Writing Effective Headlines and Blog Post Titles … for Pastors
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Continuing in the “Blogging 101 for Pastors” series [see previous posts here], let’s talk about writing good headlines for your blog posts.
This subject is extremely important because once you have someone from cyberspace visiting your blog site, you probably want them to actually read your posts.
Effective, well-written headlines give the reader a reason to click on a link, or continue reading your blog.
Headlines are the hook. They’re the sizzle. They’re the salesperson’s irresisitible pitch.
As I’m scan, through my feedreader, the 20-plus (and growing) blogs I read on a regular basis, I scroll through those customized feeds looking for the headlines that catch my eye and interest.
When I see something, I stop, investigate it further by reading the short summary provided, then I make that split-second decision to read the rest of the post or to leave it in my dust as I blaze through looking for my next feast of information.
Behold … the fickle Internet reader.
Think about your own Web reading for a moment … now do you understand why it’s so important to write great headlines?
An effective headline is one of the keys to getting people to read the words you’ve bled over, those letters connected together to form words that you’re emotionally involved with enough to write about it for the world to see.
You want someone to actually read it, right? Then get your headlines right! 
Here’s some help ….
The best way to learn good headline writing (or writing, in general) is to actually read good headline writing (or writing, in general).
One of the best in the business is the Old Grey Lady – the New York Times.
Their headlines typically are 10 words or less. Sometimes they go over that, obviously, but typically, they can summarize what the story is about succinctly while simultaneously giving me the keywords, buzzwords, hot buttons, triggers that FORCE me to want to read deeper.
If you want another lesson, read the news headlines on the Yahoo! home page for a week. The Associated Press is an excellent resource for good, concise writing. Or read the best bloggers around — like ProBlogger, CopyBlogger, MicroPersuasion, Engadget, TechCrunch, etc.
Like a copy editor at the Times or AP, or a professional blogger, you will eventually get to know your readership – or audience – well, because, after all, you’re writing with them in mind, right?
Headline writing doesn’t have to be an art …
A headline should be:
- sharp
- to the point, and
- representative of what the post text actually talks about.
Keep in mind also … that most Web site readers “scan” a page for keywords they’re interested in. So make your headlines readable, but also scanable. Give your readers the headline buzzwords they are likely going to be looking for on your blog.
A great way to find the keywords you’re readers are looking for … is in your blog’s stats. (Yes, you’ll eventually need to get some kind of Web site statistics program like Google’s Analytics, or SiteMeter, which I’ll cover in a future post.)
But for right now …
- If you’re writing on missional theology, load up on “missional” buzzword language or “Mark Driscoll” or “Tim Keller” in the headline.
- If you’re writing about marriage and family, hit ‘em with the words you hear family talk shows using, or whatever’s in the common vernacular of family topics, like popular book titles or on magazine covers.
- AND if you’re writing on church marketing, be sure and put “MySpace,” “Seth Godin,” or something about church signs “sucking” in your post titles!
One last tip on writing headlines: Make sure they fit your blog’s column width appropriately [Do as I say, not as I do!]. What I mean is use your “preview the post” option and see how it’s going to look once it’s published. Newspaper editors and graphic designers usually try to balance the headline if it’s on two lines.
For example:
BAD
Pastor: Church Marketing is Not Selling
Out Gospel
GOOD
Pastor: Church Marketing Not Selling Out the Gospel
OR GOOD-ER
Pastor: Church Marketing
Not Selling Out the Gospel
OK, maybe it is an art.
MORE INFORMATION ON HEADLINE WRITING:
CopyBlogger has a great series called “Magnetic Headlines” that is very applicable to a pastor’s blog. Also, “Headlines That Get Results.”
Darren at ProBlogger.net gives these headline tips:
- Keep it simple
- Grab attention
- Meet a need
- Describe
- Use key words
- Take your time
***
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Good points. I’ve always tried to put up an “off-the-wall” sort of headline that folks will have to read the whole story to understand.
I also carry that to the first sentence or paragraph. It’s not like anyone has commented on it, though, but I still get a kick out os making it all mesh.
That’s a good one too. Creating interest is a funny thing … you don’t want to mislead, but you also want to capture attention.
I should have added that it seems like Mark Batterson at Evotional.com sometimes has one or two words headlines. But they are usually right on his topic. Thanks for stopping by Bob!