It is an undeniable truth that headlines have expanded in recent years. Instead of providing a concise introduction, many have become rambling and attention-seeking, like a supporting act that refuses to get off the stage. What’s the story with growing headlines? A Brief History Traditionally the ‘less is more’ approach was recommended for headlines. This advice was still being offered in 2009 by one media analyst who claimed that headlines should be short and information-rich because ‘people don’t read much online.’ He was particularly taken with headlines which managed, in an average of five words, to ‘convey the gist of the story on its own without requiring you to click.’ In 2013 this 22-word clunker from the New York Post about a woman and a chicken sandwich was a portent of things to come: Gospel Singer Suing McDonald's After She Allegedly Bit into Piece of Glass While Eating Chicken Sandwich, Which She Claims Ruined Her Voice Rambling headlines have been around since publishing began, but they have become more common as publishers compete online for clicks and shares. The Digital Revolution According to Outbrain, 8-word headlines perform better than short headlines, and the ideal length is 12-18 words. ‘Performance’ is defined as the number of clicks and shares a post receives. Other studies have confirmed that the CTR (click-through rate) increases when headlines have more characters, with engagement peaking at 15-16 words. To put this in perspective, the headline for this article is 8 words. In 2016 Google increased its title length from 55-60 characters to 70-71 characters before the headline is truncated in search results, providing further incentive for longer headlines. To remain competitive, publishers have increasingly resorted to lengthy titles to arouse readers’ emotions and curiosity while boosting SEO results. With newsfeeds chewing up content so rapidly, it’s imperative to seize people’s attention and hold it long enough for them to click through and read, or at least share a post. This is another reason headlines have become longer and more descriptive; many people don’t bother to read any further. A 2016 study by computer scientists at Columbia University and the French National Institute found that 6 out of 10 people who shared content on Twitter didn’t click through first. These are probably the same people who jump straight from the headline to the comments to express their outrage (be honest, who hasn't been guilty?). It’s clear that headlines have expanded in response to the digital revolution. They may have peaked in length, but inflated headlines seem to be multiplying, and it's not just headlines. Here are some recent titles from HarperCollins and Hachette Books that include a lengthy description of the book in the subtitle, rather than the blurb: In a Cottage in a Wood: The Gripping New Psychological Thriller From the Bestselling Author of The Woman Next Door White American Youth: My Descent into America’s Most Violent Hate Movement and How I Got Out With hundreds of thousands of books flooding the market every year, publishers are under pressure to get noticed. It makes sense that they will adopt these tactics. In his book How to Be a Writer Who Smashes Deadlines, Crushes Editors and Lives In a Solid Gold Hover Craft, John Birmingham writes that 'a subtitle delivers more information about content and also ticks a few boxes for the book's metadata entries later on.' Extended titles and subtitles have become very attractive for those wanting to maximise their presence in search results on bookselling sites like Amazon. Over-sharing headlines will persist while people continue to click, share and buy. If you dislike these rambling attention-seekers and long for the return of the short, pithy title then vote with your fingers and simply refuse to engage with them. Do you feel like your content is mediocre at best? Does it seem like you’re just rehashing tired old topics that no one wants to read about? Are you starting to wonder why you bother at all? If you answered yes to these questions, you’re not alone. The internet is flooded with content that lacks spark and originality. A tsunami of blog posts and articles have been unleashed by businesses over the last few years because everyone has absorbed the mantra that ‘content is king.’ The sad truth is many are simply shouting into the void. Don’t despair though, all is not lost. Well-written content can give your company the exposure it needs to thrive and grow. To produce compelling content that people will love, you'll need to include: A Catchy Headline The headline will make or break your content. In fact, it’s estimated that 8 out of 10 people will read a headline, but only 2 people will be interested enough to read the content. To maximise your reach, you need to grab the reader’s attention quickly without resorting to ‘clickbait’ which will only cheapen your brand. The best way to attract attention is by carefully considering what your target audience need and desire. Find out what your customers want by reading their comments, perusing their social media profiles or conducting your own market research. Content gets noticed when it resonates with the intended audience. Make sure you headline clearly tells the audience how your post can help them, incorporating key words for search engine optimisation. A Hook Once you’ve captured the attention of your audience, you need to hold it. This is where the ‘hook’ comes in. Your lead paragraph needs to reassure the reader they’ve made the right decision to click on your content. A great way to keep the audience engaged is by asking questions in the opening paragraph. Notice how I started this post with questions business owners can relate to? By beginning a post this way, you are reassuring the reader that you have the answers they’re seeking. This will entice them to keep reading. Good Value So, you’ve caught your target market’s attention with your headline and held it with the hook. Now you need to deliver with content that provides value and meets expectations. This means providing quality information that fulfills real needs. Busy people don’t have time to spend on something that doesn’t offer them a payback. Keep it light, informative and professional. The goal is to portray your brand as trustworthy and authoritative so that customers will remember you in a positive light. It’s great when content goes viral, but this is not your goal. You only need to catch the attention of your target audience, so always shape your content around their specific needs. Visual Appeal The internet is a visual medium and an image that catches the eye is just as important as your headline or hook. Choose your image carefully to compliment your post and tap into the desires, needs, aspirations and fears of your intended audience. It’s a well-known fact that people skim-read, particularly online. To make your content easy on the eye, provide a lot of white space and break it up with subheadings and bullet points. Infographics are great for adding visual interest. These tips will help you create content that resonates with the right people. Fresh, insightful content is an essential ingredient for success in any industry. Unfortunately, many businesses still see content as an optional extra, even after they’ve gone to the expense of revamping their website. These companies risk being overshadowed by smarter competitors who have invested the time and resources into producing quality content. Here are three reasons your business needs to make content a priority: 1. Exposure Free social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter provide potential access to millions of people. There are a range of tools available to give your content a professional finish or you can hire an expert at a reasonable cost. The best way to gain exposure through content is to give customers what they want. The most successful articles and posts provide useful information for the target audience. For instance, people frequently search online by using the phrase ‘how to.’ Think about how your products and/or services meet the needs of your customers. Shape your content around these solutions so that you can be found in search engines by the right people at the right time. The great thing about content is that it lasts forever. Each contribution will add to your library, helping to establish your business as an authority in your industry. SEO optimised content will enhance your position in search engine results. 2. Engagement Marketing is all about building relationships with customers, and an online presence is essential for this today. Studies confirm that customers don’t trust print or digital advertising, so smart companies are finding other ways to attract interest. Content provides the perfect opportunity to start a conversation and make those all-important connections. Facebook’s recent changes to its algorithm have made engagement more important than ever. Informative content provides opportunities for customers to share social media posts, ask questions and even make complaints. While no one likes negative feedback, it allows you to publicly demonstrate that you take grievances seriously and can offer solutions. 3. Cross-Promotion The goal of content marketing is to maximise exposure for your brand and engage your target audience. Cross-promotion is a powerful marketing tool to achieve these goals, but it shouldn’t be confused with cross-posting. While applications such as Hootesuite have made it easy to share every piece of content across all platforms with the push of a button, this isn’t always the best approach. It’s important to tailor your message for different social media channels, depending on your customer base. You’ll have more success if you take the time to adapt your content for specific audiences. Often, it’s simply a matter of tweaking the captions for different sites such as Twitter or LinkedIn while linking to the same post. Linking to previous blog posts or to other influential websites (who may return the favour), will increase exposure. Including links in emails to content on your website or blog will direct subscribers to these platforms. To be successful, your content should express a strong brand identity that differentiates you from competitors. |