My Big Mess-Up & How I Fixed It
So last week, I totally messed up. I was planning this new post series for my blog. My idea felt absolutely brilliant while I was scribbling notes. Super excited! I fired up my laptop, typed out five potential titles, and slammed publish on the first one: “Why Your Content Strategy Needs Optimization.” Boom. Done.
I leaned back, proud of myself. Felt clever. Complete silence. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. Like crickets in my comment section. I checked the analytics – clicks were terrible. Way lower than usual. I felt like a deflated balloon. Why? What went wrong?
Then I saw it. My title was useless! Just “Why Your Content Strategy Needs Optimization”. Optimization? Okayyy, but what kind? How? Why should anyone care? It gave zero clue about the payoff. People were probably thinking, “Yeah, probably… but what’s in it for me?” and just scrolled right past it. Ugh. Facepalm moment.
That silence hurt. It was my wake-up call. Okay, Ben (that’s me), figure this out. What could I instantly do better? I remembered seeing advice like “be clear” or “be specific,” but what does that actually look like on the page?
I grabbed those four other titles I’d originally written down:
- “Audience Connection: Techniques for Deep Engagement”
- “Social Media Management: Tools to Slash Posting Time”
- “Video Production: Creating Pro Quality on a Phone Budget”
- “Newsletter Design: Simple Steps to Boost Opens by 20%”
Even my rough draft ideas were kinda doing it! Each one hinted at the value you’d get – deeper connection, saving time, pro quality cheap, or more opens. They weren’t perfect, but they pointed somewhere. They gave a promise.
Lightbulb! So, this became my new ironclad rule for every single title: The second half MUST say exactly what problem it solves or what specific good thing you’ll get. No vague stuff allowed!
Right away, I trashed the old title. Took a deep breath and rewrote it: “Content Silos: How Integrating Platforms Tripled Our Traffic.” See the difference? First half names the issue (Content Silos), second half shouts the benefit (Tripled Traffic!).
Republished. Held my breath. This time? Way better! Clicks jumped. People commented stuff like “Tell me how you integrated them!” That felt amazing. Proof this rule actually works.
Now I use this trick every single time I write a title. Before hitting publish, I force myself to check: Is the second half a clear solution or benefit? If it’s not super obvious, I stop and rewrite it. No exceptions!
Best part? Since doing this consistently, my analytics keep slowly crawling upward. More folks stick around to read the post because they knew upfront why it mattered to them. Saves everyone time – they know what they’re getting, and I get readers who actually want what I wrote about.
