The success of a business plan stands or falls on its ability to get potential investors to take a moment to read it. Nothing works better for doing this than well-written headlines designed to interrupt and engage investors. Here are five fundamental rules for writing and incorporating headlines into your business plan.
More important than anything else, try to get investors' self-interests into every headline you write. Make your headlines suggest to investors that there is something about your business plan or venture they want. This rule seems so obvious. Yet, absent omitting headlines entirely, it is the rule most often violated. Replace overused one word headings like "Company", "Products", "Market", Financials" with headlines that appeal to investors' self-interests like making money, protecting their investment, or building trust.
Be sure to get news worthy information like new products, new uses for old products, or technological breakthroughs into your headlines whenever possible.
Avoid "curiosity" headlines. Marketing and advertising professionals have proven through testing and experience that the effectiveness of the average curiosity headline is, at best, doubtful. For every curiosity headline that succeeds in getting an investor to read further, a dozen will fail. Instead, combine curiosity with news or self-interest to create a single, more compelling headline capable of drawing investors into your plan.
Take a positive angle with your headlines. Avoid headlines that paint gloomy or negative pictures of your business venture or markets. For example, if you are targeting a market with millions of suffers, emphasize in your headlines how the business venture can benefit them.
Demonstrate through your headlines that here is a business plan that will generate results and is backed by evidence. Let your headlines educate investors about the opportunity, risks, and the available options.
Of course it goes without saying that in using any of these rules be sure to make your headline believable. In most cases, "too good to be true" headlines will not draw experienced investors into your plan.
Thursday, 29 December 2011
Saturday, 24 December 2011
3 Things to Include When Writing Sales Page Headlines
Your headline is the most important part of your sales page because if you can't capture people;s attention and make them want to read more, it doesn't matter what else you've written, it will never get seen. Your headline needs to catch your target market's attention and make them want to read more, and trying to write a headline is a sticking point for many business owners writing their own copy. So, here I've included the top 3 things you'll want to include when writing your sales page headline.
A mention to your specific target audience or their problem
For maximum effect, you want to make sure your sales page is in front of the eyes of your specific target market, so if you can, give them a direct mention in the headline so that they know exactly who it is this will appeal to.
For example:
"Worried about hair loss?"
"Aged between 18-23 and trying to figure out your next career move?"
"Calling all Bluegrass fans looking for live music..."
Can you see how in an instant a reader knows if this is going to be relevant to his or her situation? That's what you want in your headline.
Highlight the problem
In the above examples, we've already touched on this, but to build on identifying your target market, you next need to remind them of the problem that they are having. So for example wit "worried about hair loss", it isn't just speaking to people who are losing their hair, it is speaking to people who have the problem of worrying about losing their hair. In your headline try to capture an element of the problem your customer is having as this will remind them of whatever discomfort they have that you can solve.
Promise a solution
Now that you've identified your target market, reminded them of their problem, you want to show them that what you have can solve that problem. This is what's going to pull them in to read the rest of your sales page because you are now talking to someone who wants a solution that you have.
For example:
"Embarrassed about stained teeth? White-glo returns your teeth to their natural whiteness simply in minutes"
"Hate writing headlines for your sales page? Download our free templates for instant headlines today"
Now, those are the 3 main things to include but as a bonus point, if you can include some kind of urgency, or some kind of surprise benefit (such as solving the problem in minutes) you're going to attract even more people to your sales page.
A mention to your specific target audience or their problem
For maximum effect, you want to make sure your sales page is in front of the eyes of your specific target market, so if you can, give them a direct mention in the headline so that they know exactly who it is this will appeal to.
For example:
"Worried about hair loss?"
"Aged between 18-23 and trying to figure out your next career move?"
"Calling all Bluegrass fans looking for live music..."
Can you see how in an instant a reader knows if this is going to be relevant to his or her situation? That's what you want in your headline.
Highlight the problem
In the above examples, we've already touched on this, but to build on identifying your target market, you next need to remind them of the problem that they are having. So for example wit "worried about hair loss", it isn't just speaking to people who are losing their hair, it is speaking to people who have the problem of worrying about losing their hair. In your headline try to capture an element of the problem your customer is having as this will remind them of whatever discomfort they have that you can solve.
Promise a solution
Now that you've identified your target market, reminded them of their problem, you want to show them that what you have can solve that problem. This is what's going to pull them in to read the rest of your sales page because you are now talking to someone who wants a solution that you have.
For example:
"Embarrassed about stained teeth? White-glo returns your teeth to their natural whiteness simply in minutes"
"Hate writing headlines for your sales page? Download our free templates for instant headlines today"
Now, those are the 3 main things to include but as a bonus point, if you can include some kind of urgency, or some kind of surprise benefit (such as solving the problem in minutes) you're going to attract even more people to your sales page.
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Online Business - Email Marketing Tactics (Part 1 of 3) Writing Headlines That Grab Your Customers
Headlines are absolutely vital for all your marketing efforts. Whether you plan to use them on your website, your emails, your newsletters or anywhere else, they're the hook that grabs your readers, reels them in and turns them into customers. There are dozens of different kinds of headlines that you can use and some of them are better than others. These are the ones that I use, and that I've found the most effective.
The No Nonsense Headline
The first type of headline you can use is the simplest. No frills, no tricks, no hooks, just a straightforward description of the contents of your message. You could produce something like:
Tips To Save Money On Your Weekly Shopping
The Best Way To Choose Your Next Car
Real Estate Agents That Shift Property Fast!
Notice that you can still use explanations and hard-hitting adjectives to get your point across, but these headlines do little more than tell the reader what to expect.
The advantages of these headlines is that they're easy to write and easy to read. You don't have to try to come up with some hard-hitting sales message and customers aren't put off by a document that looks a piece of promotional material. On the other hand, they're a bit weak and that makes them hard to turn into cash.
When to use it
You can use No Nonsense Headlines when you don't need to work hard to make the sale. If you're sending information that you know your customer will read, either because it's free or because it makes no obligation on them, these are the kind of headlines to use.
The Question Headline
Question headlines work by asking customers a question that plays on their worries and promises a solution further on. These are great devices when you really want to grab a customer and ram your message home.
Want To Save Thousands On Your Home Insurance Bills? Learn How To Cut Your Costs In Half!
Where Do You Look For Love? Discover The Best Places To Meet Your Match!
Suffering From Termites? Drive Them Out With The Extermite-Ator!
To write these headlines, think first of what problem your product is actually going to solve. (If it's not going to solve a problem, then you're going to have a problem selling it!) In the first half of the headline, you ask your customers if they're suffering from the problem. Just by asking, you're suggesting that they do. In the second half of the headline, you tell them that you have the solution. Dead easy and dead effective.
This is a really simple formula to follow: all you have to do is state the question and promise the answer. And it sells too; you've put the problem in the reader's mind, now you're offering the solution.
Of course, these kinds of headlines depend on the reader empathizing with the problem. If they don't, or if they decide that the headlines looks too long to read, they're not likely to buy.
When to use it
Question Headlines are most effective when your product is going to clearly solve someone's problem--and when you know your customers are going to empathize with that problem. If they don't say yes to the question, they're going to say no to the sale.
The How Headline
This is pretty similar to the Question Headline--but only offers the solution. It makes for a shorter read than question headlines so you get your point across faster, but you lose the empathy.
How To Fix Up Your Home Without Breaking The Bank!
How I Made $3,000,000 With One Phone Call!
How I Lost 33 Pounds On A High Fiber Diet And A Revolutionary Light Exercise Plan!
These kinds of headlines cut straight to the problem-solving aspect of your product. They're short and to the point and can be easily absorbed with just a glance.
When to use it
How Headlines are great when the rest of the document is going to reveal information. That information might just be details about your product, but the focus should always be on telling customers how they can solve a problem. These work best when you're selling information products like books or newsletters.
