You’ve just taken on a new job that you can’t wait to share out online. But you need to know how to package it all up to get the best return on your efforts. One area that recruiters often don’t spend enough time on is the job advert title. Getting this right is often the key to a successful job advert. Let’s look at how you can create job advert headlines that candidates can’t help but click…
The Importance of a Good Job Advert Title
There’s a widely quoted statistic that goes something like this: 80% of people will read your content headline but only 20% will click through and read your content. When you think about this in the context of job ads you can see why a good advert title is so important.
With so many job ads published every single day you need to ensure you maximise every opportunity to reach and engage your audience. After all, you know what’s said about first impressions… So, when thinking about crafting a great job title, here are some things to focus on.
The Hook
The best way to think about an advert title is as a hook. It’s how you draw a candidate in, entice and inspire them, and encourage them to read more. It’s just like an email subject line or a blog title – a good headline ensures that candidates want to read and know more.
What a Good Advert Title Looks Like
A good way to define an effective job title is with the following three criteria:
- The type of role
- The seniority of the role
- Something unique about the challenges of the job
Of course, it’s not always easy or possible to include all three in an advert title but if you manage at least one or two then you’ll create a far more compelling headline for your job ads. Bear in mind though that a unique title should still be one that’s easily found by search engines.
Read: 5 SEO Bad Practices You Need to Stop Using In Your Job Ads
Focus on Who
To help you write a job advert title that ticks the three criteria outlined above, start by thinking about your ideal candidate. Define who that is, what they look like, and what they want from a job before putting pen to paper. This will enable you to write something that resonates and that piques their interest.
Accuracy
Then focus on writing a header that’s accurate and reflective of the job you’re advertising. Don’t write something sensational or untrue just to stand out – this will only backfire. So, concise, clear, and functional should be your watchwords. The phrase to keep in mind here is: ‘Does what it says on the tin.’ So, for example, advertise for a ‘Telesales’ position not a ‘Marketer’.
Enticing
Of course, this is more subjective, but it’s important. You need to create headlines that candidates want to click on. If you know your ideal candidate well, then you’ll know what they’re looking for in a job title. This will help you write headlines that have a higher conversion rate. Candidates, too, will know what to expect so this ties into the accuracy criteria we outlined above.
So, headlines matter. They’re the first point of contact between a candidate and the job you are trying to fill so you need to make them count. Use some of the above advice and you’ll find you’re far more successful with your job ads! Next stop - check out our list of the hottest job titles of the year for some inspiration.
