Your content is what converts a reader into a potential client or customer. Hence, it makes perfect sense to include a smart, potent, and engaging HEADLINE in your content marketing strategy.
But the key to understanding content marketing is to know what tickles your markets’ fancy. You must put yourself into the customer’s shoes and start thinking like a consumer and make your content relate to your customer’s needs.
Read customer comments as they make excellent copy to use in your content marketing.
Customers prefer to do business with companies that have some personality and human elements, as opposed to cold, faceless corporations. A significant aspect of establishing trust is to humanize your brand and your company.
Once you have achieved that personal connection with your consumer, you can easily achieve your content marketing objective.
Combined with good original and unique content, SEO almost guarantees that online searches find your site.
But Content Marketing Strategies, are worthless, if one is unable to sell. Because, on an average, FIVE times as many people read the HEADLINE than the Body Copy.
HEADLINES are the first impression that people will have of your content and can have a significant impact on open rates. Hence, your HEADLINE should intrigue readers enough to want to see more.
So, consider your HEADLINE as a call to action. Its purpose is to quickly capture the attention of readers. They should be the deciding factor in whether a reader clicks on your content. Therefore, persuasive headlines must be appealing, albeit compelling.
The HEADLINE must capture the attention of the target audience. Use proper nouns to refer to these individuals.
- Appeal to the reader’s self interests.
- Promise true benefits of what is offered in the headline.
- DO NOT FORGET to include the brand name.
- Include a Brand Story – [Eg. how the business was initially implemented from your garage!]
- Remember to include the USP [unique selling proposition].
- Longer headlines with more information do better than witty short versions.
- AVOID headlines with Puns or excessive Humor.
- AVOID Negativity. People get confused about what you are really saying.
And when it comes to social media, HEADLINES must be a compelling package that conveys the narrative, compels people to read it, and encourages them to SHARE it. And all Within Limited Space and In a Distracting News Feed.
Bottomline.
Your content’s HEADLINES should not only be an integral element of your Content Marketing Strategy, but it should also have a meaning, be captivating, and be able to stand alone, regardless of the fact, whether the content is read.
Brand Chimp 
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