The Numbered Headline
There's a good reason that magazines like Cosmopolitan use headlines like "6 Ways To Drive Your Man Wild!" They work. Most people are put off by the sight of a giant slab of text. They want their information in bite-sized chunks. When you put a number in your headline, you let your reader know that the information you're offering them is going to be easy to read:
7 Ways To Make Your Computer Run Faster
15 Top Tips To Turn Your Website Into A Money spinner
23 Sales Tools That Guarantee A Sealed Deal
The advantage of these headlines is that they promise easy reading, increasing the chances that your text will actually be read. It's also easy to slip a call-to-action sales message into these kind of documents: one of the tools, deals, or ways etc. will be "buy my product"!
On the other hand, easy reading isn't the same as interesting reading. The headline still has to grab your readers to make them want to read it.
When to use it
Numbered Headlines are most effective when you're confident your readers will find your message interesting and you don't have to fight to make them read on. They're best used when you're competing against other articles or sales letters. I use them a lot in newsletters, especially when I know it's going to published in a joint venture partner's newsletter.
The Testimonial Headline
These are some of the toughest headlines to write. You take a chunk of text from a letter written by a satisfied customer and use that as the headline for a sales letter:
"Last Year, I Was Working 12 Hours A Day And Making Just $36,000. Last Month, I Made $32,000 And Worked Three Days A Work--And It's All Down To Your Amazing Methods!"
"I'd Tried Every Weight Loss Program Ever. I'd Tried Dieting, Exercise, High-Fiber, Low Fat, High-Carbs... You Name It, I'd Done It And Nothing Worked. Then I Tried The Lose Fat Fast Program. I Lost 33 Pounds In The First Two Months And I've Never Felt Better!"
"Within A Week Of Sending Out My Resume, I'd Got Three Interviews And A Fantastic Job Offer. I Couldn't Have Done It Without You!"
These headlines puts your reliability right at the top, increasing the customers' confidence to buy. They explain in detail precisely what you're offering and what you can do for the reader. They also create massively long headlines that are difficult to absorb at a glance and can put a reader off.
When to use it
Testimonial headlines are best used in industries where reliability is a bit of a problem. If you're selling weight loss products for example, or any other life-changing service, then a headline like this goes some way towards proving to the buyer that you're on the level.
Those are just five kinds of headlines that I use in my businesses every day. There are dozens more, but these are the ones that I've found the most effective. There's certainly enough here for you to get started. Play around with them, figure out which ones would work best for your business and try them out.
But even the best headline will only grab a reader's eye and get him reading. They won't close the sale. After the headline you'll have to describe all the wonderful benefits of your product--you've got to get the reader to actually take the action that will seal the deal. That's the call to action.
The No Nonsense Headline
The first type of headline you can use is the simplest. No frills, no tricks, no hooks, just a straightforward description of the contents of your message. You could produce something like:
Tips To Save Money On Your Weekly Shopping
The Best Way To Choose Your Next Car
Real Estate Agents That Shift Property Fast!
Notice that you can still use explanations and hard-hitting adjectives to get your point across, but these headlines do little more than tell the reader what to expect.
The advantages of these headlines is that they're easy to write and easy to read. You don't have to try to come up with some hard-hitting sales message and customers aren't put off by a document that looks a piece of promotional material. On the other hand, they're a bit weak and that makes them hard to turn into cash.
When to use it
You can use No Nonsense Headlines when you don't need to work hard to make the sale. If you're sending information that you know your customer will read, either because it's free or because it makes no obligation on them, these are the kind of headlines to use.
The Question Headline
Question headlines work by asking customers a question that plays on their worries and promises a solution further on. These are great devices when you really want to grab a customer and ram your message home.
Want To Save Thousands On Your Home Insurance Bills? Learn How To Cut Your Costs In Half!
Where Do You Look For Love? Discover The Best Places To Meet Your Match!
Suffering From Termites? Drive Them Out With The Extermite-Ator!
To write these headlines, think first of what problem your product is actually going to solve. (If it's not going to solve a problem, then you're going to have a problem selling it!) In the first half of the headline, you ask your customers if they're suffering from the problem. Just by asking, you're suggesting that they do. In the second half of the headline, you tell them that you have the solution. Dead easy and dead effective.
This is a really simple formula to follow: all you have to do is state the question and promise the answer. And it sells too; you've put the problem in the reader's mind, now you're offering the solution.
Of course, these kinds of headlines depend on the reader empathizing with the problem. If they don't, or if they decide that the headlines looks too long to read, they're not likely to buy.
When to use it
Question Headlines are most effective when your product is going to clearly solve someone's problem--and when you know your customers are going to empathize with that problem. If they don't say yes to the question, they're going to say no to the sale.
The How Headline
This is pretty similar to the Question Headline--but only offers the solution. It makes for a shorter read than question headlines so you get your point across faster, but you lose the empathy.
How To Fix Up Your Home Without Breaking The Bank!
How I Made $3,000,000 With One Phone Call!
How I Lost 33 Pounds On A High Fiber Diet And A Revolutionary Light Exercise Plan!
These kinds of headlines cut straight to the problem-solving aspect of your product. They're short and to the point and can be easily absorbed with just a glance.
When to use it
How Headlines are great when the rest of the document is going to reveal information. That information might just be details about your product, but the focus should always be on telling customers how they can solve a problem. These work best when you're selling information products like books or newsletters.
The Numbered Headline
There's a good reason that magazines like Cosmopolitan use headlines like "6 Ways To Drive Your Man Wild!" They work. Most people are put off by the sight of a giant slab of text. They want their information in bite-sized chunks. When you put a number in your headline, you let your reader know that the information you're offering them is going to be easy to read:
7 Ways To Make Your Computer Run Faster
15 Top Tips To Turn Your Website Into A Money spinner
23 Sales Tools That Guarantee A Sealed Deal
The advantage of these headlines is that they promise easy reading, increasing the chances that your text will actually be read. It's also easy to slip a call-to-action sales message into these kind of documents: one of the tools, deals, or ways etc. will be "buy my product"!
On the other hand, easy reading isn't the same as interesting reading. The headline still has to grab your readers to make them want to read it.
When to use it
Numbered Headlines are most effective when you're confident your readers will find your message interesting and you don't have to fight to make them read on. They're best used when you're competing against other articles or sales letters. I use them a lot in newsletters, especially when I know it's going to published in a joint venture partner's newsletter.
The Testimonial Headline
These are some of the toughest headlines to write. You take a chunk of text from a letter written by a satisfied customer and use that as the headline for a sales letter:
"Last Year, I Was Working 12 Hours A Day And Making Just $36,000. Last Month, I Made $32,000 And Worked Three Days A Work--And It's All Down To Your Amazing Methods!"
"I'd Tried Every Weight Loss Program Ever. I'd Tried Dieting, Exercise, High-Fiber, Low Fat, High-Carbs... You Name It, I'd Done It And Nothing Worked. Then I Tried The Lose Fat Fast Program. I Lost 33 Pounds In The First Two Months And I've Never Felt Better!"
"Within A Week Of Sending Out My Resume, I'd Got Three Interviews And A Fantastic Job Offer. I Couldn't Have Done It Without You!"
These headlines puts your reliability right at the top, increasing the customers' confidence to buy. They explain in detail precisely what you're offering and what you can do for the reader. They also create massively long headlines that are difficult to absorb at a glance and can put a reader off.
When to use it
Testimonial headlines are best used in industries where reliability is a bit of a problem. If you're selling weight loss products for example, or any other life-changing service, then a headline like this goes some way towards proving to the buyer that you're on the level.
Those are just five kinds of headlines that I use in my businesses every day. There are dozens more, but these are the ones that I've found the most effective. There's certainly enough here for you to get started. Play around with them, figure out which ones would work best for your business and try them out.
