Read My Lips

There is no point in having a great blog post if nobody reads it.

One way of at least getting people to consider reading your post is having a title that catches the eye. A title that jumps off the page and draws the reader in.

Here is how you can create titles that grab attention.

• Check out your archive of blog post titles and see if they grab your attention. If they do then stop reading this post and have a cup of coffee. If they don’t then read on.

• Write down in one sentence what your post is about. This will help focus you on creating a title that works and also help you write a tight article.

• In no more than five words, preferably three words or less, write your blog title. Try to capture the  essence of your article in these words.

• Use a style that suits you. Don’t copy other people’s style. I tend to create what I think are quirky, humorous titles but that may not be your style.

• Spend time on creating your title, don’t rush it. An average title will get an average response.

Here is an example.

In my last blog post I wrote about a mishap I had when I gave a Tai Chi sabre demonstration. I could have entitled it ‘Tai Chi Sabre Demonstration’ Tai Chi Mishap’ ‘The Tai Chi Sabre’.

These are boring titles. The title I used was ‘How Embarrassing’. A stronger title because it taps into what we all experience – embarrassing moments.  And you don’t have to be a Tai Chi person to identify with embarrassment.

I did receive 3 Return Tweets and 41 hits from twitter followers. Which is not bad for my small Twitter follow/followers list.

So read my lips. Create a great title and get your post read!

Footnote: Here is a clip of where the idea of the title of this post came from.