best practices), “on average, 8 out of 10 people will read your headline copy, but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest”. What does that mean? You must have a fantastic headline to stand a chance of getting someone to read further.

So what kinds of headlines do online readers find the most compelling? What techniques can you use to create a headline that is so unbelievably clickable that searchers won’t be able to resist?

Here are just a few of the best techniques:

The “How To” Headline

The “How To” headline makes a promise to readers that your blog will teach them something useful. It helps them solve a problem they have, or do something more effectively.

How To headlines are practical. They give readers the hope that they will gain knowledge they’ll be able to apply in a practical way. Just by starting your headline with How To, you’re starting to engage the reader.

Example: How to Set Up Google Authorship (And Boost Your SEO!)

The “List” Headline 

As mentioned in the second blog in this series (How to Format My Posts?), lists are extremely easy for the human brain to consume. List headlines are highly effective because they promise the reader that the information contained in the post will be presented in organized tidbits.

List headlines are powerful and get the clicks. People like them. It’s just that simple.

Example: 5 New Search Engine Optimization Trends You Need to Know

The “Mistakes” or “Secrets” Headline 

Both of these types of headlines create mystery that urges people to click. Tease them with what they may not know, and they’ll want to read your post just to make sure they’re not missing anything.

“Mistakes” example: 5 Reasons Why Your AdWords Campaign Isn’t Working

Another form of this that works well is, “Are You Making These Common [Blank] Mistakes?” People want to click, just to make sure they aren’t, in fact, making those mistakes. They need to click to find out what those mistakes are, and how they can avoid them.

“Secrets” example: 3 Online Marketing Secrets that Every Business Owner Should Know

People want to get in on the secrets. Secrets are inherently tantalizing because they invoke hidden knowledge that the reader can be privy to if they read the content.

Be Specific 

The more specific your headline is, the more believable it sounds. 50% sounds like a generalization, but 52% suggests you’ve done your research. Of course, if you are going to be that specific in your headlines, you must have the data to back up your claim or you’ll instantly lose trust.

Use Compelling Language 

Don’t write articles devoid of personality. Use strong words that evoke emotions and conjure up imagery.

Instead of “How to Clean Your Carpets”, try “How to Get Rid of Carpet Grime without Breaking a Sweat”. Not only does the second headline give the reader a more vivid picture, but it also provides a benefit statement (without breaking a sweat!).

Example: Don’t Let a Website Redesign Demolish Your SEO Rankings: 3 Key Tips

In the above example, notice the power word “demolish”. It makes the title interesting, and plays on the emotions of the reader.

The Bottom Line

Always follow through on whatever you promise in the headline. If you promise a practical How To, you’d better give them some real How To advice. If you promise a particular tactic can reduce costs by 38%, you’d better have research or a case study to confirm that. Don’t tell readers your post will change their life if it won’t.

In any headline, your main focus should be the benefit to the reader. If your audience can’t immediately understand how reading your article will benefit them, you’ve already lost them. Everyone is busy – you must fight for each reader’s attention by providing clear value.

Study headlines others are using online, taking particular note of the tactics that work. Understand what makes them so irresistible.

If you do these things, your headlines will become more and more powerful.

>> Core Online Marketing will work with your business to ensure you have quality, on-going content for your blog. Attend our free online marketing seminar to learn more about online marketing fundamentals or contact us today to find out what we can do for you.

Some amazing eBooks have already been written on the subject of writing effective headlines. We suggest you check out Jon Morrow’s “52 Headline Hacks”, or CopyBlogger’s “How to Write Magnetic Headlines”. We are not affiliated with either of these blogs in either way. We just like them!

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Ben Molfetta
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