But even the best headline will only grab a reader's eye and get him reading. They won't close the sale. After the headline you'll have to describe all the wonderful benefits of your product--you've got to get the reader to actually take the action that will seal the deal. That's the call to action.
Friday, 16 December 2011
Writing Great Headlines Made Easy
Do you think it takes magic to write a great headline? Nothing could be further from the truth. It just takes a touch of talent, mixed with a bit of technique. And great writers are highly sought after and highly paid.
The number one rule in copywriting, according to copy legend Joe Sugarman, is every single sentence must compel the reader to read the next sentence. This includes the title. Your heading should make a promise to the reader, and your article should back up that promise.
You want to tap into your reader's emotions. Your writing should be passionate and emotional, taking advantage of their wants, needs and desires. You convey the article's main idea by creating titles that are short and punchy.
You don't have to be funny or creative. In fact, it's actually better if you're not. Your headline should almost never be clever or cute... you'll rarely pull the reader that way. (One of my funniest was Roasted Penguin Tastes So Good It Would Make Gandhi Slap His Kids! It was cute; it was clever; and it failed miserably.)
You'll want to spend some time mastering this ability, as it is an art. Not everyone can successfully craft attractive, eye-catching headings. The good news is that by developing this ability, you'll leave your competition in the dust.
Writing headlines is much like writing a song. In a song, the words must be appealing and in harmony with the music. The same is true in copy. A banner must sing. In other words, it should be in harmony with the story and sound satisfying to the reader.
Short, sweet, and active. That's the sign of a good heading (and good writing, in general.) Say only what is needed to make your point and give a benefit to the reader. Support that point with short, active paragraphs. Promise even more benefits in the body, too.
Getting attention is the main objective of a great heading. Think of it like a pickup line in the clubs... if you don't get slapped it just might get you a few more minutes to tell your story.
You can make a headline funny if you want, but this generally works best offline. People are just not searching for clever headlines; they're searching for information. So create clear, concise, lines rich with the keywords they're using. These are much better. Plus, you get rewarded by Google with higher rankings because you're relevant. And higher rankings is what you're after, right?
The number one rule in copywriting, according to copy legend Joe Sugarman, is every single sentence must compel the reader to read the next sentence. This includes the title. Your heading should make a promise to the reader, and your article should back up that promise.
You want to tap into your reader's emotions. Your writing should be passionate and emotional, taking advantage of their wants, needs and desires. You convey the article's main idea by creating titles that are short and punchy.
You don't have to be funny or creative. In fact, it's actually better if you're not. Your headline should almost never be clever or cute... you'll rarely pull the reader that way. (One of my funniest was Roasted Penguin Tastes So Good It Would Make Gandhi Slap His Kids! It was cute; it was clever; and it failed miserably.)
You'll want to spend some time mastering this ability, as it is an art. Not everyone can successfully craft attractive, eye-catching headings. The good news is that by developing this ability, you'll leave your competition in the dust.
Writing headlines is much like writing a song. In a song, the words must be appealing and in harmony with the music. The same is true in copy. A banner must sing. In other words, it should be in harmony with the story and sound satisfying to the reader.
Short, sweet, and active. That's the sign of a good heading (and good writing, in general.) Say only what is needed to make your point and give a benefit to the reader. Support that point with short, active paragraphs. Promise even more benefits in the body, too.
Getting attention is the main objective of a great heading. Think of it like a pickup line in the clubs... if you don't get slapped it just might get you a few more minutes to tell your story.
You can make a headline funny if you want, but this generally works best offline. People are just not searching for clever headlines; they're searching for information. So create clear, concise, lines rich with the keywords they're using. These are much better. Plus, you get rewarded by Google with higher rankings because you're relevant. And higher rankings is what you're after, right?
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
The Four Critical Components To Writing Attention Grabbing Headlines
This is not only one of my favorite topics but one of my favorite things to do: Writing powerful, "attention grabbing," benefit driven, knock out punch headlines that are oozing with excitement that get your prospects to TAKE ACTION! (ok, clearly got carried away right there).
The headline of your sales messages, whether in an on-line ad, in the local newspaper or in an email subject line is responsible for 70% to 80% of the response from your sales message. The success or failure of any marketing effort rests, to a large degree, on the power of your headline.
Pay very close attention...
David Ogilvy is one of the most respected modern day marketing authorities. He revealed that, with the average headline, only 200 people out of 1000 will go on to read your ad. And that is where your profit is sitting. Capture another 200 customers with an exciting headline and you will double your sales. Lose 100 readers with a poor headline and you lose half your sales. Big difference.
Headlines are just that important. Even poorly written ads have been very successful because of the overwhelming power of interesting and exciting "attention grabbing" headlines.
Your prospects will decide whether to read your sales message in only two or three seconds. That's all the time they will give you to scan your headline. Really, you and I are no different. We do not READ a newspaper, we SCAN the headlines, article headlines and ad headlines. We are looking for only what interests us at the moment.
Here are four critical tips for writing your next powerful, "attention grabbing" headline for your home business enterprise:
1. MAKE SURE YOUR HEADLINE IS THE FIRST WORD GROUP YOUR PROSPECT SEES:
I know this may seem like a "no-brainer" but I see this mistake time and again, particularly in local newspaper advertising or on web sites. And even more amazing, the ads the newspaper "experts" use to promote themselves seldom follow this rule.
Take a look through your newspaper. Notice how many businesses start out their ad with their store name and location right at the top. HUGE mistake! This is a terrible waste of their prime "real estate." It's an ego thing and can easily cost them 25% to 50% of their potential sales.
Always keep in mind, the public could careless about you or your product. Sorry to be the one to tell you that. Tough pill to swallow sometimes, I know, but the fact of the matter is; they're only interested in themselves and fulfilling their current desires. As humans, we are all self centered by nature. That doesn't mean we're selfish, just self-centered on "what's in it for us." Big difference.
Put your company name at the bottom. If the headline draws them in to read your ad, and you convince them to take action they will find your business name, no matter how small.
2. MAKE SURE YOUR HEADLINE DELIVERS THE PUNCH LINE:
The "punch line" is the unique and powerful part of your sales message. You aren't telling a joke here. Do not save the best part of your offer until last. Determine the most compelling part of your offer and put it right at the top of your ad in BIG, bold print. Virtually shout it out! And make the wording active, not passive.
For example: "Save 50% On Your Next Suit" is passive. "Take Home Two Suits For The Price Of One" is an active headline.
3. USE 'WORDS' YOUR PROSPECT ARE SEARCHING FOR:
Here is another costly mistake you will see every day. Do not try to get everybody to read your ad by being vague or cute. "Everybody" is not your potential customer. Your prospects are only those who want today what you have for sale today. By trying to capture everybody, you will actually lose many of your most important prospects - the ones that want to give you money.
Your headline should sort out the buyers. Be specific. If you are selling Mens Suits, then say "Men's Suits," not "Mens Clothing." Do not say "Men's Clothing Sale." Say something like: "Men's Suits - Two For The Price Of One For A Limited Time." The more focused your headline, and your sales message, the better the response.
4. YOUR HEADLINE SHOULD BE SHORT AND SWEET:
The headline should be as few words as possible, yet long enough to tell them what you are selling and why they should read your message. Usually ten words or less is a good target. The consumer will read longer headlines if the first four words grab their attention. If you need more words, start with a large, short headline leading to a smaller type, longer worded sub-headline.
Email 'Subject Line' Tip:
No matter what subject line you write, keep it short and sweet, because many e-mail programs cut off long subject lines. Here are the maximum subject line lengths (including spaces) in some popular e-mail programs:
AOL: 52 characters
Hotmail: 45 characters
Outlook Express: 64 characters
Yahoo: 80 characters
Here are some simple and fun ways to find profitable headline ideas:
* Look through your newspaper every day. Watch for headlines on articles and ads that really grab your interest. Think about why those headlines worked on you...
