A working title is a title that works. Sounds simple enough? Well, not quite. A title that “works” can be pretty subjective. One man’s working title is another man’s trash. So let’s define it a bit more closely. While topics are open-ended and general, working titles are more specific. A general title enables a writer to craft several blog posts from the same topic, but a working title provides him with an outline to write a single blog. While a topical title can be overarching, working titles usher your blog post in a single direction.

For example, the next time you’re presented with a topic like “healthy relationships”, divide it into sub-titles or multiple blogs with working titles that may range from “How to build healthy relationships rule #1: Good communication’ to ‘Got love troubles? Here’s a list of fun activities to get you going when it gets tough’. Set your blog’s foundation with a working title, it’s a great way to start strong.

The stereotypical purpose of a title is to introduce your content. Before you explore the body of a blog, it’s the words on top that lay out what to expect. If your title itself doesn’t connect with your audience, there’s no point in crying over spilled ink. To make your title irresistible, you need to arouse the curiosity of your readers by rousing their interest.

Before you provide them with an answer, ask a question they can’t help but refuse. That’s where the W questions are your best friends – either to pique interest, create intrigue, or foster wonder. Good blog titles instill fear of missing out (FOMO) in your audience and make them click instantly so they can become well-informed among their peers.

For instance, a blog titled “ Top 10 brands who are winning our hearts and likes alike on social media” seems way more genuine and interesting than a blog titled “Brands that are a favorite on social media”. The ‘who’s and ‘why’s add a human aspect to your title, enabling your audience to relate to it in a deeper way.

Every click on your blog title is a leap of faith by your readers. Your blogs should do the needful by satisfying their curiosity and delivering what it promises. Needless to say, it’s not just your content that needs to be accurate and real but also your blog title. After all, it’s the one that pulls them hook, line, and sinker to produce the snowball effect with shares and likes.

It’s great if you come across a blog tile that says “10 Brands whose Instagram traffic skyrocketed in 2019-20 without cross-marketing”. But then, it wouldn’t you long to click that ‘x’ button if the content doesn’t do just that – list out the ten brands that truly rely on Instagram marketing, or doesn’t give credible evidence to support the same. Lack of accuracy and a dearth of genuinely educating information can make you lose your reader’s trust faster than you can say “Jack Robinson”, leaving you stranded on the island of mediocrity with a high bounce rate.

To escape the usual hum-drum of life, we are always looking for something unexpected and unique. And there’s nothing better if you can deliver that to your readers. What’s more, it catches their attention like a moth to a flame. To liven up your blog, play with words using everything from alliteration to rhyme to meters. Get those creative juices flowing to play into the nuances of writing a catchy blog title.

While creativity’s good, it also needs a healthy dose of reality, which means your title needs to be relevant and legible. At the end of the day, you don’t wish your handiwork to be messed up because your title got cut off in search engine results. To play it safe, stick to titles with 70 characters that can be retweeted or forwarded with some side notes as well.

It’s good to have a great working title with all the right words that make it stand out. But that alone won’t always grab your reader’s attention. To bring your blog and title to their attention, you need to optimize it for both search and social. To go about it, start by looking for keywords that your audience use and their search volume. Using those keywords at the beginning itself will help you rank higher. Because if your title ranks higher, you can enjoy more traffic to your blogs and site. So why not?

You happen to come across great blog titles every other day, but to craft one just like them, you need to ace the art behind writing one. From brainstorming for a working title to applying keywords and producing a creative title that is both eye-catching and SEO optimized, these handy hints will help you to master it and become a pro at writing catchy blog titles before you know it.