Do presentation titles matter? How to grab attention and get booked
First impressions are important: they set the tone for the entire relationship that follows.
A bad impression is hard to bounce back from. Once someone decides what they think, convincing them upwards is an uphill battle.
Your title makes the first impression for your talk.
Your talk’s title can mean the difference between being chosen to speak and being passed up, between audiences showing up or not.
It sets an expectation for the entire presentation.
You only get one chance to make that first impression—so make it good.
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Make sure your headlines are no longer than they need to be. Nail the technique or catch the vibe you want first, then reduce the word count, if possible.
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Name your audience and highlight the outcome of your talk.
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Highlight the keywords and use engaging language
There’s nothing wrong with using a basic title. There are only so many ways to introduce your topic succinctly, but if you want to attract event organizers and an audience, putting extra thought into an alluring title can go a long way.
7 Types of presentation titles:
1. Direct
“Leadership that creates transformative impact”
Get to the point as quickly as possible, and don’t dress it up.
The beauty in the simplicity is that it doesn’t leave any questions or room for confusion. Some organizers will be instantly attracted to your straightforward approach. Make sure to include some meaningful adjectives or it might come off as dull or unengaging.
2. Teaser
“Being legendary doesn’t happen by accident”
Leave the event organizer desperate to know more about your topic.
It works well because it instantly grabs attention and creates interest. Just make sure that there is enough indication about what your topic is about and, most importantly, that you can back up your claims.
3. How-to
“How to be an impactful leader in your community”
Be upfront about what your practical takeaways are going to be.
The reason “how-to” titles, articles, and headlines are so popular is because they get to the practical heart of the content. The audience will be allured by instantly knowing what takeaways they will walk away with.
4. List
“3 Ways to be an impactful leader”
Promise your audience a quantifiable return on listening to your talk.
Lists are almost as popular as “how-to”’s for many of the same reasons. They promise a takeaway and spatially organize the information. Audiences love lists because they are both finite and subtly suggest that the content is quantifiable upfront.
5. Question
“What does impactful leadership look like?”
Showcase you are in-tune with what your audience is concerned about.
Framing your title as a query title acts as an invitation. It promises that your talk can answer the question and your content will be succinct and focused on your audience’s needs.
6. Command
“Transform your community with impactful leadership”
Tell the audience what to do, and how your talk is going to help them do it.
Direction grabs attention. You jump right to the results of listening to your message and motivate your audience to tune-in. This type of title is perfect for talks that are instructional or technical.
7. News
“2017: Communities change views on leadership”
Convey authority and currentness by taking a journalistic approach.
Creating a title that reads like a news headline works because it instantly grabs attention by promising current, relevant information. It’s attractive to audiences who are looking for new ideas, trends, and updates from the specific topic or industry.
Need some inspiration? Check out this massive list of examples: https://www.powtoon.com/blog/91-headline-formulas/
Need some more tips on creating memorable presentations and getting hired? Check out these articles:
- MasterClass with Aurora Gregory: "Get Picked: Tips, tricks and tools for landing a conference speaking spot"
- Creating Effective Presentation Slides: Which Platform to Use?
- 5 Original ideas on how to kick off your presentation
- The Do’s and Don’ts when giving a presentation
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