* While waiting to check out at the supermarket, read the headlines on the gossip tabloids. Those headlines are THE main reason, if not the only reason, millions of people buy them every week. Super market tabloids have the highest paid copywriting experts on staff who do nothing but write compelling and extremely profitable headlines. And these headlines are always good for a little entertainment too...
* Your junk mail is a virtual goldmine of great headlines and sub-headlines. Save the ones you like for future use. Mix, match and adapt these headlines to suit your home business. If you see a headline used over and over again, it's because it is making a lot of money for that company. You do not have to re-invent the wheel. Somebody paid $1000's to write that headline, and $1000's more to test it - and you get to use it free.
* Practice writing good headlines in the subject line of your personal emails. This is fun practice and your recipients will enjoy it too. "RE: This Weekend" is passive and boring. "RE: Let's Hit The Beach This Weekend" is active and exciting...
* Buy a good book on marketing! You should be involved in at least one marketing or copywriting related book or course at ALL times. Continuing education in this area will be a HUGE difference maker in your marketing efforts. Hands down.
If you follow these tips, you will become an expert in no time - smarter than 90% of your competitors and 80% of newspaper advertising consultants.
The headline of your sales messages, whether in an on-line ad, in the local newspaper or in an email subject line is responsible for 70% to 80% of the response from your sales message. The success or failure of any marketing effort rests, to a large degree, on the power of your headline.
Pay very close attention...
David Ogilvy is one of the most respected modern day marketing authorities. He revealed that, with the average headline, only 200 people out of 1000 will go on to read your ad. And that is where your profit is sitting. Capture another 200 customers with an exciting headline and you will double your sales. Lose 100 readers with a poor headline and you lose half your sales. Big difference.
Headlines are just that important. Even poorly written ads have been very successful because of the overwhelming power of interesting and exciting "attention grabbing" headlines.
Your prospects will decide whether to read your sales message in only two or three seconds. That's all the time they will give you to scan your headline. Really, you and I are no different. We do not READ a newspaper, we SCAN the headlines, article headlines and ad headlines. We are looking for only what interests us at the moment.
Here are four critical tips for writing your next powerful, "attention grabbing" headline for your home business enterprise:
1. MAKE SURE YOUR HEADLINE IS THE FIRST WORD GROUP YOUR PROSPECT SEES:
I know this may seem like a "no-brainer" but I see this mistake time and again, particularly in local newspaper advertising or on web sites. And even more amazing, the ads the newspaper "experts" use to promote themselves seldom follow this rule.
Take a look through your newspaper. Notice how many businesses start out their ad with their store name and location right at the top. HUGE mistake! This is a terrible waste of their prime "real estate." It's an ego thing and can easily cost them 25% to 50% of their potential sales.
Always keep in mind, the public could careless about you or your product. Sorry to be the one to tell you that. Tough pill to swallow sometimes, I know, but the fact of the matter is; they're only interested in themselves and fulfilling their current desires. As humans, we are all self centered by nature. That doesn't mean we're selfish, just self-centered on "what's in it for us." Big difference.
Put your company name at the bottom. If the headline draws them in to read your ad, and you convince them to take action they will find your business name, no matter how small.
2. MAKE SURE YOUR HEADLINE DELIVERS THE PUNCH LINE:
The "punch line" is the unique and powerful part of your sales message. You aren't telling a joke here. Do not save the best part of your offer until last. Determine the most compelling part of your offer and put it right at the top of your ad in BIG, bold print. Virtually shout it out! And make the wording active, not passive.
For example: "Save 50% On Your Next Suit" is passive. "Take Home Two Suits For The Price Of One" is an active headline.
3. USE 'WORDS' YOUR PROSPECT ARE SEARCHING FOR:
Here is another costly mistake you will see every day. Do not try to get everybody to read your ad by being vague or cute. "Everybody" is not your potential customer. Your prospects are only those who want today what you have for sale today. By trying to capture everybody, you will actually lose many of your most important prospects - the ones that want to give you money.
Your headline should sort out the buyers. Be specific. If you are selling Mens Suits, then say "Men's Suits," not "Mens Clothing." Do not say "Men's Clothing Sale." Say something like: "Men's Suits - Two For The Price Of One For A Limited Time." The more focused your headline, and your sales message, the better the response.
4. YOUR HEADLINE SHOULD BE SHORT AND SWEET:
The headline should be as few words as possible, yet long enough to tell them what you are selling and why they should read your message. Usually ten words or less is a good target. The consumer will read longer headlines if the first four words grab their attention. If you need more words, start with a large, short headline leading to a smaller type, longer worded sub-headline.
Email 'Subject Line' Tip:
No matter what subject line you write, keep it short and sweet, because many e-mail programs cut off long subject lines. Here are the maximum subject line lengths (including spaces) in some popular e-mail programs:
AOL: 52 characters
Hotmail: 45 characters
Outlook Express: 64 characters
Yahoo: 80 characters
Here are some simple and fun ways to find profitable headline ideas:
* Look through your newspaper every day. Watch for headlines on articles and ads that really grab your interest. Think about why those headlines worked on you...
* While waiting to check out at the supermarket, read the headlines on the gossip tabloids. Those headlines are THE main reason, if not the only reason, millions of people buy them every week. Super market tabloids have the highest paid copywriting experts on staff who do nothing but write compelling and extremely profitable headlines. And these headlines are always good for a little entertainment too...
* Your junk mail is a virtual goldmine of great headlines and sub-headlines. Save the ones you like for future use. Mix, match and adapt these headlines to suit your home business. If you see a headline used over and over again, it's because it is making a lot of money for that company. You do not have to re-invent the wheel. Somebody paid $1000's to write that headline, and $1000's more to test it - and you get to use it free.
* Practice writing good headlines in the subject line of your personal emails. This is fun practice and your recipients will enjoy it too. "RE: This Weekend" is passive and boring. "RE: Let's Hit The Beach This Weekend" is active and exciting...
* Buy a good book on marketing! You should be involved in at least one marketing or copywriting related book or course at ALL times. Continuing education in this area will be a HUGE difference maker in your marketing efforts. Hands down.
If you follow these tips, you will become an expert in no time - smarter than 90% of your competitors and 80% of newspaper advertising consultants.
Thursday, 8 December 2011
The DOs and DON'Ts of Writing Marketing Headlines
To be a successful marketer you have to constantly test new marketing headlines. It is not uncommon that one small change to a headline can cause one to outperform another by a huge amount. This article is going to show you the DOs and DON'Ts in writing your marketing headline to make your campaign a killing.
The DOs
(1) Feature your most important announcement or consumer benefit in the headline.
(2) Involve your reader in the headline. For example, "You could win a trip to Hawaii while saving 20% on everything in stock during our 15th Anniversary Weekend Celebration."
(3) Present a positive benefit. For example, "Feel better in your swimsuit after just two weeks."
(4) Be clear, understandable and believable.
(5) Use the words that researchers find to be the most powerful words in advertising: Discover, Easy, Guarantee, Health, Love, Money, New, Proven, Results, Safety, Save and -- the most powerful of all -- You. Most copywriters also add the words "Free" and "How" and "Now" to the list.
(6) Write a headline that makes your most compelling point. Remember, as many as four out of five readers read only the headline.
The DON'Ts
(1) Use a clever headline and expect people to read your copy to learn your announcement and what is in it for them.
(2) Announce features or facts about your business and expect consumers to translate the features into benefits that mean something to them.
(3) Present a negative image. For example, "Take winter weight off in just two weeks."
(4) Exaggerate, make outrageous statements or try too hard to be clever or funny.
