If your integrated marketing team has embraced the notion that prospects are hungry for relevant, meaningful content, then someone in your company is probably blogging. If not, re-read these three BIG reasons to blog to see why they should be.
If you do regularly blog, pat yourself on the back. However, realize that you may be selling your marketing–and ultimately, your company–short by not spending enough time crafting alluring post titles.
Pithy, Punchy and Promising
Blog post titles—in fact, all content titles—have just one purpose: to arrest readers’ attention and draw them into your content. If the title fails to entice, then content relevance, meaning, and utility won’t matter, because readers will skip your article and move on.
Use the tips below to craft blog post titles that convert detached skimmers into engaged customers:
Tip #1: Make a promise. Post titles should promise readers something of value in exchange for the time they invest in reading your piece. “How To” articles and blog posts are among the most sought-after, linked-to and bookmarked content online, says Copyblogger founder Brian Clark in his free “How to Write Magnetic Headlines” eBook. Why? Because busy people want an edge, which can include tips and tricks that make the things they do easier, better, or faster.
Tip #2: Use numbered lists. While some marketers find them lacking in creativity, numbered lists do grab attention. In one Content Marketing Institute study, blog post titles beginning with a number performed a whopping 45% better than the average. Marketing Tango posts that illustrate this point include:
- Three Rules for Handling a Social Media Disaster
- Five Steps to Tradeshow Success
- Six Big Mistakes to Avoid in SMS Marketing
Tip #3: Integrate your keywords. Most savvy integrated marketers already use targeted keywords to attract audiences to their websites, PPC ads, and other content. To extend your SEO benefits, include these same terms in your blog post titles, preferably toward the front.
Refer to these popular content marketing posts or ask your web developer or creative services provider for even more content marketing ideas.
