the episode

If your blog titles don’t grab reader’s attention, they’re not going to read your blog posts.  While it might seem that people want to see something positive in these challenging times, surprisingly negative titles work better.

Look at the newsfeed on Twitter or Facebook or LinkedIn. Posts with negative titles stand out and are more likely to be read, create engagement and be shared.

So, I want you to commit to not boring readers with weak language in your subject line. If you start your blog post with words like improve common mistakes tips for success, your titles look like all the other articles on the same subject. We all want to improve, so you’d think these safe titles would work, but they don’t.

These nice helpful blog titles are like a serving of broccoli. We know it’s good for us, but the Devil’s Food Cake is so much more enticing. One of the most successful series of posts, white papers and seminars I created were built around the theme of why people hate your website. The series was and still is effective because the word hate stops readers in their tracks. It is such a strong negative word no one wants to be hated so they pause and learn more.

Looking for other tips on your subject lines?  Grab a copy of our Ultimate Guide to Headlines

about the marketing minute

Each week, host Lorraine Ball shares just a few words on a marketing topic. She boils down creative ideas, practical tips, and decades of real-world experience into a mini podcast which is always less than two minutes.

Look for these mini bits of marketing inspiration every Sunday.  Then come back and enjoy the longer interviews every Thursday.

Look for the mini podcasts and full episodes on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play and wherever you listen  to podcasts.