(5) Use words that merely describe your offering instead of describing how your offering promises to make your prospect's life better.
(6) Write a headline that aims to make people want to read your ad to learn what you are offering. Most people won't spend that much energy on your ad.
Grab your prospects' interest, if you don't, it's doubtful they will come back again. Make your headline count.
The DOs
(1) Feature your most important announcement or consumer benefit in the headline.
(2) Involve your reader in the headline. For example, "You could win a trip to Hawaii while saving 20% on everything in stock during our 15th Anniversary Weekend Celebration."
(3) Present a positive benefit. For example, "Feel better in your swimsuit after just two weeks."
(4) Be clear, understandable and believable.
(5) Use the words that researchers find to be the most powerful words in advertising: Discover, Easy, Guarantee, Health, Love, Money, New, Proven, Results, Safety, Save and -- the most powerful of all -- You. Most copywriters also add the words "Free" and "How" and "Now" to the list.
(6) Write a headline that makes your most compelling point. Remember, as many as four out of five readers read only the headline.
The DON'Ts
(1) Use a clever headline and expect people to read your copy to learn your announcement and what is in it for them.
(2) Announce features or facts about your business and expect consumers to translate the features into benefits that mean something to them.
(3) Present a negative image. For example, "Take winter weight off in just two weeks."
(4) Exaggerate, make outrageous statements or try too hard to be clever or funny.
(5) Use words that merely describe your offering instead of describing how your offering promises to make your prospect's life better.
(6) Write a headline that aims to make people want to read your ad to learn what you are offering. Most people won't spend that much energy on your ad.
Grab your prospects' interest, if you don't, it's doubtful they will come back again. Make your headline count.
Monday, 5 December 2011
Article Writing - Headlines, Your Point of Contact
Where to find that silver bullet that does the job in your article writing, every time? Hunting is an art that includes finding the hang out of your prey, identifying your target, using the right weapon, stalking, taking aim at the heart /mind and firing with a powerful bullet that is sure to hit. Which gives you a clean kill there and then. You only have one shot at it and if you miss you'll have an empty bag. What am I talking about? ...Headlines, your point of contact!
For any writer to be successful they need to perfect the skill in finding that silver bullet that will do the job as a headline. In order to find the right ammunition, you first need to identify your target and see where your prey congregates. This will give you an idea on how to go about sourcing the correct components to suit the circumstance and environment that you are hunting in. This means identifying your topic, category and key words and phrases that best suits your targeted reader. We will presume that articles will be your choice of weapon and your headline is the silver bullet of the perfect caliber.
If you have sourced these first components correctly, then this makes putting these powerful words together far easier. A hunter tries to get into the heart and mind of his prey, learns their habits, preferences, place of feeding and watering. Understands the habitat and finds the best stalking methods to suit the environment. The bullet you chose is important, you don't want to wound your prey and let it get away, nor do you want an over kill.
Article writings most important component is taking careful aim at the heart and mind, by using a headline with powerful words to suit your target.
For any writer to be successful they need to perfect the skill in finding that silver bullet that will do the job as a headline. In order to find the right ammunition, you first need to identify your target and see where your prey congregates. This will give you an idea on how to go about sourcing the correct components to suit the circumstance and environment that you are hunting in. This means identifying your topic, category and key words and phrases that best suits your targeted reader. We will presume that articles will be your choice of weapon and your headline is the silver bullet of the perfect caliber.
If you have sourced these first components correctly, then this makes putting these powerful words together far easier. A hunter tries to get into the heart and mind of his prey, learns their habits, preferences, place of feeding and watering. Understands the habitat and finds the best stalking methods to suit the environment. The bullet you chose is important, you don't want to wound your prey and let it get away, nor do you want an over kill.
Article writings most important component is taking careful aim at the heart and mind, by using a headline with powerful words to suit your target.
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Headline Writing - Write Headlines That Get Your Article Read - Part 2
In part 1 we covered the importance of writing a great headline to grab your readers attention & get them to read your article in full.
Now we take a look at other ways of developing your headline style.
You need to think about your audience. Who is it that you are writing for?
For gossip and entertainment?
For those looking for financial advice - facts and figures?
For someone looking for exercise or health information - reliable and assuring?
For those browsing for ideas and pastimes?
Who are they and what are they looking for? Answering these two questions will set you on the right route to plan and write an article that will capture their attention... and from this you can then style the headline.
For example say that you're writing an article aimed at someone who is searching for the right mortgage. That person will look for 'facts', 'figures', 'surveys' and even maybe a case study that they can identify with. The language will be business like & authoritative. Anyone reading would not expect lots of jokey thoughts and gossip in the article. On the other hand if you are writing your article aimed at someone searching for news on their favourite pop star, gossip, jokes and light frothy sentences will hit the mark.
You've got 5 seconds!
When writing your headlines remember that you only have about 5 seconds to grab your potential readers attention.
If they scan the list of headlines and yours doesn't 'pop out' you've lost them forever.
Here are a few more styles that can help you to write a great headline.
The 'Testimonial' Headline
"I used 'XY's' formula B ... now I earn $ssss and have financial freedom"
Testimonials are very powerful, when they sound believable. Use them to help you sell a new product or idea.
The 'News' Headline - Make an announcement
"It's here at last! The breakthrough in internet marketing has arrived"
A great way for announcing new products and services, making the reader feel that they're in at the beginning.
Also you may have noticed that I didn't say 'what' it was... so you add an element of curiosity in the headline too.
The 'Formula' headline - tell them 'how to'
"Follow these 3 simple steps to increase your writing speed"
How often are you looking for the solution to the problem? Well if the headline tells you that you can find the solution in just 3 simple steps... aren't you going to want to read 'what' those simple steps are?
Often these headline begin with words like "How to" ... "how to loose 5lb's in 1 week... with just 5 minutes a day". The secret is that the headline suggest that the solution will be revealed in the article.
The 'Question' Headline
"Do you hate the Gym? - How to have a gym workout without ever stepping inside one again"
The secret to this type of headline is to pose the question that you know most people will answer in a certain way... then you suggest that the answer will be given in the article. When writing this sort of headline... you need to be sure that the majority of your readers are going to agree with you ... or they may just say "No... I love the gym" and never read on.
The 'Order' Headline... Do it now!
"Act now and save £1000 on your insurance this year!"
Giving a command focuses attention on a desired action that you want the reader to take on reading the article.
What ever style of headline you choose... make sure that you 'Deliver'
What I mean is, if you suggest that you are going to tell them the solution to the problem, in the headline, you must give that solution in the article or at least tell them where the reader must go to find the solution.
Don't refer to something in your headline and then not mention it in the article. This leaves the reader confused and cross... they'll feel cheated and won't trust you or read your articles again!
Add Value to your headline
Turn an 'ok' headline like "How to write a good headline" into a great one "Get your articles read - Writing headlines that GRAB!"
Short and sweet.
7 words is a good guide. If you've got more to say then put it in a sub-headline.
