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 Internet 101: How To Write Great Headlines Every time!
(Copyright 2003) By Dave Turner
Believe it or not, just changing the headline has been known
to improve the effectiveness of an ad or salesletter by up
to 1700 percent. Yes, headlines are that powerful--and that
important!
An effective headline will do many things at once. It will
attract the readers attention, convey benefits by appealing
to the readers self interest and it will set the stage
for what is to come. It will also target the audience for
which it was intended.
But the number one thing a headline should always do is
answer the question, "What's in it for me?" Why? Because
most people are inherently selfish, and ultimately, that's
all many of us really care about.
So what are the characteristics of a good headline? First
and foremost, an effective headline must be believable. Most
people have been taught that if it sounds too good to be
true, it probably is.
However, if your product really can make me: jump higher
than Kobe Bryant, attract as many women as I want, or make
me millions while I sleep; if you put it in your headline, you had
better be able to effectively prove it in your copy.
Many experts believe the shorter the headline, the better. I
don't necessarily agree with that. However, keeping your
headlines to fifteen words or less is a good idea.
Make sure your headlines are easy to read. When typesetting
your headlines don't use fancy fonts, reverse type, all
caps or italics. I recommend you utilize a simple, easy to
read type style such as Times Roman.
Headlines that evoke emotions are the most effective and
generally make more sales. Emotions motivate people into
action. The stronger the emotion, the quicker the action.
Therefore, headlines that make the reader afraid of losing
something or excited about gaining something will invariably produce the
best results.
Using the proper words and phrases is critical. Below I've
listed just a few of the words and phrases that have proven
to be very effective at grabbing the readers attention.
Save... Amazing... Finally... Love... Secrets Of...
Announcing... Free... Luxury... Security... At Last...
New... Bargains... Obsession... Breakthrough... Protect...
The Truth About... Discover... How To... Rewards... Yes...
Sale... You... Are You... Sex... Win... Improve... Do You...
After grabbing your readers attention, this is where you
want to answer the question, "What's in it for me?"
To do this, you have to know a little about your target
audience. What are they interested in? What are their
priorities? What makes them respond?
Craft your headlines to use words and phrases that will
pique your potential buyers interest. If you are targeting
people interested in starting their own home business, try
phrases such as "Stay Home And Make Money" or "Kiss Your Job
Goodbye Forever". If your product happens to be diet pills,
try "Lose 10 Pounds In 10 Days".
A word of caution here. This is the point where headlines
tend to get unbelievable. Make sure that your claims are
truthful and that your copy supports their truthfulness.
Once you have a firm grasp of the aforementioned basics,
look around your house and select several different products, and write
as many headlines as you can think of for each product.
Write variations of the same headline until you have exhausted all the
ideas you can think of. This will be both frustrating and difficult at
first, but it will become easier with practice. Remember, nothing
worthwhile ever comes easy.
After you have your list of headlines, make sure each one passes the
test for the following criteria for a good headline. 1. Does it grab the
readers attention? 2. Does it answer the question, "What's in it for
me?" 3. Is it truthful? If a potential headline does not meet these
three criteria, rewrite it or eliminate it from your list altogether.
Continue using the process of elimination, one headline at a
time, until you're left with what you feel is the absolute
best and strongest headline.
How will you know which headline is the best?
Well you can always ask friends or relatives for their
opinions. However, there's no way to know for sure until you
test it. So ultimately, it's going to come down to your own
gut instinct.
Til next time...
About The Author
Dave Turner is a writer and entrepreneur with over twenty
years of marketing experience. Questions? Comments? Dave can
be reached at mailto:internet-marketing-xpert.com Website:
marketing
expert will teach you how to kiss your job goodbye forever! |
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