Are you wondering how to stop writing boring headlines? No matter the quality of your content, not much matters if you don’t make the click.
Make It Or Break It: How to Write Things People Will Read
Getting people to read your content requires more than good writing. You need to get noticed with a headline that grabs and pulls your reader into your world. Whether you’re composing a social media post, emailing a newsletter, or sharing a worthy blog, the following headline tips will ensure that your efforts are rewarded with readership.
1. Provoke. People love headlines that ask questions without offering a direct answer. You need to pique the curiosity of your readers, and then lure them in.
2. Be original. Reading the same headlines over and over is tiresome. Although people tend to love numbered lists, if you’re constantly writing The Top Ten Best Business Products, The Top Five Reasons You Need SEO or even The Top Ten Reasons to Launch a Startup Now, people won’t be awakened on your site. How about The Top Five Reasons Your Business Isn’t Thriving? Food for thought is appetizing.
3. Take a leap. Headlines can be witty and unique. Don’t overthink the process or arrange content around it. Instead, grab your readers’ interests, and then direct to them to your site with something that captures the Who, What, When, Where, and Why. These are the basics of good writing, and once your reader is on your page- that’s something you had better offer them.
4. Time it properly. Understand that social media users are most active during certain times and days of the week. People tend to be most active on social sites around 1pm every day; when the afternoon lull begins. Anything after 8pm and your audience has turned in for the night. Anything before 8am, and he’s still putting on his tie. The best day to post is mid-week on Hump Day. If you’re only active one day per week, try scheduling your posts between 10am and 2pm on Wednesday for the best engagement.
It takes time to write, and even more time to write well. You deserve to be heard, so make sure you follow this simple guide so that you’re blogs aren’t just collecting cyber dust. Learn the best time of day to post, check all analytic and insight tools available, and manage you social media accordingly. Remember- the early bird might get the worm, but it’s the second mouse that gets the cheese.