Need some more ideas... here are some words and run-ins that'll help to attract readers attention:
Activate, Achieve, Affordable, Amaze, Amazing, Avoid,
Best, Breakthrough, Banish, Bounce back from ..., Beginners guide to..., (the) Best & Worst ways to ...., Budget,
Captivate, Create, Cash in on..., Complete guide to ..., ..... on the Cheap
Discover, Discovery, Deliver, ..... Dreams come true,
Eliminate, Essential, Energise, Essential elements, Exciting,
Formula, Fantastic,
Great, Gigantic, Guaranteed, Gain the..., Get the edge..., Good news when....,
How to ..., Hidden secret ..., Hot tips on...,
Incredible, Ingenious, Impossible (to miss),
Just out..., Judge for yourself...,
Kill, Killing,
Love, Loveliest, Looking for..., Longing for..., (the) Last word on...,
Master, Mastering, Must have, Must-know,
No more, New, Newest, Never .... again, No-fail guide to....,
Outrageous, Outrage, One time offer...,
Powerful, Profit from, Perfect (solution, birthday gift, holiday,etc)
Quick guide to, Questions & Answers to..., Questions that you must ask about....,
Results, Revealed, Revelation, (the) Real...., Read this before....,
Simple, Simplest, Secrets, Scientific, Shocking, Special report...., Strategies for..., Straight answers about..., (the) Solution to...,
Ten Quick Tips, Tips, Tricks, Time-tested, Tactics, Top, Techniques, Thrifty
Unbelievable, User-friendly ways to..., Unleash, Unlimited, Unique,
Value added, Valuable,
(7) Ways to..., What's HOT and What's NOT in..., When to ... and when not, (the) Worst thing you....,
You must try this...., You need to know how....,
I'm sure you'll begin to think of hundreds of variations and improvements.... start writing them down now... and when you see a good headline... adapt it for your use.
Enjoy your writing
Now we take a look at other ways of developing your headline style.
You need to think about your audience. Who is it that you are writing for?
For gossip and entertainment?
For those looking for financial advice - facts and figures?
For someone looking for exercise or health information - reliable and assuring?
For those browsing for ideas and pastimes?
Who are they and what are they looking for? Answering these two questions will set you on the right route to plan and write an article that will capture their attention... and from this you can then style the headline.
For example say that you're writing an article aimed at someone who is searching for the right mortgage. That person will look for 'facts', 'figures', 'surveys' and even maybe a case study that they can identify with. The language will be business like & authoritative. Anyone reading would not expect lots of jokey thoughts and gossip in the article. On the other hand if you are writing your article aimed at someone searching for news on their favourite pop star, gossip, jokes and light frothy sentences will hit the mark.
You've got 5 seconds!
When writing your headlines remember that you only have about 5 seconds to grab your potential readers attention.
If they scan the list of headlines and yours doesn't 'pop out' you've lost them forever.
Here are a few more styles that can help you to write a great headline.
The 'Testimonial' Headline
"I used 'XY's' formula B ... now I earn $ssss and have financial freedom"
Testimonials are very powerful, when they sound believable. Use them to help you sell a new product or idea.
The 'News' Headline - Make an announcement
"It's here at last! The breakthrough in internet marketing has arrived"
A great way for announcing new products and services, making the reader feel that they're in at the beginning.
Also you may have noticed that I didn't say 'what' it was... so you add an element of curiosity in the headline too.
The 'Formula' headline - tell them 'how to'
"Follow these 3 simple steps to increase your writing speed"
How often are you looking for the solution to the problem? Well if the headline tells you that you can find the solution in just 3 simple steps... aren't you going to want to read 'what' those simple steps are?
Often these headline begin with words like "How to" ... "how to loose 5lb's in 1 week... with just 5 minutes a day". The secret is that the headline suggest that the solution will be revealed in the article.
The 'Question' Headline
"Do you hate the Gym? - How to have a gym workout without ever stepping inside one again"
The secret to this type of headline is to pose the question that you know most people will answer in a certain way... then you suggest that the answer will be given in the article. When writing this sort of headline... you need to be sure that the majority of your readers are going to agree with you ... or they may just say "No... I love the gym" and never read on.
The 'Order' Headline... Do it now!
"Act now and save £1000 on your insurance this year!"
Giving a command focuses attention on a desired action that you want the reader to take on reading the article.
What ever style of headline you choose... make sure that you 'Deliver'
What I mean is, if you suggest that you are going to tell them the solution to the problem, in the headline, you must give that solution in the article or at least tell them where the reader must go to find the solution.
Don't refer to something in your headline and then not mention it in the article. This leaves the reader confused and cross... they'll feel cheated and won't trust you or read your articles again!
Add Value to your headline
Turn an 'ok' headline like "How to write a good headline" into a great one "Get your articles read - Writing headlines that GRAB!"
Short and sweet.
7 words is a good guide. If you've got more to say then put it in a sub-headline.
Need some more ideas... here are some words and run-ins that'll help to attract readers attention:
Activate, Achieve, Affordable, Amaze, Amazing, Avoid,
Best, Breakthrough, Banish, Bounce back from ..., Beginners guide to..., (the) Best & Worst ways to ...., Budget,
Captivate, Create, Cash in on..., Complete guide to ..., ..... on the Cheap
Discover, Discovery, Deliver, ..... Dreams come true,
Eliminate, Essential, Energise, Essential elements, Exciting,
Formula, Fantastic,
Great, Gigantic, Guaranteed, Gain the..., Get the edge..., Good news when....,
How to ..., Hidden secret ..., Hot tips on...,
Incredible, Ingenious, Impossible (to miss),
Just out..., Judge for yourself...,
Kill, Killing,
Love, Loveliest, Looking for..., Longing for..., (the) Last word on...,
Master, Mastering, Must have, Must-know,
No more, New, Newest, Never .... again, No-fail guide to....,
Outrageous, Outrage, One time offer...,
Powerful, Profit from, Perfect (solution, birthday gift, holiday,etc)
Quick guide to, Questions & Answers to..., Questions that you must ask about....,
Results, Revealed, Revelation, (the) Real...., Read this before....,
Simple, Simplest, Secrets, Scientific, Shocking, Special report...., Strategies for..., Straight answers about..., (the) Solution to...,
Ten Quick Tips, Tips, Tricks, Time-tested, Tactics, Top, Techniques, Thrifty
Unbelievable, User-friendly ways to..., Unleash, Unlimited, Unique,
Value added, Valuable,
(7) Ways to..., What's HOT and What's NOT in..., When to ... and when not, (the) Worst thing you....,
You must try this...., You need to know how....,
I'm sure you'll begin to think of hundreds of variations and improvements.... start writing them down now... and when you see a good headline... adapt it for your use.
Enjoy your writing
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Article Writing - Writing Headlines That Sell
For those of you who get the morning paper, think about how you decide what to read. Most people skim a magazine or newspaper quickly to see which headlines grab their attention.
People read the same way online, if not more so. You can post the most-intriguing article ever written, but unless the headline connects with readers, they likely won't bother to read it. Here are some suggestions for article writing headlines that sell:
* Summarize the story. Don't become so focused on packing the article with keywords that it fails to convey what the article is about.
* Be active. Always use an active, not passive, voice that reflects the energy of your company.
* Use present tense. Readers want to know what you are doing or are going to do, not what you have done.
* Use strong verbs. Choose verbs that draw readers in and encourage them to act.
* Summarize the article. A reader should be able to read a headline quickly and have a good feel for what the article is all about.
* Include SEO. Always work in keywords that will help boost your search engine rankings.
* Be creative. Puns and plays on words can attract attention to your article. But be sure they can be grasped quickly and don't carry a double meaning that may offend someone.
* Promise a benefit. See if you can convey in a few words how reading this article will benefit the reader.
A well-written headline may or may not induce someone to read your article. But you can bet that a poorly written one will encourage them to look elsewhere for something to read.
People read the same way online, if not more so. You can post the most-intriguing article ever written, but unless the headline connects with readers, they likely won't bother to read it. Here are some suggestions for article writing headlines that sell:
* Summarize the story. Don't become so focused on packing the article with keywords that it fails to convey what the article is about.
* Be active. Always use an active, not passive, voice that reflects the energy of your company.
* Use present tense. Readers want to know what you are doing or are going to do, not what you have done.
* Use strong verbs. Choose verbs that draw readers in and encourage them to act.
* Summarize the article. A reader should be able to read a headline quickly and have a good feel for what the article is all about.
* Include SEO. Always work in keywords that will help boost your search engine rankings.
