As an advisor, maybe you’ve started working on your marketing efforts, but you’re not getting the clicks you’d like and you may feel like you’re spinning your wheels. Fortunately, there are action items you can take to optimize your headlines and images to get your prospects to take that all-important next step on the customer journey.
In this article, TIFIN Clout, an AI-powered digital marketing solution for financial advisors, offers practical guidance and actionable tips to help you make those improvements to start driving meaningful clicks to your website fast.
Why Headlines Matter
Your headline is the front door of your content and the first thing that your audience will see. It must instantly capture their interest, tell them what to expect when they click, and convince them why they should care enough to do so. Your prospects consume an unfathomable amount of information daily, so a boring headline will get ignored! Implement some or all of these tips to craft click-worthy headlines:
Appeal to Emotions
If your headline appeals to your readers’ emotions, your odds of getting clicks go way up. So, strive to make your audience feel something, like concern, curiosity, joy, or hope.
Start with (or Include) a Number
Numbers stand out in text, so experiment with headlines that start with or include digits. Examples include titles for listicle-style articles, like “7 Steps To Take Before You Retire” or “15 Ways to Save Money at The Grocery Store.”
You can also include compelling statistics in your headline. For instance, “Only 68% Of American Households Can Afford a $400 Emergency. Can You?”
Try a Question
Questions can prompt a reader to click, but you must be careful. Yes or no questions, like “Should You Purchase Life Insurance?” are stale because everyone already knows the answer. So, consider using a question headline to challenge a popular belief, like “With Costs Rising, Are You Prepared for a Health Care Emergency?”
Tweak a Formula
There’s no shame in using a headline formula to get your creative juices flowing. In fact, it’s a good idea because the formulas are proven to work. You just need to add your own spin to them to avoid sounding stale.
Here’s an example of a classic headline formula: Warning: {Insert Cautionary Tale}. You could take this simple base and turn it into “Warning: You Probably Are Saving Less Than You Need to for an Early Retirement.”
Call to Action
You can motivate readers by telling them what they will be able to do once they click your headline. So, call them to action by starting your title with the words like learn, find, discover, or determine. An example is “Determine How Much You Should Hold In Bonds.”
Bonus Tip: Make sure your content always delivers what your headline promises. Otherwise, you’ll frustrate your audience, and they’ll stop clicking.
Include Your Target Keyword
When your content appears early in search engine results, your chance of getting clicks increases. So, do keyword research and include your target keyword in your headline. It’s also a smart idea to use it and related keywords in the body of your content.
Bonus Tip: Use a headline analysis tool to gauge your title’s search engine optimization (SEO) effectiveness. Co-Schedule, for example, offers a free option.
Brainstorm Several Options
Chances are that the first headline you write will be mediocre at best. So, take a few minutes to brainstorm several potential titles with different styles, structures, and lengths. Of course, many will be duds, but you’re sure to find at least one gem in the bunch if you generate an extensive list.
Ask a Friend
Sometimes, it’s good to get a second (or third) opinion on your work. So, ask your friend if your headline grabs their attention and motivates them to click. Or if it even is clear enough to tell them what your article is about. If not, find out how they would change it to be more effective.
Get Inspired
If you’re struggling to generate a compelling headline, it’s okay to take inspiration from others. So, search for your target keyword in a search engine like Google or Bing, and study the headlines that appear on the first page of the results. Then, model your title after what you learn (without copying your competition).
