4 Easy-to-Use Tips to Get People to Click on Your Headlines

It’s a shame that writing great copy doesn’t necessarily translate to page views. In fact, writing great copy in and of itself will rarely take you far. If people aren’t "buying" the headline, they won’t click: You may have written War and Peace, but your copy will simply languish in digital purgatory, unless you give it a headline with a whole lot of bite. 

Trust me: This is a problem that a lot of businesses face. About 70 percent of businesses that come to me are struggling with getting their websites read. And in most cases, the problem lies with how poorly crafted their headlines are.

If yours is one of these companies, don’t worry because I’ve included below a few short tips to get you started on writing great headlines. I always give these tips to clients, and as a result, they've improved their headlines and increased their chances of seeing a spike in click-through rates (CTR).

Here are the tips:

1. It’s a numbers game.

Using numbers in your headline isn’t a revolutionary idea, but is, without a doubt, worth mentioning. Numbers are rated as highly effective by seasoned marketers, in terms of drawing in readers. For example, I’m pretty sure that what led me to click the article I read a few minutes ago about neighborhoods in Honolulu was the headline: “Top 15 Upscale Neighborhoods in Honolulu.” Why: because it had a number in it that made the topic more descriptive. Also, “Top” suggested that the site had listed nothing but the bestneighborhoods. So, along with numbers, a punchy adjective will encourage readers to read a post. 

2. Create a sense of mystery.

You need to make sure your readers can’t sleep at night without reading your articles. I don't write this to be mean. Stimulating your visitors’ curiosity is a powerful tool to increase your CTR because it compels visitors to investigate further. Here are some examples, just off the top of my head:

1. "This One Marketing Method Shot Her Conversion Rate Off the Roof!"
2.  "You’ll Never Eat Ice Cream Again after Watching This"

3. State your reader's problem.

It doesn’t get more descriptive than that. We all know that when most people consume content, they do so in the hopes of getting their problems solved. In short, they have a problem, and they’re hoping to uncover the solution by reading a relevant article about it online. 

The technique I'm describing has two elements: First, state the reader’s problem, then state the possible result, once it’s solved. The first element tells your readers off the bat whether your content is what they’re looking for. The second element tells them the positive outcome, and makes seeking the solution that much more necessary.

Here are some examples.

1. "No Website Traffic? Triple Your Website Visitors Now Using These Easy-to-Use Techniques"
2. "Not Enough Email Subscribers? These Time-Tested Strategies Will Double Your Sign-ups in 2 Months"

4. Take note of "the trifecta."

Easy. Simple. Free. The mental picture that these words creates is obvious: convenience. I think we can generalize, and say that everybody loves convenience. That explains, for instance, why there is a proliferation of apps for almost everything we can think of, and why the app-creation industry is in such a boom. Convenience enhances our lives because it gives us more time for other things. 

As you may have noticed, this is a technique I used in my headline, “Easy-to-Use.” Couple that with a benefit that’s very specific (“Click on Your Headlines”), and you’ve got a winner. That you clicked on my headline is proof that the headline worked.

The trick to a powerful headline, then, is to engage the reader’s curiosity and to create a sense of convenience. It isn’t rocket science, which is precisely why you should be engineering your headlines with these tips, to win immediate increases in CTR.

by MATEI GAVRIL

CONTRIBUTOR

President and CEO of PrMediaOnline.com

8 Overlooked Ways to Market Your Business

Entrepreneurs typically operate with lean budgets and aggressive goals. So they should never pass up an opportunity to educate, build awareness or provide an offer to a potential customer. Sales should always be "up front and center." 

Knowing this, my clients are always looking for creative ways to capture the attention of customers but not come across as aggressive. While they appreciate the old model of “push marketing” (selling, engaging in repetitive advertising and repeatedly calling customers), their focus today is more on “pull marketing.” This entails positioning and reputation building (branding) in order to put businesses in front of customers when they are ready to buy.

Here are nine overlooked ways to market your business:

1. Luggage tags and backpacks 

A colleague of mine always appears at business events toting an attractive and functional backpack. Emblazoned on the front pouch is her company logo and tagline. And the strategy works: She tells me she is often stopped by people in airports or office buildings asking what her company does.

So I’ve started doing the same: attaching branded luggage tags to my purse and carry-on luggage. People ask me what the tagline means and where I work. Free advertising! 

2. iPad, laptop "skin" 

As someone who regularly gives speeches, I often use my laptop and iPad to house my presentation. Early on I noticed that the back of my laptop, which faces the audience, advertises “Apple” instead of "LIDA360." So I ordered a custom LIDA360  laptop “skin” that does the advertising for me -- while I’m speaking! I also put a skin on my iPad and cell phone, lest anyone miss a chance to know what I do. Because of this, people on airplanes and in airports have asked me about my business. What a great conversation starter!

3. Desktop screen

When setting up my speaking presentation, I'm often on my laptop in front of a crowded room. Instead of my desktop screen showing a photo of my kids on vacation or my adorable golden retrievers, I have posted there the cover of my latest book, with a caption. This is what the audience sees as I launch or close my presentation.

