Try These 4 Tiny Tweaks To Create More Clickable Blog Post Headlines

Here's the deal.

If you spend time writing a blog post... 

... you sure as hell want people to read it. 

And obviously, you hope that by choosing an interesting article topic, people will flock to your blog to do exactly that. 

Except... 

Sometimes it doesn't work out that way. 

And for the life of you, you can't work out why. 

Because you've done your research on your topic. 

You KNOW people are looking for advice on this subject.

So what's stopping them from reading your article about it?!

Don't worry.

Sometimes, it's not you.

It's your headline.

And here are four easy tweaks you can make, to turn your headlines into all-singing, all-dancing, click-attracting magnets...

YOUR 4 TWEAKS FOR MORE CLICKABLE BLOG POST HEADLINES:

1. MAKE YOUR HEADLINE A QUESTION

This strategy works well because it opens up a curiosity loop in your readers' mind.

And that loop can then only be closed when they click on your blog post to discover the answer to the question.

For example:

The pros and cons of email newsletters

vs.

Do you *actually* need an email newsletter?

As humans, we don't like to be left hanging. (That's why cliffhangers work so well on us when we watch TV shows!)

So try to think of your blog post headline as a cliffhanger, rather than as simply a description of your article, to get your readers in the mood to read more!

2. USE A POWERFUL VERB

Generally, you don't want to go overboard on using adjectives (and adverbs) in your headlines.

That's because using too many of them can make your post feel overly hype-y, wordy and/or flowery.

But you can still make even simple sentences pack a hefty bunch, just by using a powerful verb in them.

For example: 

4 email marketing strategies to improve your mailing list engagement

vs.

4 email marketing strategies to skyrocket your mailing list engagement

OR

Use these free templates to write a better mini-bio

vs.

Steal these free templates to write a better mini-bio

3. MAKE YOUR BLOG POST DIGESTIBLE

Nowadays, the world is busy, attention spans are short, and we all like to know EXACTLY what we're getting into.

Which is why the "listicle" blog post format continues to be SO blooming popular.

Lists give your readers a feeling of control, because they enable them to measure and quantify the amount of advice they'll be getting in your article.

Plus, they give your blog post an easy-to-follow framework, and a clear start and endpoint that makes reading it feel more manageable.

For example:

How to write a memorable blog post, fast

vs.

7 simple ways to write a memorable blog post, fast

4. USE THE WORDS "THIS" OR "THESE"

Again, this is a way of opening a curiosity loop that your reader can only satisfy by clicking through to read your post.

You can also use the above terms in a headline that focuses on a benefit or a pain point, to give your audience an even greater incentive to read on.

For example:

How to use SEO to write more powerful blog posts

vs.

Use this SEO hack to write more powerful blog posts

OR

4 common marketing mistakes that could be holding back your business growth

vs.

Why these 4 common marketing mistakes could be holding back your business growth

--

And a couple of additional tips for writing better blog post headlines include --

• Use specificity - the more detailed you can get in terms of results, benefits, and numbers, the more compelling your headline will be!
• If you're feeling keen (and have time, lol...) you can try writing out multiple headlines (10-25 is a recommended number!) before ultimately picking one
• Do keyword research beforehand to check that you're using terms which resonate with your target audience (see this post for more tips on this)

Do you have any further advice for creating more clickable blog post headlines? Share it in the comments below!

You may also like...

• 7 simple ways to write a memorable blog post, fast
• 7 Ways To Put Magic Into Your Email Newsletters
  
• The Email That Will Make Your Mailing List Subscribers Love You
  
• 10 Must-Have Ingredients To Write An Awesome Blog Post