* Be creative. Puns and plays on words can attract attention to your article. But be sure they can be grasped quickly and don't carry a double meaning that may offend someone.
* Promise a benefit. See if you can convey in a few words how reading this article will benefit the reader.
A well-written headline may or may not induce someone to read your article. But you can bet that a poorly written one will encourage them to look elsewhere for something to read.
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Article Writing Solutions - Easy Ways to Create Eye-Catching Headlines
What they say is true; titles are the most important elements of any article. This is because your title is what will draw your audience to your articles. If you fail to capture your readers' attention through your headlines, you can be assured that your articles will become instant failures. You don't want that to happen, do you? So, here are some easy, no-brainer ways to help you make your headlines more attention-grabbing:
1. Keep it short. You don't need to use 20 or more words on your titles. Remember, you only have a couple of seconds to keep your target audience interested so you better make the most out of it. Tell your readers what's in it for them using as few words as possible and make sure that each word counts.
2. Tell the benefits ASAP. Use the first four words of your titles to tell your readers the benefits that they can get from your articles. For example, instead of using titles like this "The pros and cons of article marketing" you can use this one: Internet Marketing: The Pros and Cons. By using this title, your readers would know right away that they're about to get information about internet marketing.
3. Use keywords. What words do you think your target audience would use if they're to find your articles online? Use these words or phrases on your headlines. Better yet start your headlines with these keywords. This is to make sure that your articles will show up on relevant searches.
4. Make it intriguing. As much as possible, pique your readers' attention through your headlines. You can do this by challenging some of their common beliefs, by talking about latest breakthroughs in your chosen niche, or by simply sharing with them the secrets that they're dying to know about.
1. Keep it short. You don't need to use 20 or more words on your titles. Remember, you only have a couple of seconds to keep your target audience interested so you better make the most out of it. Tell your readers what's in it for them using as few words as possible and make sure that each word counts.
2. Tell the benefits ASAP. Use the first four words of your titles to tell your readers the benefits that they can get from your articles. For example, instead of using titles like this "The pros and cons of article marketing" you can use this one: Internet Marketing: The Pros and Cons. By using this title, your readers would know right away that they're about to get information about internet marketing.
3. Use keywords. What words do you think your target audience would use if they're to find your articles online? Use these words or phrases on your headlines. Better yet start your headlines with these keywords. This is to make sure that your articles will show up on relevant searches.
4. Make it intriguing. As much as possible, pique your readers' attention through your headlines. You can do this by challenging some of their common beliefs, by talking about latest breakthroughs in your chosen niche, or by simply sharing with them the secrets that they're dying to know about.
Saturday, 19 November 2011
Article Writing Tips - How to Incorporate Keywords in Your Headline
When it comes to writing articles, your headlines are very important. You need a title that draws the reader in and leads them to want to click on your piece. Some say writing great headlines is an art but I say it's a skill that anyone can learn and perfect with practice.
Some people have trouble getting their keyword phrase into their attention-grabbing headline and I have found the colon method is a great way to do this. It's also beneficial at getting your keyword phrase right there in the beginning of your headline, which helps with SEO.
I use headline templates and then fill in the blanks with my keyword phrases and the topics of my articles. This even helps me think of article ideas when I'm stuck for what to write about.
Here's what I mean (I can't use the phrase every time of this article will be keyword overstuffed):
1. Article Writing Tips: How to eliminate writer's block
2. Article " ": My personal favorite strategy for increasing page views 3. Article " ": A simple 4 step strategy to write more every day
4. Article " ": NEWSFLASH! Here's a trick to write faster with fewer mistakes
5. Article " ": A powerful way of improving your articles
6. Article " ": 3 exercises to write articles from the heart
7. Article " ": A simple writing organization trick that DOUBLES the amount of articles you write
8. Article " ": Find out the reason why many writers have weak headlines and why it is so easy to improve yourself
There you have it! I just made up eight great article headlines focusing on article writing tips. This is a great keyword for me to target and I have a great deal of useful information to provide. These headlines will likely draw in many views for me. Now, I'm off to go write these 8 great articles!
Some people have trouble getting their keyword phrase into their attention-grabbing headline and I have found the colon method is a great way to do this. It's also beneficial at getting your keyword phrase right there in the beginning of your headline, which helps with SEO.
I use headline templates and then fill in the blanks with my keyword phrases and the topics of my articles. This even helps me think of article ideas when I'm stuck for what to write about.
Here's what I mean (I can't use the phrase every time of this article will be keyword overstuffed):
1. Article Writing Tips: How to eliminate writer's block
2. Article " ": My personal favorite strategy for increasing page views 3. Article " ": A simple 4 step strategy to write more every day
4. Article " ": NEWSFLASH! Here's a trick to write faster with fewer mistakes
5. Article " ": A powerful way of improving your articles
6. Article " ": 3 exercises to write articles from the heart
7. Article " ": A simple writing organization trick that DOUBLES the amount of articles you write
8. Article " ": Find out the reason why many writers have weak headlines and why it is so easy to improve yourself
There you have it! I just made up eight great article headlines focusing on article writing tips. This is a great keyword for me to target and I have a great deal of useful information to provide. These headlines will likely draw in many views for me. Now, I'm off to go write these 8 great articles!
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
How To Write A Catchy Headline
Knowing how to write a catchy headline is an essential skill of a copywriter. You are competing for the attention of your market and you must stand out, hopefully this article will enable you to do so.
The content of your headline depends on several factors which are:
Audience
Do you have a rapport with the audience? If so, it may be advantageous to personalise the email.
Product / Service you are promoting
A professional product should be represented professionally. If your product is inexpensive, be sure to play on that within your headline
Writing format
The length of your headline will be a function of your format. Formats included are blog posts, articles, sales pages, reports, emails etc.
I'm of the opinion that the headline should reflect the content, however that is because this is what works within my market. If you browse over your spam emails you notice that a lot of them try to personalise to headline by incorporating your name in it. This is obviously something that works for that market. A professional product or service should be represented by an honest headline. You will lose and upset many people if your headline is misleading or irrelevant to the content. I've made a quick list of what I consider to be good and bad headline themes with respect to a professional product or service.
GOOD
Benefit headlines (eg Amazing new course shows you how to skyrocket your loan pipeline by 300% in 30 days! ).
Summary headlines (eg Scientists grow human ear on back of a mouse )
Question headlines (eg Is the Zune any better than the iPod?' )
Mention Keywords (eg Al Jazeera International chooses Apple Technology )
BAD
False promises
Irrelevant headline
OTHER
Shocking headlines (These can be good and bad. Use them wisely.)
Words that are used commonly in good headlines
Instant
Free
Guarantee
Easy
Superlatives (i.e. 'Easiest way' instead of 'a way')
You should test your headlines and find out what works best within your market. If you stumble upon a great headline, write it down and figure out why it was so good and incorporate that into your next headline.
The content of your headline depends on several factors which are:
Audience
Do you have a rapport with the audience? If so, it may be advantageous to personalise the email.
Product / Service you are promoting
A professional product should be represented professionally. If your product is inexpensive, be sure to play on that within your headline
Writing format
The length of your headline will be a function of your format. Formats included are blog posts, articles, sales pages, reports, emails etc.
I'm of the opinion that the headline should reflect the content, however that is because this is what works within my market. If you browse over your spam emails you notice that a lot of them try to personalise to headline by incorporating your name in it. This is obviously something that works for that market. A professional product or service should be represented by an honest headline. You will lose and upset many people if your headline is misleading or irrelevant to the content. I've made a quick list of what I consider to be good and bad headline themes with respect to a professional product or service.
GOOD
Benefit headlines (eg Amazing new course shows you how to skyrocket your loan pipeline by 300% in 30 days! ).
