Some people think that writing compelling headlines for content marketing is as easy as pie. But, as always, it’s not as simple as you might think. It’s an art that cannot be mastered overnight or by reading a few articles and applying them to your business.
Every person has their unique writing style and their style of converting those ideas into something more usable and digestible (i.e., the headline). For example, some people like to include alliteration in their headlines, while others prefer rhyme schemes.
The most important thing about your headline is its ability to grab someone’s attention, so they will read what comes next, the meat of your article! If you’ve ever skimmed through the internet looking for information, you’ll notice that many headlines don’t draw your attention.
It would help if you tried to give the person who is viewing your article a reason to continue reading it and, in turn, share it with their friends and family. Otherwise, why would they bother clicking on anything? The following techniques can be used as a way to create compelling headlines for content marketing:
1. Be Unique.
Don’t always go for the numbers or predictable words such as “how-to” articles. Instead, think out of the box! There are countless articles or blog posts about writing compelling headlines; sift through those titles and see if something is interesting you can use as inspiration (but not plagiarism). Using clichés like “why we love our product” won’t draw any attention. Try being bold and going for something completely different!
2. Be Clear.
Within your headline, you should be able to explain what your article is about – otherwise, people will move on to the following website or blog post. People don’t want to waste their time reading an article unrelated to what they thought it would be. Therefore, make sure your title is clear enough, so anyone who views it will know whether it fits their needs or not within a few seconds of viewing it. An excellent way to accomplish this is by describing a problem then explaining how you solved it. If someone can see themselves in your content, they’re much more likely to click on it and read the rest of the article.
3. Be Descriptive.
If you use a quote that you find interesting, try to add what it means in your own words and explain why it’s relevant to your audience and the topic of the article. It’s always good to describe what will be included in your blog post so people can better understand how much they’re going to learn by reading it.
An excellent general rule is writing one sentence about your content before creating your title. After all, if you can’t summarize the main points within one sentence, then how are others supposed to understand what will come next? This method forces you into making sure everything is clear-cut and concise enough for someone who isn’t looking at what you’ve written literally.
4. Be Polite.
You don’t want to come off as a demanding author, trying the “hard sell” right from the start. If you’re writing a content marketing article and need to promote a product or service at some point within the body of your text, try not to do it immediately. If someone is reading your content for free, they won’t expect you to suddenly throw in an advertisement for something – no matter how much it could be potentially worth their while.
Make them feel comfortable with what they’re reading before you try promoting anything else. This is especially important if your website requires prospective customers to give up their email addresses before getting access to any information that might help them make a purchasing decision!
5. Be Personal.
Let your personality shine through in all your articles! People like reading blog posts written by genuine people with honest opinions and ideas – not robotized web content produced in a factory somewhere. It’s okay to be yourself when you register; after all, it makes the reader more comfortable knowing they’re talking directly with someone there (in most cases). This approach will make readers feel like they can communicate with you instead of being left out in the cold. The more personal you are, the better!