With the recent blog explosion keeping up with everyone and reading blogs has become more like work. Sure, there are still enjoyable moments but I have a lot to wade though to find posts that I really enjoy. My frustration comes from a reading list full of titles that tell me little or nothing about what the post is about. Here's what my I saw on my reader on Monday.
A couple of the titles look interesting but the rest have cut off the part of the title that would give me an idea if I wanted to click and read. The only reason for putting the prompt in your title is so that it will show up in the roll up widget at GeneaBloggers. Consider flip-flopping your title so that the prompt is at the end. It will still get picked up by the Google Reader widget that creates the roll up.
Give your post titles some thought. Tease me, inform me but make sure you give me a reason to click and read!
17 comments:
Amen, Apple.
I made the change. Thanks for the tip!
Point well taken. Thank you!
Thank you for this great, simple tip!
Excellent idea - thanks for coming up with it and posting it on Tuesday's Tip.
You're absolutely right! Thank you.
Oh I hear ya Sista! I just checked my google reader - It appears that I am following over 600 blogs! No wonder I feel like I cannot get caught up with reading much less blogging! Got to make the time to make that number more realistic.,
I couldn't agree more, Apple! For me, the blogging prompts in the post titles get in the way. I sometimes post with the prompts in mind but rarely include them in the title (and, unfortunately, miss being included in the geneablogger listings, of course). I hope lots of other bloggers see you post. Thanks!
Thanks for the graphic, it tells all. Since I don't use this, who knew??
I feel really silly to ask but - what's a prompt? Aloha, Donna
Thanks Apple, good suggestion. Now to change a bad habit!
Great advice Apple - I hope more bloggers pick up on your idea!
Donna Wendt - a "prompt" is a specific topic for a given day that many bloggers use for writing blog posts. It is like "Tombstone Tuesday" or "Military Monday" or "Monday Madness" etc., etc.
Wow! I never can predict which posts will generate comments. Thank you all.
Carol - I think you follow at least as many blogs as I do. What reader or method do you use?
Nancy - I had originally titled this "Blogging Tip" but changed it so people could check and see that putting the prompt last does get included in the roll up. I would be very interested in how many people actually use the roll ups to pick posts to read. I personally don't think you are missing out by not using the prompts in your titles!
Apple, I don't have the time to follow 600 blogs. I often use the roll-ups to pick posts to read, because if there is a particular topic that interests me (Surname Saturday and Tombstone Tuesday come to mind right off the bat), I can read all the posts on that topic, even for blogs that I don't normally follow.
Many thanks for your tip. I am quite new to blogging and thought I had to put the prompt at the start of the title for it to get picked up in the Genealabloggers listing. You are right that sometimes my title got cut short.
Susan,.
I use Reader also, but always open the full client, not the gadget, so never noticed this.
I will pay more attention to my post titles in the future. Thanks for bringing this up.
Amanda - Thanks for your imput. I'll continue adding them to my titles for now.
Jenna - I can expand my window but then I have to move back to see my next category so I don't like to. I'm sure there is some short cut key I haven't discovered.
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