We would argue that the titles for your blog posts are just as important as the content within the post itself. The title is what convinces people to read your blog, so it will need to be intriguing and persuasive in order to real people in. If nobody is reading your content, then what’s the point in employing content marketing at all?
Hubspot made a science of creating the perfect blog title by conducting an A/B test comparing various methods of styling blog titles. By studying the click-through rates of different blogs, you can see which are more effective than others. Here is what we took away from this experiment.
1. Offer information no one else has
When your potential reader sees a title that is going to reveal new information to them, they’re more likely to click on it. When you allude that you have surprising information to disclose to them, you will pique their interest.
2. Be broad in your topic
When you are broad with your topic descriptions your blog will have a wider reach as standard. Try to think of the bigger picture of who your content will appeal to, instead of just the one demographic.
3. But not too broad…
While we understand the need to have your content reach to a wider audience, if you’re too vague in your topic then nobody is going to be interested. Make it perfectly clear what your post is about and who it is for.
4. Focus on the ‘you’
You want to appeal to the reader, so make your title about the reader. The principle of content marketing is to enrich the lives of others, so tailoring the titles to what your reader needs to know.
5. Put your offer first
We mean this in the sense of beginning your title with what the blog post will feature. For example, if your post features infographics, let the audience know this first rather than tagging it on at the end.
6. Include a number
Including a number within the title of your blog makes it clear about the length of the piece and will feel more tangible to the reader as a result. It also is a clear indication that they can scan through your content to get the main points.
7. Pose a question
If you ask a question to your audience, you’re more likely to entice your audience – they will want to know the answer.
8. Keep your content marketing simple
While it may be tempting to jam your title with everything that they will discover in the post, it will often turn potential readers off. Keeping a title shorter with an effective description will be far more enticing.
9. Don’t be so serious all the time
Often you will find that titles with a fun and light-hearted tone will get the higher click-through rate. Nobody wants to read miserable, word-heavy content.
10. Use unique adjectives & descriptions
Being aware of useful synonyms can pay dividends. The internet is littered with content with bland titles that don’t stand out from one another, make sure you don’t make this mistake. Avoid words like ‘excellent’ or ‘great’, instead be more creative with words like ‘first-rate’ or anything else you don’t usually see. Just be careful not to look like you’ve swallowed a thesaurus.
