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How To Write Headlines That
Will Attract Interested
Prospects and Sell More of Your
Products or Services
All your marketing materials must contain
headlines if you want them to sell.
This includes all ads, sales letters, websites,
press releases, etc. And yes, I did say websites.
Some people don't realize that their website is an
advertisement. I come across far too many
websites that don't include a headline telling me
why I should stay and browse the site!
Why should all your marketing materials have
headlines? First, competition for your readers'
attention is fierce. Everyday, people are
bombarded with advertising of all sorts: TV and
radio commercials, billboards all over town,
newspaper and magazine ads, numerous forms of
advertising on the Internet. Even grocery stores
are overflowing with ads - special prices, new
and improved products, low-fat this, and
sugar-free that - and the list goes on. People are
becoming numb to this excessive exposure to
advertising. And if you want even the slightest
chance of selling your product or service, you'd
better have a powerful headline to grab their
attention.
Next, you only have a split second to catch your
prospect's attention. If you don't have a headline
that commands immediate attention, the rest of
your copy goes un-read. Which, of course, means
you won't get the lead or make the sale.
Also, the headline is what gives your prospect a
reason to read your ad (or other marketing
piece). People don't just read what's put in front
of them. They read what interests them and can
benefit them in some way. This applies to
websites too! With so many websites failing to
use this basic, highly effective marketing tool,
your site will stand out in the crowd with a
compelling headline.
Types of headlines
Here are some of the most common types of
headlines you can use:
- Promise of a major benefit
- Solution to a problem
- Flag headline
- Warning headline
- Testimonial headline
Often times, good headlines use a combination of
these, and I'll discuss each of them in detail.
1) Promise of a Major Benefit
This is the safest, most widely used type of
headline. And for it to be as effective as possible,
it must display the #1 benefit your prospect will
receive by purchasing your product or service.
The most effective way to determine this benefit
is to survey your customers - by phone, email, or
postal mail. Ask them the top 3 reasons for
purchasing your product or service, and have
them rank them in order. It's a good idea to offer
your customers an incentive for providing you
with this information. A free report related to
your product or service is easy to write, and will
give you leverage in getting more responses.
Once you get 10 (preferably 20 or more)
responses, the #1 benefit will be clear. Then
simply incorporate this benefit into your headline.
If you don't have any customers to survey, you
may have to do the work yourself. Write every
benefit a customer would experience with your
product or service. If you really spend some time
on this, you may be surprised to find that what
you thought was the #1 benefit was actually
secondary. List everything you can think of, and
don't hold back - a minor benefit may spark a
new idea - revealing the most important benefit.
This process can make the difference between an
ad that flops and an ad that brings in record
breaking sales.
Once you have the #1 benefit, you're halfway
there. Use some of the following techniques to
craft a winning headline for maximum profits.
2) Solution to a problem
This type of headline is a slight variation of the
#1 benefit headline. The problem solved by your
product or service is the #1 benefit - it's just
presented in a problem/solution format.
Example:
"Now You Can Melt at Least 3 Inches of Fat from
Your Waist in 30 Days or Less - Guaranteed!" This
headline presents the benefit of reducing fat in
the waist as the #1 solution to the problem of
having excess fat in the waist area.
Note: When you use a problem/solution headline,
be sure you're providing a real solution or cure to
a problem, and not just a way to "prevent" a
problem. Solutions are a hundred times easier to
sell than prevention. People tend not to worry
about problems until they actually exist.
Want proof? Just look at how much fast food,
tobacco, and alcohol today's society consumes.
And look at how many people are out of shape
these days. These people don't seem to be very
concerned with preventing heart disease, lung
cancer, obesity, etc. But when they begin to
experience the negative side effects, people
want a solution fast.
Yes, it is unfortunate. But when you've got the
solution to an overwhelming problem, you're in a
powerful position to create a win/win situation.
You provide the solution in exchange for money in
your bank account.
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3) The Flag Headline
A flag is a phrase calling for the attention of a
particular person or group. Use a flag headline to
attract your target audience - those most likely
to buy your product or service. For example:
Attention: New Mothers!
New Exercise Safely Burns the Fat You Gained
During Your Pregnancy in Less than 60 Days -
Guaranteed!
You can also use the flag headline to increase
response by catering your offer to readers of the
publication you're advertising in.
Example:
Distribution Center is one of ISite's developer
ready applications. These customizable, easy to
set up tools provide your clients with secure
and dynamic solutions.
Join our Free Partner Program now!
Attention: Newborn Journal Readers!
New, Exercise Safely Burns the Fat You Gained
During Your Pregnancy in Less than 60 Days -
Guaranteed!
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4) The Warning Headline
This type of headline can yield tremendous results
when used properly. There are a few ways to use
this approach. Your headline can propose a
warning to read your message before making a
purchase. Or you can use the warning to flag a
specific audience. The following example uses
both of these techniques.
* Warning: Dieters *
Don't eat another reduced-calorie meal until you
read this startling message... Why Your Current
Eating Habits May be Doing More Damage to Your
Body Than Good!
5) The Testimonial Headline
This is simply a satisfied customer testimonial
used as a headline.
Here's an example:
"Big Boulder Protein Powder helped me pack on 11
pounds of muscle and reduce my body fat by
6.4% in only 37 days, without changing my
exercise routine, and I'm convinced it can do the
same for you too."
The quotes around the headline signify that it's
an actual quote from a customer, giving it added
validity.
When using this method, it's important that the
testimonial has a strong impact. It must make a
significant claim related to a major benefit of your
product or service. Don't just use an "average"
testimonial, or it won't have the desired effect.
A note about using numbers: Specific beats
general. In the example above, notice that I
used: "11 pounds of muscle" instead of "over 10
pounds" and... "reduced my body fat by 6.4%"
instead of just 6% and... "in only 37 days" instead
of "less than 6 weeks". These specific numbers
make the statement more believable and will bring
better results.
Another key point: Notice that I used the phrase
"without changing my exercise routine". This
shows the reader that the product itself (not the
workout routine) was solely responsible for the
results. It's crucial that your product or service is
"easy" to use and get the desired results. People
buy simplicity, not complications.
Power Words for Stronger Headlines
Here are some power words that will make your
headline irresistible:
You
Free
Discover
Guarantee
New
Announcing
Now
How/How to
Easy
Health
Love
Proven
Save
Safety
Incorporate these words into your headline,
where appropriate, and watch your response
rates soar.
Headline Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs If you
want your headlines to sell (and of course you
do), don't waste your time or advertising dollars
on these common mistakes.
- Don't be a comedian (even if you are one)
Don't use headlines that try to be clever, cute, or
use a play on words. This is definitely NOT the
way to get attention and entice readers to take
action. Stick with the proven methods discussed
earlier.
- DON'T USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS
Capitals will not make your headline more
effective. People are just not accustomed to
reading words in all capital letters. This just
makes it more difficult on the eyes and harder to
read. Occasional words may be capitalized for
emphasis, but not your entire headline.
- Don't use excessive punctuation!!!!!!!!
Besides looking amateurish, it screams "hype"
from a mile away. A big turn-off.
- Don't let graphics (or anything else) take
attention away from your headline.
The headline is the most important part of your
sales piece. Any distractions will hinder results.
You can use graphics to enhance your sales
piece, but not to distract from its purpose.
- Don't try to get "everyone's" attention with
your headline.
If you advertise with the mindset that your
product or service is for everyone, you've already
lost. Only a specific group of people will respond
to your offer. And you should only attempt to
reach that specific audience with your headline
(and all your other marketing materials). This is a
basic marketing principle known as "target
marketing" (a great topic for a future article)
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