6 Foolproof Formulas for Writing Blog Post Titles 

Blogs are an integral part of content marketing. Posting blogs to a company’s website or social media platforms works to increase the brand’s online presence, inform customers, and promote product offerings. 

When writing a blog, the main goal is for people to read it and gain valuable knowledge surrounding your product or industry. As content marketers, we spend hours of our time researching the topic, organizing the information, editing, and then editing some more. However, none of this hard work matters if no one reads the blog. 

A good blog title tells the readers what topic the blog is about. A great blog title conveys the same, but in an interesting and eye-catching way to ensure the content is clicked on. So if you struggle to come up with engaging titles, continue reading to learn six creative blog title formulas you can use for almost any topic that are sure to spark reader curiosity. 

1. The “How To” Title Formula

Blogs provide value for their readers by informing them about a particular topic or teaching them a valuable skill. When researching a problem or question, most people type into their search engine “how to” and then the topic that they want to know more about. The “how to” title formula is a simple way to let readers know that after reading your blog, they will gain vital information in order to know how to do something new. If your blog provides step-by-step instructions or teaches a new technique, then the “how to” title formula is the way to go!

Examples of the “How To” Title Formula

• How To Build a Cohesive Marketing Strategy
• How To Make Instagram Work for Your B2B Marketing Strategy
• TikTok Ads: How to Leverage Them for Your Brand

2. The “Question” Title Formula

Posing a question in your blog post title will pique readers’ curiosity and get them to think about your topic. Questions can cause people to re-examine what they have been doing or prompt them to consider an issue differently. If the blog you wrote dives into a new approach or re-evaluates an old technique, then posing the title as a question can engage the reader to think twice. 

Examples of the “Question” Title Formula

• Does Your Website Need a Renovation or a Rebuild?
• Social Media Marketing: When IS the Best Time to Post?
• What is Black Hat SEO? (& Tips to Avoid It)

3. The “X” Number Title Formula

Using numbers is a great way to catch consumer’s attention as well as organize the information into a list format. Additionally, they inform the reader how many topics will be covered in the blog. According to the Content Marketing Institute, blogs that began with a number performed 45% better than average. Furthermore, list formats break up the information, allowing for easier comprehension. 

Examples of the “X” Number Title Formula

• The Top 7 Marketing Podcasts You Should Listen To
• 10 Digital Marketing Certifications to Complete 
• 6 Reasons to Invest in Content Marketing

4. The “Basics” Title Formula 

When first learning about a topic, it is important to understand the basics before diving into the details. Therefore, if your blog introduces a topic, then including the word “basics” in the title will attract the target audience of beginners to click on your blog. 

Examples of the “Basics” Title Formula 

• The Basics of Onboarding an Inbound Marketing Client 
• Introduction to SEO: The 5 Basic Steps
• Keyword Research: Back to the Basics

5. The “Topic vs. Topic” Title Formula

One of the steps of the customer decision process is evaluating alternatives. When deciding which product or service to purchase, consumers want to ensure that they are getting the best bang for their buck. Comparing and contrasting two topics sparks reader curiosity since consumers always want to know which product, service, etc. is the best. Additionally, using the phrase “vs.” is more intriguing than titling the blog something like “Comparing and Contrasting.” This is because people are competitive in nature and enjoy crowning a “winner,” even if it’s just a product or strategy.

Examples of the “Topic vs. Topic” Title Formula

• Proactive vs. Reactive: How To Enhance Your Social Media Strategy
• Influencer Marketing vs. Digital Marketing: What’s Best?
• SEO vs. SEM: Developing an Inbound Marketing Strategy

6. The “Tips” Title Formula

Once people know the basics of how to do something, they like to learn new “tips” on how to improve. Tips are usually smaller and more specific pieces of information that can improve productivity. If your blog includes these smaller bits of information, then including the word ”tips” can be helpful to engage your reader. 

Examples of the “Tips” Title Formula

• Tips To Help Your Inner Creativity
• Tips To Achieve Good Home Office Feng Shui
• Tips To Turn Your Customers Into Fans

More Ways to Ensure Your Blog is Clicked On and Read

Another important factor to consider when writing your blog post titles is search engine optimization (SEO). The goal of SEO is improving the amount of web traffic to your company’s website from search engines. In order to optimize blog post titles, we recommend that the title is no more than 50 characters long. Therefore, the content is able to quickly grab the reader’s attention before they lose interest.  Additionally, we recommend including the keyword five to seven times throughout the blog to ensure it ranks well on search engines. 

Furthermore, a blog that is enjoyable to read and useful for readers is well-thought out and aimed at the target audience. It is important to keep in mind which stage of the marketing funnel the consumer will most likely be at when reading your blog. Additionally, deciding what your call-to-action (CTA) will be before writing the body of the blog will help you stay on track and not veer off into unrelated topics.