The ONE Way to Lose Your Audience Before You Get Started: How to Make Your Social Media and Blog Headlines Stand Out

 The New York Post does it right. Sort of. Eye-popping headlines make you stop and read (or more likely, purchase). Unfortunately, their content doesn't always deliver. But then again, I'm not sure great content is anywhere in their mission statement.

But if you're trying to gain your prospect's attention, generate leads, or provide thought leadership in social media, you need to nail the art of great content plus great headlines.

After all, you have about 1 second to grab the attention of your audience scanning the millions of blog, FB, LI, and Twitter posts every day (Twitter alone sends out 50 million updates each day!)

You'll quickly know your headlines aren't compelling if your pages don’t seem to be getting the exposure you think they deserve; readers aren't re-tweeting them, or commenting on them; and nobody seems to be linking to them from their blogs.

Here are some not-so-compelling, real post headlines that I saw online this morning. None of them made me want to click:

• Another Brick in the Paywall: I know its supposed to be a clever play-on-words, but it doesn't tell me why I should care to read it, or what it's really about.
• The Zen of PowerPoint: Again, clever oxymoron, but I have only a few minutes to read in the morning, so I need to know exactly how this post will help me. If I don't see the immediate benefit within the title, I'll move on.
• SEO Analytics 101: Sounds potentially interesting, but, gosh, with a title like that, it could be a tome! I don't have time for a tome. 
• APCO Releases Reputation Study Finding: So, who is APCO, and what is a reputation study? Including one of the more interesting findings from the study, in the headline, might have drawn me in.
  

 

In contrast, here are some online posts from this morning, that I clicked on right away:

• 7 Steps to Creating a Successful Online Business: Success in 7 steps?! That sounds right up my alley! And since I'm in online marketing, this post might have something I could use for my job.
• 7 Ways to Start Building Your Personal Brand for Free: Not sure why good things are coming in 7's today, but its a manageable number. Plus, this headline tells me exactly what will happen if I follow the 7 steps, and oh, by the way, they don't cost any money! 
• The Most Important Hiring Trait, Period. Do You Have It?: 'Nuf said. We all need to hire and get hired. You're crazy if you don't read this one. (And talk about inducing career paranoia! That second little sentence makes the headline.)  
• Is Social Media Failing to Produce Business Leads?: Oh gosh, I hope not, since I'm the Social Media Strategist for my SaaS company. I better read this.
• Help: "Our Closing Ratio Dropped by 50% in the last Quarter!" I know exactly what this post is about, its got a real problem in it, and purports to offer a solution. Probably worth my time to read.
  

So, what's the difference? Good headlines tell you, succinctly, what the article is about, and why you'll benefit from reading it. And they use controversy, mystery, energy, guidance, and fun to engage your interest and stand out from the pack.

Bad headlines are broad, general, boring, unspecific, and company-centric (as opposed to being reader-centric).

Nick Usborne advises using "catchy headlines, but applied intelligently, and always followed by great content." 

Need help writing your headlines? Tiffany Monhollon has some great suggestions in 57 Power Words for Writing Brilliant Headlines (and btw, that is a great headline, following all the right rules!) 

-- Carla Gates, Director, Marketing, Glance Networks

Follow Glance Networks on Twitter and Facebook for daily tips on Sales 2.0 (and hopefully, some very compelling headlines!)