[by Rosh Sillars]
Great headlines draw people in to read your blog posts. Are your headlines interesting?
Statement headlines such as “My new business portrait” are not attention grabbers. More enticing headlines include: “How to create great portraits”, “What do you think of this portrait?”, or “Six ways to photograph business people”.
If you really want to find a great resource for headline ideas, visit your local grocery store. The check-out lane racks are full of great ideas. Learn from the professionals, who have mastered the art of enticement. Who can resist their magazines?
Numbers work in headlines. One of my biggest hits was “189 business ideas for photographers”. Create top 10 lists, but don’t overdo it. Ask questions and share how-to tips. You might think people are tired of these common practices, but the fact is they still drive traffic.
Not every headline is a winner.
Test headlines in the social media to see which ones people click on more. It’s easy to do. Use a link shortener that employs analytics such as bit.ly or su.pr to paste URLs from images from Flickr or Twitter. Give each one a different headline. Use the winner for your blog post.
You work hard on your blog posts. Don’t let poor headlines keep people from reading.