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I don’t know about you, but once I know what I want to write, I immediately craft a title. Such as the above.
Once I start writing, I rarely change the title, if ever.
If my last ten articles are any indication, I see more comments, social bookmarks, and trackbacks on articles written after the title is composed than before.
I’m guessing that my readers, like you, look at the title first, identify with it, and continue reading my advice and opinions. If you really like it, you take action.
Does that sound about right?
Had I written this title after everything below, I bet it would be like this album cover. Maybe you like this album cover; I don’t. If you think like me, this album cover lacks focus.
When I write my blog posts within predefined guidelines, such as my title which sets the page, I don’t worry about tweaking body text because, well, the skeleton is already there and I’m merely filling in flesh.
I write my blog titles after running keyword searches on Google, listening to buzz on various social networks, and tossing ideas back and forth with global peers on Twitter. I also follow current events and sometimes pull blog title concepts straight from the news.
I write my blog titles before my blog posts because I am actively listening to what people are saying. Aren’t you?
Thank you for returning to my blog! If you enjoyed reading the above, please consider following future tips and strategies by RSS reader, email delivery, or Kindle subscription. You may also reach me on Twitter @ariherzog.
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- Weekly Roundup: 7 Blog Posts I Like
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Ari Herzog is an online media strategist and Newburyport City Councilor-Elect.
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{ 6 comments }
Speaking as a consumer here: blog titles are like the subject lines in e-mails. I have a limited attention span; you have to get to the point pretty quickly to capture it. In the title is a good place to do that.
Blog titles, newspaper headlines, email subject lines — they all serve the same purpose. They are used to catch a reader’s attention so they will veer off from their world of message bombardment and give you a few seconds to prove they should be reading your stuff. I usually start with a blog title because it helps me stay focused, but I sometimes change them once the blog is done so that they serve their purpose even better.
Blog titles need to gain attention or build awareness right away. Like most people I view hundreds of titles a day, and of course can’t read everything. The ones that stick out I’ll at least click into. the funny thing is if you ask a lot of traditional authors, they will tell you to write the title last. Because the content can change and help you with the direction for a compounding title. Have you ever went with that approach and found it usefull?
I hear you on books, Craig, and I don’t have an answer for that as I’ve never written one. In the newspaper world, editors typically change reporters’ chosen titles, which sometimes are better but usually worse due to spacing constraints or other story titles on the page.
I’m surprised no one has mentioned search engine optimization (SEO) yet. While your #1 priority in writing titles is to entice people to read your blog, don’t forget about search engines. The right title influences how the search engines rank your posts. And the higher your ranking, the more traffic you’ll get to your blog.
You raise a good point, Susan, and one I typically forget. I sometimes presume people know what I know, but that’s not necessarily the case. Thanks for reminding me that I should explain things more carefully!
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