People are in a hurry. You’ve only got a moment of their attention. If somebody came to your blog, would they only scan your headlines and leave, or would they be drawn to read more?
Think about how you read a newspaper. You scan the papers headlines, deciding which articles you’re going to read. People read blogs much the same way. You’ve only got a moment; how will you capture their attention?
Let’s compare a couple of headlines:
Dog Explodes and Leaves a Mess!
Hot Dogs Overcooked in the Microwave May Explode
I don’t know about you, but that first headline grabs my attention, and I’ll want to read more of the story. It’s important not to “mislead” people, but using creative headlines will help capture a reader’s attention.
Here’s another example:
Man’s Eyes Glued to Computer Screen
Man Reads Article after Reading Exciting Headline
Just by putting a spin on the headline, you’ll perk people’s curiosity. In those nanoseconds it took to read that, the reader decides to stick around your blog a little longer. Using strong headlines that grab attention is a great way to help your bounce rate. People come to your blog and stick around. What are you saying, and how many people are leaving because of how you say it?
Don’t stop at the headline- with a little creativity, you can really make the rest of the copy pop as well. Stop and think about the articles that you read, what keeps you reading an article? Have you ever started to read an article, and then got bored during the middle of it? Yikes, you need to keep that creativity rolling. The longer somebody is on your blog, the better chance they’ll take whatever action you’re striving for, whether it’s to sign up for something, purchase something, or click through to another article or site.