DateableBoard listing title examples for every kind of invitation
A strong Board title names the occasion first, then the city or day, so an applicant knows at a glance whether the invitation suits them.
A strong Board listing title names the occasion first, then the city or the day, so applicants know whether it suits them before they open it. Below are examples for every kind of invitation, each paired with a weaker version and what to change.
Dinner invitations
The strongest dinner titles say what kind of dinner and where, in that order. They let the applicant picture the evening before they read the details.
- Strong: "Fine dining in Sydney Saturday". Weak: "Date". Change: the reader has no idea what you are offering or where, so add both.
- Strong: "Casual dinner date, Melbourne". Weak: "Looking for dinner". Change: add the city, or applicants from other cities apply anyway.
- Strong: "Long slow dinner and wine, Brisbane". Weak: "Dinner in Brisbane". Change: the weak title is clear but flat. One word about the kind of evening draws people who want that evening.
Event invitations
An event title names the kind of event and the city, so the applicant knows whether they will enjoy it and whether they can get there. An applicant reading on their phone will not know where a festival or gala is unless you say.
- Strong: "Opera opening night, Sydney". Weak: "Opera night". Change: add the city, because the applicant needs to know how far they would travel.
- Strong: "Gallery opening in Perth". Weak: "Art gallery opening". Change: the weak version leaves out the city.
- Strong: "Charity gala dinner, Melbourne". Weak: "Charity gala". Change: with the city in the title, applicants nearby know straight away whether they can make it.
Travel invitations
For a trip, name the destination and how long you are going, or the dates if you have them. Someone might want a weekend away but not a week. A famous destination needs fewer words: everyone knows where Paris is. A less obvious place needs more.
- Strong: "Ski trip to Thredbo, 4 days". Weak: "Thredbo trip". Change: add the length, so an applicant can see whether they can take the time off.
- Strong: "Wine country long weekend, Barossa". Weak: "Weekend away". Change: say where, or someone five hours away applies thinking it is local.
- Strong: "Island holiday, Fiji, two weeks". Weak: "Fiji holiday". Change: add the duration. The longer the trip, the more it matters.
Experience invitations
An experience is something you do together that is not a meal: a class, a concert, a walk, an adventure. Name the experience and the place so the applicant knows what to expect and what to wear.
- Strong: "Cooking class, Melbourne Saturday". Weak: "Cooking together". Change: add the place and day, so the applicant can check they are free.
- Strong: "Jazz festival, Melbourne". Weak: "Festival date". Change: name the kind of festival. It tells the applicant what the day is like and how to dress.
- Strong: "Easy day walk, Blue Mountains". Weak: "Hiking". Change: name the place and how hard it is, so they know what shoes to bring.
Ongoing arrangements
An ongoing invitation repeats. Name what you will do and how often. An applicant who wants a one-off date sees "weekly" or "monthly" and knows this one is not for them.
- Strong: "Weekly dinners, Perth". Weak: "Regular dates". Change: say the rhythm. An applicant who is too busy for weekly knows before applying.
- Strong: "Fortnightly dinners, flexible night, Adelaide". Weak: "Companionship". Change: the weak title says nothing about how often or where, so applicants who want once a month apply when you want once a fortnight.
- Strong: "Monthly weekend away from Sydney". Weak: "Weekend getaways". Change: "monthly" tells the applicant the rhythm, not only the activity.
Mentoring invitations
If you offer mentoring, name the field and who it suits. Someone hoping for a dinner date and someone hoping for career advice want different things, and a clear title saves both of you a wasted application.
- Strong: "Mentoring a first-time founder, online". Weak: "Mentoring". Change: name who it suits and what kind, so the right people apply.
- Strong: "Career advice for people in tech". Weak: "Career mentoring". Change: name the industry, so a lawyer looking for guidance knows it is not for them.
- Strong: "Business guidance for startups, Sydney". Weak: "Business mentor". Change: add the city and the stage of business, so applicants can tell whether they fit.
Check your title against the limit and the phone
A title must be 8 to 80 characters. Every strong example above is under 50, and that is a good target: short enough to read in one glance on a phone, long enough to hold the occasion and the place. If yours runs long, cut adjectives before you cut the city or the day.
Read it as a stranger scrolling listings on the Board. Ask two questions: do I know what happens, and do I know where or when? If either answer is no, add the missing piece.
Opera opening night, Sydney
That title answers both questions in four words. "Opera night" answers one. "Evening out" answers neither.
The title is the first thing an applicant sees, but the details do the rest of the work. The guide to posting an invitation covers the details, the offer and the "looking for" field. When the title passes both questions, write your listing.