4. Social media

Sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube offer a lot of space to say who you are and what you do. Even if you use these social platforms for personal use only, why miss the opportunity to remind your friends and family what you offer? On your profile headers, add photos of you at work, your company logo or your recent book jacket, instead of a photo of your dog or a pretty sunset.

5. Social events

Getting out of your comfort zone sometimes means getting out of your current networking circles. Attending high-profile events where media and decision-makers are mingling can earn you free publicity and build your profile as someone who is involved in notable areas of influence.

6. Giveaways on social media

Social media offers the opportunity to share information and resources and also sell your services or product. Instead of traditional coupon or sales campaigns, consider giveaways. Yes, free stuff! Offer your product or service for free (for a limited time) to generate awareness. And create a separate landing page or phone number to track the direct response from this campaign. Then repeat as necessary, to keep the momentum going.

7. Online reviews 

Every review a customer or visitor to your store leaves should be responded to, not just the negative ones. Responding to positive reviews with genuine appreciation shows you are paying attention to your customers. Responding to negative reviews shows that you care and feel bad for letting a customer down. Don’t use your response as an opportunity to sell; just respond to reinforce your company’s values. This is great marketing!

8. Video

The use of video is growing every minute. In a recent research study, Invodo found that almost 75 percent of current online traffic will come from video within the next two years. This means that traditional forms of marketing, such as direct mail and email marketing, will need to focus on video to grab the attention of users online.

YouTube hosts videos that have high-production quality and videos that look self-made. With good reason: Companies that are successfully using video to showcase their teams at work and play, highlight product demonstration or give virtual tours of their offices are seeing a high ROI.

High-quality videos certainly have a home on YouTube, but so do the organic “real world” videos that cost a lot less and pack a lot of punch.

In sum, the mantra for all sales used to say, "Always Be Selling." But, today, savvy businesses focus on reputation management, positioning and marketing to get in front of potential buyers. Along with clever uses of their logos.

by Lida Citroën 

3 Ways to Improve Conversions on Your Website

The days of using your website as a brochure for your business are long gone. Now your website has to do a lot o heavy lifting when it comes to connecting with your visitors and moving them into action towards becoming a client or customer. But this isn't easy.

As a copywriter who specializes in website and sales copy for entrepreneurs and startups, I’ve noticed too many websites simply don’t deliver what they need to convert visitors into customers.

The breakdown typically comes from a lack of understanding. Every element of your site -- from the copy to the design -- should be intentional and help you reach your business goals but unfortunately, this isn't always the case.

When looking at your site, you need to have clear goals, like making sales, building your email list or getting people to sign up for a trial or free demo. If you get someone to your website, you can’t leave the next step to chance: getting them to take action. Without that goal at the forefront, you’re killing conversions on your website.

Determining your conversion rates

A conversion is defined as the completion of an action such as a sale or a sign up for a free demo. Each time someone completes the desired action, you can consider that a conversion.

To establish a baseline conversion rate, you can do some quick and easy math: Divide your total number of visitors by the number of sales made. So if you have 10,000 visitors a month and make 200 sales, you have a conversion rate of 2 percent.

If you’re wondering how well your site is converting, figuring out your conversion rate is easy. You can get started by setting up simple conversion goals in Google Analytics, or if you want to track more sophisticated metrics, you can use your CRM or email service provider.

When it comes to improving your business results, making small changes to improve your conversion rate can make a significant impact on the bottom line. Instead of focusing on trying to get more traffic to your site, you may find that focusing on a higher conversion rate is much more effective and efficient.

To help you increase your website’s conversions, here are three proven ways to get started:

1. Deliver clear website copy

When it comes to writing copy for any website, it’s common for the curse of knowledge to set in. We assume that our visitors speak our language, so we use a lot of jargon or insider lingo. Instead of speaking the industry language, we need to select words that connect with their needs and address their challenges while being clear.

If you’re not sure how you stack up, start by doing a quick check on your website copy. Is it easily understood? Can the average person read the copy and understand it? If not, you may need a copy refresh.

2. Outline the next step with strong calls to action

Every time you make an ask on your website, that’s your call to action. The action is what you want them to do next. Do you want them to buy? Subscribe? Request more information? When your call to action is unclear or hidden, it makes it hard for people to take the next step.

Take a look at your calls to action to see if they are easy to read and whether they pop on the page. Ideally, the language should be engaging, so avoid using button copy like "submit" or "buy now." Instead, create a stronger connection with more powerful phrases like “sign me up” or “ I’m in.”. And make sure to use high-contrasting colors on your call-to-action buttons, so they’re very obvious to visitors.

3. Create trust with social proof

The fastest way to build trust is by using what’s called social proof. As the name suggests, you need to use third-party proof to demonstrate that you or your organization can be trusted. Some examples of social proof include press or customer logos, case studies, counts of subscribers, customers or social followers and professional designations. Careful placement of social proof throughout your site helps to reduce friction for visitors, so they’ll become more comfortable with taking the next step with you.

Small changes to your website can make a major impact when it comes to your overall business performance. By putting your customer’s needs and viewpoint first with your copy, calls to action and social proof, you can work to improve your site’s conversion rate and create a stronger visitor experience. 

By Maggie Patterson, Communications Strategist