Writing an impactful headline that will entice someone to read your content is not as easy as it might first appear. The headline of a blog post must not only explain what the reader can expect to learn from the content, but it must also make the reader want to visit the page. And, as your headline is the first thing that people will see when they find your post on a search engine, the title of your content will need to stand out from other web pages that cover the same topic.
So, how do you achieve all the above objectives in only a few words? Here are ten tips that will help you write compelling, attention-grabbing headlines for your blog posts.
1. Use Powerful Words
A blog headline needs to convey a sense of excitement. The title of a post must make a reader believe that they are about to read something original, useful, and possibly even life-changing. So, use words like remarkable, surprising, and unusual in your blog titles, and use phrases such as ‘must-know,’ ‘you need to know,’ and ‘you never knew.’ Power words and phrases like these may seem a bit clichéd, but they do work.
2. Be Different
Your headline needs to draw people’s attention away from other published articles on the same topic. So, try to create headlines that offer something different from other published articles on the web. Making a headline stand out is not as tricky as you might think. Adding one or two of the power words mentioned above could make your headline noticeably different from other titles. You can also switch the order of words to make a headline more conspicuous. The title of this article, for example, could be changed to “Write Amazing Blog Headlines with These Ten Tips.”
3. Offer Value
Headlines that explain the value of a post to the reader will perform the best. So, try to incorporate what the reader will gain from reading your blog post in the title. “Ten Paris Travel Tips,” for example, explains the topic of the content. “Ten Paris Travel Tips to Keep You Safe and Save You Money,” though, also explains the usefulness of the article.
4. Create a Sense of Urgency
Another trick to make people read your blog post rather than someone else’s is to create a sense of urgency in the headline. The aim of using urgency in a headline is to infer to the reader that they will miss out on something if they do not read the post now. The fear of missing out (FOMO) is often used in web pages that are promoting a product. A product page might say “Sale Ends Soon,” for example, or “Limited Edition,” to suggest that you must buy now. You can also create a sense of urgency in a blog post. The Paris travel tips article mentioned above might read “Ten Travel Safety Tips You Must Read Before You Visit Paris.”
5. Bad News is Popular
Even though reading about bad news is often depressing, a bad news story will still attract more users than a feel-good story. So, do not be afraid to use negative words in some of your headlines. If you were writing an article about how to save money at the grocery store, for example, the overriding message is a positive one. However, a negative slant on the topic, such as “Grocery Stores are Ripping You Off – Here’s How to Get Your Own Back,” might win you more visitors.
6. Use Numbers in Your Headlines
The reason so many articles published on the web take the form of numbered lists is that numbers attract more readers. Numbers are concise, they suggest value, and they are easy to read. You could have a headline that reads “Reasons Why You Need to Stop Watching TV.” But if you write “20 Compelling Reasons Why You Need to Stop Watching TV,” you make the post look far more appealing.
7. Talk to Your Readers
Addressing your readers on a personal level will also increase the number of views that blog post gets. You can target your blog headlines to individuals rather than a general audience by using the word “you.” The title of “10 Tips for Writing Amazing Headlines for Your Blog Posts”, is far more enticing to an individual than “10 Tips for Writing Amazing Headlines for Blog Posts”.
8. Pose a Question
Most people are naturally curious. So, if someone sees a question that they do not know the answer to, they will click on your blog post to learn more. Blog headlines that raise a question are ambiguous, so this type of title may attract more visitors. A caption of “Do Essential Oils Really Calm Your Nerves,” for example, explains the topic of the content and would attract both people who believe that essential oils have calming properties and those who do not.
9. Surprise Your Readers
If you can craft a headline that will surprise your readers, you will have a winning title for a blog post. Even though shocking or surprising headlines will attract readers, they will not be suitable for every type of blog. Shock tactic headlines often use little-known statistics. For example, “25% of Married Men Admit to Having an Affair!” Or, to use a combination of shock and question-posing, you might have, “Has Donald Trump Filed for Divorce?”
10. Do Not Become a Click Baiter
Even though using the above tips will help you attract more visitors to your blog, it is not advisable to use misleading headlines. A headline does need to be compelling, but it must also be a genuine indication of what the user will find in the blog post. If your content does not live up the promise made in the headline, people will not return to your website.
You cannot use all the above tips in every headline you write, but hopefully, these tips will give you some ideas on how to write compelling blog headlines. The best way to check that the titles of your blog posts are enticing is to ask yourself one simple question: would you click on your blog post if you read that headline?
us.annebeckers.com 