Anybody worth his or her salt in advertising needs to remember that the most tantalizing headline is the one that piques your reader’s interest. And not only can they *grab attention*, they can also make your message easy to read, convey your main selling points, and lead your customer to a sale.
The movers and shakers of copywriting have long been whipping up different verbal ingredients to come up with the recipe of dynamite headlines. And now, your Starting Five:
The Question, “Are You Worried About Your Financial Future?”
What’s good about the question headline is that it goads your listener to think, making them participate in the message you wish to convey. And once your readers are drawn in, all they have to do is keep reading your newsletter, Web copy or advertisement to find out more information. Again, make sure the question focuses on the reader’s interest, not yours. What not to do – “Do You Know That We Have A Neat New Product?” (Nobody cares, silly!)
The How-to, “How to Get Thinner Thighs in 30 Days.”
Human nature dictates that people want to know how to do things, thus the how-to headline’s effectiveness. Notice how many book titles begin with those two simple words. Think of the benefits your product/service offers and then try creating some “how to” headlines.
The Testimonial, i.e. “Bob Jones of Chicago, IL Is The Mozart of the Consulting Concerto — He Boosted Our Sales By 25%!”
Why not let your clients do the selling for you? More people can be convinced to use their services if you include some positive commendations. Tip: To appear credible, always include your clients’ full names and the cities they live in.
The Command, “Boost Your Business Today!”
It’s all about taking your one most obvious benefit and making it into a commanding headline – examples include “Turn Your D Student Teen Into An A Student”, “Look 21 at 41!” or “Increase Your Sales Up To 25 Percent!” (By the way, throwing a number into your headline is another good tactic. And we have observed readers have a strange fixation with odd numbers!)
The News – “Introducing The New Diet Pill That Made Joe S. of Oceanside, CA 75 Pounds Lighter In 5 Months!
The last member of our Starting Five headlines is an unpredictable sort, mainly it only performs if there is actually some grand news to share. Uh, maybe something that could improve a person’s life or a business’ bottom line. Don’t try to make news out of something that’s not.
Whether you have an article, a blog site, an e-zine, a newsletter, brochure, Web site or other form of promotional literature, people will read it if they know what’s in it for them. With these headlines, you’ll be a winner in the ball game of copywriting!
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