What does it take for people to find the wonderful content you are writing on a regular basis, whether through a bog post or an email blast? The answer lies in the content and quality of the title! Think of all the emails you receive on a daily basis. Like most people, you probably scan through the list, looking for who sent the emails, and then quickly glancing over what's written in the subject heading. Then you decide which emails you'll open, and which ones you'll skip until later or delete altogether without even giving it a second glance.
Now transfer that same concept to your potential clients via emails and blog posts. The key is to put yourself in their shoes - what are they looking for? As an online writer, your job is to be two steps ahead of them; know what they will be searching for and the words they will potentially use to look for what you can offer them.
Content Marketing for Google author Randy Kirk has written several books and recounts his own difficulty in creating catchy titles. He has posted this helpful article in how to get people to take a second look at your content; even better, how to keep them coming back for more.
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Decide Who and What and Where and Why and How
Who is your likely reader? What do they want? Where are they? Why should they read your stuff? How would you want to be approached if you were them?
Who? Imagine them. A 20 something woman with one kid and one on the way, working part time, and married to a just graduated CPA? Sure you can get really specific and many writers like to picture their audience in much that same way. My method is more general. For this blog I'm thinking that content writers for digital media want to be successful at it. They are trying to find great subjects, make the subjects they are forced to write about by employers really interesting, or scratching their head over what they will do next to keep the ball rolling. Who is your reader?
What? Try this. Read the following sentence four times with different emphasis on each syllable.
- WHAT do they want?
- What DO they want?
- What do THEY want?
- What do they Want?
Each version creates a different thinking process. Most folks want their needs met. They have a problem or a challenge or project and they are looking for solutions. If you can help them solve that problem, you will get readership. So your title needs to give them a promise of that solution. I promised you five valuable lessons to help you sell content. I then promised you that after reading this (and going to the link I'll provide to another completely free resource) that you will be able to write great titles. I believe that you want to write great titles that will sell your content. Was I right?
In my lame effort to write titles designed for digital media, I generally have been trying to be cute or fun or exciting or informational or use a ton of keywords. Mostly use a ton of keywords. I do blogs and videos for a lot of bike shops. My favorite title is "2013 Trek 1.5 Road Bike Review." To be honest, that title works pretty well. I could make it cute "Hit the Road with the 2013 Trek 1.5 Road Bike." Or dramatic, "Get Yours First! 2013 Trek 1.5 Road Bikes Now Available."
But if I look at the time tested methods, the title should probably be "How the New 2013 Trek 1.5 Road Bike Will Change Everything. Or "Five Reasons You'll Make the Switch to the 2013 Trek 1.5 Road Bike.
Here is that link I've been promising you. 9 Proven Headline Formulas That Sell Like Crazy
There is no reason for me to try to outdo this guy.
Steal Ideas from Tabloids
If you are in marketing you know that 90% of all content, design, and concept is stolen. Well, not exactly stolen. We marketers sometimes have completely unique ideas that have no predecessor that we can put our finger on. But generally, the first thing we do after getting an assignment is go see how everyone else is selling that, and "borrow" from the best of what we see.
So, too, headlines. Would it seem likely that folks who are writing the headlines for the magazines at the checkout stand have carefully tested what works? And while it would seem that the public (that includes you and me) would get wise to their approaches, we still bite.
Keep a few of these mags around you for a while until you start getting into the headline writing rhythm.
Ask Google for Advice on Your Titles
Before When Friday Isn't Payday was purchased by any consumers, it had to be purchased by a publisher, in this case Warner Business Books. Then they had to sell this title to book buyers at chains like Barnes and Noble. Today, the first person you have to sell your blog, video, article, or press release to is Google. They need to believe it is worthy of a high ranking on their various pages.
So how do you sell Google. You check with their Google Keyword tool. Here you have a chance to put your titles in to the tool and see if anyone is looking for that info. And Google will also give you suggested variations on your theme. You can also just explore ideas by typing in single words that are important to what you are writing about.
Write, Check Results, Try Again, Observe, Try Again, Analyze
As with anything in media, the age old mantra still applies. Writers write. The more you write the better you get. But in the digital media world, you get really fast feedback. People come, but they may not stay. You can see that in your analytics. Or they come and read the whole thing, but never take action or leave useful comments.
You end up getting great feedback to help you write better content, write better headlines, and figure out ways to get the readers to take the actions you'd like them to take.
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Related Content Methods: Nine Critical Elements to the Perfect 2013 Blog Post
What About You - What has helped you get more emails opened and readers for your blog posts?
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