More people than ever before have discovered the joys of blogging, both personal, professional, and financial. Businesses and individuals alike have found blogging to be a powerful way to connect with readers, whether they are potential customers or casual passers-by. A blog gives the opportunity to provide an insight into the workings or daily life or business. It can be a platform to review products, discuss upcoming events, connect with others and even ask for advice or interaction. Blogs have all the immediacy and scope of other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. But crucially, they tend to be a platform upon which more detail can be provided. Engaging, original content that has been structured well is a major selling point of a blog. But there is also a blog feature that you cannot afford to overlook: titles.
Without a striking title that hooks the reader, blog posts will simply never get read. No matter how high the quality of the post itself, if a title isn’t appropriate and eye-catching, it will never reach its intended audience. Nailing incredible blog titles is an art as well as a science. But there are a few tried and tested means to getting it right every time. Over time, you will soon develop an instinct for what sounds and “reads” right. You’ll watch the audience of your blog skyrocket as a result.
Read Widely
The best way to learn to write is to read. If you’re interested in blogging, it is likely that you already follow a few blogs or read some regularly. It’s time to read them in a specific way. Notice the rhythms and sentence structures of well written articles. Online, they tend to be punchy and easy to follow. Shorter sentences are often easier to follow on a screen. They are also more likely to hold the attention of the reader. Titles can be the same. Try to notice a wide variety of titles for varying styles of blogs. Are they longer or shorter? If they’re long, how do they retain audience attention? Perhaps they promise a solution or use wonderful words. Think scientifically about why a particular title might have been chosen and then read the article. Does the title still suit it? Perhaps the title was only to lure the reader to a specific section of the article. It is a skill that takes some development. But titles encourage your reader towards a special area or point of the text, even if your reader is only skim-reading. On many blogs, it is possible to search for the most popular posts. Pay special attention to the titles here and note down if they have anything in common. There might be a title that you can adapt for your own work, even if it is simply using the structure. Become accustomed to the rhythms and conventions of writing titles, and you will soon feel confident coming up with your own.
Think About What You’re Really Saying
Many blog posts have something specific that they’re trying to say. They then prove their point throughout the article or over step by step points. For example, an article might be encouraging someone to start their own blog. There may then be step-by-step points on how to achieve this. But look closely. Is the blog post really talking about the benefits of starting a blog, or how to avoid potential pitfalls, for example? They are subtle differences but can have a significant impact on the title. Think carefully about what you really want your post to say. There will undoubtedly be some filler or some additional points you would like to make. But narrowing down the focus of the post will not only enable you to write in a more focused way. It will also narrow down exactly what your title should be. Identify any hidden features or aspects of the post that you really want your readers to come away with. Construct a title that advertises it!
Keep It Conversational
We have a society with a greater level of interaction than ever before. The internet and social media mean that it’s possible to connect with others all over the world. This has lead to customers and readers expecting a high level of interaction. If the register and tone of your blog allows, keep things conversational. You can still write informatively and formally if necessary. But conversational titles can draw a reader in like a friend or family member. They will feel engaged, involved, and valued. This is likely to lead to a much higher level of engagement. Imagine you have some great news or an interesting story to tell a friend. Think about how you would do it and what phrases you would use. “You’ll Never Believe” might be one. “Have you ever heard of…”, “You would never have thought of…” and so on might be others. Humans are natural storytellers. Many of us instinctively know the parts and features of our stories we should emphasize and the order we should tell them in. We know what is likely to hold the attention of others and what can be discarded. Apply this to your blog writing. You might be excited to have found a wonderful new product, or would love to tell others about a scheme they can benefit from. Try to capture the enthusiasm you would have around a friend. Even if you are writing more formally in the post, an enthusiastic, eye-catching title can be enough to start people reading.
Collaborate
Blogging can easily become a solitary activity. When we work alone, it becomes important not to lose perspective or slip into bad habits. Collaborating with others, whether in person or online, can be a powerful antidote! If we are struggling to come up with a suitable title, it can be helpful to run our ideas past others. We can quickly lose track of what looks and sounds right if we have spent too much time thinking about it. Asking others for input can be helpful or we can even try this great title generator by Fat Joe. We may not always have time to seek out the advice of others directly. An online title generator can solve this problem. We should always make sure we tweak the suggested title afterwards, but it can be a wonderful source of inspiration. It can also be helpful to use the work of others as inspiration. There might be a famous phrase, novel, or movie title that we can capitalize on. A carpentry company discussing the friction of various materials titled a blog post “Pulp Friction”, for example. It was a playful reference to the well-known Tarantino picture “Pulp Fiction” and will have certainly got the attention of a reader! These aren’t always easy to do and we don’t have to rely on them too regularly. But every now and again, there might be a perfect opportunity to boost our title in this way!
Scintillating Words and Quick Tricks
Always try to pepper your titles with exciting features for the reader. The title in itself should make for great reading before the post has even begun. Blog readers are often avid readers in any case, so they love the use of words. Don’t hesitate to use words that ignite the senses. “Sensational” might be an option. “Mind-Blowing”, “Awe-Inspiring” and even “Secret” can all draw a reader into what they feel will be a memorable reading experience. It can be rare that we get the opportunity to use these words in real life so take full advantage! Use these words to inspire you to create a post that’s really powerful, helpful or engaging. Even words like “Easy”, “Foolproof” and “Underrated” rank highly on the list of words readers like to hear. If you’re explaining a complicated situation or process, the word “Simple” can be a breath of fresh air for your reader. Think carefully about how attractively you can use numbers, steps, and scintillating words in a title and you’ll always be onto a winner.
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