Friday 27 June 2014

The art of making Titles

'You won't believe what this boy did after watching Suarez's bite'



What above title will do to you? will you click on the link or will you not? (don't say 'depends'). Today's internet is flooded with the titles which are hungry for your clicks. Is everyone so desperate to see the 'link clicks' graph breaking out of their screen?





Are these all agencies or brands themselves (may be managers who want to make a mark in front of their seniors) adapting the 'clickable title' strategy to showcase the quick links clicks & CTR growth? and what happens once you click on these links? do you find the results you are expecting? or you just increased your internet bill?






My observation so far, is all the entities on the web are dying to have one click from your mouse, completely ignoring the quality of the content one is expecting after clicking that link. At some places it turns out to be a whole different content vis a vis what titles says.
To add more to it, Social Media sites are fueling this phenomenon rapidly. When a common social media user is scrolling down his wall & sees such title (with nicely decorated image) ends up clicking it & falls into the trap. Gets redirected to the webpage where more of such 'overly exaggerated titles' awaits him.I have also came across articles where social media experts have commented that this kind approach is OK as long as you are getting clicks.



As a marketer I think the approach is not only wrong but also criminal. Brands should never try to misguide the audience (especially online audience).



As long as we have good quality content we need not worry too much about the title that our whole point of focus becomes the 'title' rather than the content. A good quality & relevant content is what online users need, who care little about the title.

I have been a regular victim of such traps. Have you ever came across such title traps? Tweet me on @socialzubair or http://www.twitter.com/socialzubair

What happens when we lack original ideas?

India unlike other countries (and when I say unlike it also includes China) is a very surprising place for marketers (especially for the digital marketers).
A major chunk of digital enthusiasts believe that India has a lot of potential and hopes for the digital world, while fewer of them are still doubtful.

Image source: hiscox.com

It is very important for the marketers to keep in mind that India is a developing country, majority of the people are busy earning their bread and butter, & with the little internet inclusion it is difficult to make an impact on a large audience with the so called great ideas that we come up with.

So what catches the eye of an average middle class Indian? The major factor that will drive the interest of Indian audience and successfully keep them engaged is the continues flow of original ideas. It will also earn the credibility & help the digital medium set its roots firmly in the hearts of not so bold Indian audience.



Image Source: charlestlee.com


Original Ideas will open up new dimensions for the target audience & will help them grow over their learning curve. For the brands it will act as a galvanizing agent and make them confident enough to try out 'out of the box' approach.


Image Source: thefreshideascompany.com/

I am of an opinion that if brands think beyond likes, shares & leads then there is no market like this to try out crazy ideas. What is your take on this? tweet me on @socialzubair or http://www.twitter.com/socialzubair