Spice up your Blog Titles and see higher Conversions!
It is the dream of every marketer to grow a large fan base, and keep them engaged for years to come. As more platforms and more channels emerge every day that help you do just that, it is easy to get lost in the storm. Running a successful digital marketing campaign sounds easy to outsiders (simply tweet something out and drive them to your site), but anyone who has been tasked with such a project knows the intricacies and nuances that are actually involved. In order to be successful in regards to content marketing, you have to engage your audience with content that speaks to their mind and heart. HOWEVER, In order to have them won over by your beautifully crafted and seemingly poetic content, they must first actually READ the content.... which leads me (finally) to the point of this blog post..... Your headline is extremely important!
Knowing that only 20% of people actually read the entire post is proof that spending a good chunk of time on a clever headline is time well spent. Solid titles start with catchy phrases such as "Tips for solving...." and "10 sure fire ways to...." and "The Secret to ...." and all sorts of quasi cliche wordings in between. Your headline is the only guaranteed thing that your reader will encounter, so make sure to be as compelling and intriguing as possible, as it is (sadly) quite possible your headline is the only portion of your content that gets read. But, since you are reading this post..... hurray for a catchy headline!
Here's something that can certainly polarize the blogosphere; Should you include keywords in your post titles? You talk to any SEO firm, and they will certainly say that keywords are essential and that you should always include them in your headline. Heck, how else will you get found in Google? On the flip side, if no one reads your perfectly crafted and optimized title, what is the point anyway? Conversions are king, and without clicks and actual site visitors, everything is nullified. My two cents are that yes, keywords matter, but not because of what SEO professionals preach. Keywords are crucial because they reflect the needs of your audience. By targeting specific keywords (3-4 words in length), you have a high chance of earning that deserved search traffic, and also getting those people to convert and actually read your content.
In order to create an audience that is engaged and keenly interested in your organization, your content must be read! Your headline should lead the reader to know exactly what your piece will be about, but it won't give away the punch line. Play upon the reader's curiosity, and force them to read just a bit more. By utilizing phrases such as "how to, 5 tips, and Easy steps", you give the reader a clear reason to read your post. By spending quality time on your headline, you will reap the benefits of the skilled writers that you hired. Your time on site will increase, your conversions will increase, and your bounce rate will decrease.
Image source- http://mashable.com/2012/06/26/how-to-build-an-engaged-audience-infographic/
