How can you write an article that will grab the attention of hundreds of adoring fans who can’t wait to read it? The unfortunate answer is, you probably can’t. Your readers will never even click on the article if the title doesn’t grab them, ignite their curiosity or compel them to click on the article in the first place. Not to bring you down, but according to the latest data, over 4.4 million blog posts published EACH DAY! Don’t give up hope though! Companies who blog seriously have are 13 times more likely to get new customers than companies who don’t blog on a regular basis. However, it is important to note that the average reader spends 37 seconds reading your article. Most of that time is spent reading the title and trying to decide if more should be read. The point being, being able to create a title that will entice a reader to read your article is a skill worth acquiring! In fact, I would suggest you come up with five or more titles for each article you write, and ask someone you trust which one grabs you more. Even better, do your research and find out what articles are being search for the most.
How do I craft a compelling title?
In this vast sea of information that is overwhelming all of us on the web, how do you create a title that will bring in readers? Let me share with you you some compelling brain research, and then several top-secret templates that you can use as a springboard for your creativity. The brain strives for completion—the gestalt, the closing of the circle. This is called creating open loops, cognitive dissonance or just plain curiosity. If you create a provocative question in the brain, the brain is very engaged to try to find the answer and close the loop.
Watch any news show, or listen to a radio disc jockey. Any of them. Watch and listen how they use this skill constantly to tease the viewer into staying tuned to that station until after the commercial break. These “teasers”, as they are called in broadcasting, have been shown to be very effective in not only continued listening, but increased understanding and recall of the stories.
This has something to do with our need to complete the pattern, the “gestalt”. As human beings, we have a need for completeness, to see the whole pattern, to get the beginning, middle and especially the end of the story. We create a cognitive dissonance, a curiosity in our students when we give them part of a question that isn’t answered until later. Newscasters do a brilliant job of this constantly. Entrepreneurs looking for more clients need to learn to do this skill as well.
Title Templates
Listed below are the top nine templates for creating a teaser for your clients:
1. The Unusual:
“In this article, I will tell you one… (pick and adjective from the list below):
- Weird
- Strange
- Little
- Simple
- Little-known
- Unusual
…thing you can do that can make a big difference in your business..
2. The Secret
“Click on the link below, and I’ll let you in on one of the biggest secrets to happiness and success that has ever been discovered…”
3. The Personal Connection
“In this article, I’ll tell you about a business owner I know who that thought__ _____, and ended up ________…”
4. The Exclusive Tip
“We all want to be successful. In this article, I’ll tell you the single biggest thing that successful people do to be happy, and profitable…”
5. The Celebrity Connection…
“You won’t believe what Kanye, Beyonce and you have in common when it comes to running a successful business…”
6. The Surprising Statistic
“In this blog, you will discover how many businesses have grown doing SEO with us. You won’t believe the number!”
7. The Choice
“What if you had two choices of techniques to get more clients clicking on your website. In this article, you will discover what would be more likely to get more CTR, ________ or _______.”
8. The List
“By clicking on the link below, you will learn the three most important things about______. #2 may surprise you.”
9. The Unbelievable But True
“If you want more ROI in your company, read the article. This will blow your mind…”
We truly hope that these ideas help you hook in more customers! Please contact us if you need any website development, creative copywriting, brand building, education and training, graphic design work or help with creating a marketing and SEO plan. The team at 212 Creative, LLC is ready to help!