Summary headlines (eg Scientists grow human ear on back of a mouse )
Question headlines (eg Is the Zune any better than the iPod?' )
Mention Keywords (eg Al Jazeera International chooses Apple Technology )
BAD
False promises
Irrelevant headline
OTHER
Shocking headlines (These can be good and bad. Use them wisely.)
Words that are used commonly in good headlines
Instant
Free
Guarantee
Easy
Superlatives (i.e. 'Easiest way' instead of 'a way')
You should test your headlines and find out what works best within your market. If you stumble upon a great headline, write it down and figure out why it was so good and incorporate that into your next headline.
Saturday, 12 November 2011
The Importance Of Headlines
Internet users are notorious scanners. I suspect they developed this habit as a defense mechanism, as a way to counteract the enormous volumes of information found on the Internet.
That's why headlines are so important. Headlines act as stop sign, in a crowded universe filled with scanners, on this medium known as the "information superhighway."
The best way to get a scanners attention is to write a targeted headline that makes the reader think to himself, "Hey, that's me they're talking about!"
Many novice copywriters make the fatal mistake of writing headlines that attempt to sell to everyone, and as a result, end up selling to no one.
That's why it's so important to make sure your headlines are targeted.
For example, I'm a copywriter. My target market is anyone who is dissatisfied with the performance of their sales copy.
On my website, the headline of my sales letter simply reads:
"Website Not Making Any Sales? Get A Free Sales Copy Evaluation Today!"
Just 12 simple words that are targeted and super-effective!
But even though the words may appear simple, it's very important to invest some time into creating your headlines.
To end up with the best, targeted headlines possible, you need to write dozens of variations of potential headlines.
I generally write 20 to 30 headlines, and then narrow my list down to the best 10, and from there, the best 5, and finally, the best one.
Having said that, I have to be honest and tell you this. Usually, my very best headlines just pop into my head, without me having to compile a list first.
But I've been writing copy for 25 years. So I have a feel for what works and what doesn't. I don't recommend you use the first headline that pops into your head. ALWAYS compile a list.
Some copywriters write as many as 50 headlines, and narrow their list down to the top 2 headlines, and then split-test them.
Split-testing is a procedure that ascertains effectiveness, and proper function.
When I first started copywriting, I used to always split-test my headlines.
However, over the years, as I developed more and more experience, I rarely split-test headlines anymore. Why?
Because after 25 years of writing copy, I've developed such an excellent feel for writing headlines, once I decide on the best headline to use, 99% of the time, the headlines I select work exceedingly well.
So how can you determine your best headlines?
Showcase your headlines to other people. Get their opinions.
Just remember, no matter what opinions others may have about your headlines, it's ultimately going to come down to your own gut instinct, as to which headlines you decide to use.
That's why headlines are so important. Headlines act as stop sign, in a crowded universe filled with scanners, on this medium known as the "information superhighway."
The best way to get a scanners attention is to write a targeted headline that makes the reader think to himself, "Hey, that's me they're talking about!"
Many novice copywriters make the fatal mistake of writing headlines that attempt to sell to everyone, and as a result, end up selling to no one.
That's why it's so important to make sure your headlines are targeted.
For example, I'm a copywriter. My target market is anyone who is dissatisfied with the performance of their sales copy.
On my website, the headline of my sales letter simply reads:
"Website Not Making Any Sales? Get A Free Sales Copy Evaluation Today!"
Just 12 simple words that are targeted and super-effective!
But even though the words may appear simple, it's very important to invest some time into creating your headlines.
To end up with the best, targeted headlines possible, you need to write dozens of variations of potential headlines.
I generally write 20 to 30 headlines, and then narrow my list down to the best 10, and from there, the best 5, and finally, the best one.
Having said that, I have to be honest and tell you this. Usually, my very best headlines just pop into my head, without me having to compile a list first.
But I've been writing copy for 25 years. So I have a feel for what works and what doesn't. I don't recommend you use the first headline that pops into your head. ALWAYS compile a list.
Some copywriters write as many as 50 headlines, and narrow their list down to the top 2 headlines, and then split-test them.
Split-testing is a procedure that ascertains effectiveness, and proper function.
When I first started copywriting, I used to always split-test my headlines.
However, over the years, as I developed more and more experience, I rarely split-test headlines anymore. Why?
Because after 25 years of writing copy, I've developed such an excellent feel for writing headlines, once I decide on the best headline to use, 99% of the time, the headlines I select work exceedingly well.
So how can you determine your best headlines?
Showcase your headlines to other people. Get their opinions.
Just remember, no matter what opinions others may have about your headlines, it's ultimately going to come down to your own gut instinct, as to which headlines you decide to use.
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
The Key to Attention-Getting Headlines
If A Headline Has Caught Your Attention And Enticed You To Read Some More, Then It Has Served Its Purpose.
A headline is the first thing that a reader sees when skimming over voluminous written pieces all over the Internet. In the same vein that landing pages give us that first impression, a truly effective and powerful headline is the crowning glory. It embodies, in such a capsulated form, all there is to know about the article you are about to read. Making the perfect mix of words in such limited characters, which is usually no more than 50 characters, is a true challenge for all of us doing copywriting.
An underlying question in writing attention-getting headlines, though, is:
Should headlines be keyword-optimized for search engines like Google?
This is one of the many interesting questions that noted copywriter Ben Settle answered in the Million Dollar Copywriting Secrets Course. Let this article be a forum for my reaction and comments.
What's In A Keyword?
Just like Ben Settle, I am really not into keyword optimization per se, more so for headlines. The mere act of optimizing keywords is simply to cater to the whims and caprices of search engines, especially Google. As we all know, search engines are all about keywords. If you don't happen to have the right and relevant keywords, search engines aren't likely to find you. This is a harsh reality in the Google era but who's to say that it's the summumbonum?
I do think, however, that it's still fair to say that keywords still play an important part in making our headlines be "seen." But extra care should be taken in placing it in the proper perspective without really making the headline so saturated with the intended keywords that obviously makes it a fodder for search engine crawlers! And this is truly the gem of an advice from Ben Settle that we should take heart when writing attention-getting headlines: first and foremost
We Should Write For Our readers Using Our Natural Language And Not Just Write For Google.
For Whom the Keywords Toll
Sad but true, but most headlines or even articles are just laden with the right keywords or is keyword-rich solely for search engine optimization efforts. Sometimes, content and substance takes a backseat for this. Regrettably, this is not an ideal thing to do because you lose sight of your raison d'etre: that is, your flair for writing and the process of communicating something of value to your readers.
The Next Time You Write Attention-Getting Headlines For Your Articles, Think About This:
To Whom Are You Writing It For?
A headline is the first thing that a reader sees when skimming over voluminous written pieces all over the Internet. In the same vein that landing pages give us that first impression, a truly effective and powerful headline is the crowning glory. It embodies, in such a capsulated form, all there is to know about the article you are about to read. Making the perfect mix of words in such limited characters, which is usually no more than 50 characters, is a true challenge for all of us doing copywriting.
An underlying question in writing attention-getting headlines, though, is:
Should headlines be keyword-optimized for search engines like Google?
This is one of the many interesting questions that noted copywriter Ben Settle answered in the Million Dollar Copywriting Secrets Course. Let this article be a forum for my reaction and comments.
What's In A Keyword?
Just like Ben Settle, I am really not into keyword optimization per se, more so for headlines. The mere act of optimizing keywords is simply to cater to the whims and caprices of search engines, especially Google. As we all know, search engines are all about keywords. If you don't happen to have the right and relevant keywords, search engines aren't likely to find you. This is a harsh reality in the Google era but who's to say that it's the summumbonum?
I do think, however, that it's still fair to say that keywords still play an important part in making our headlines be "seen." But extra care should be taken in placing it in the proper perspective without really making the headline so saturated with the intended keywords that obviously makes it a fodder for search engine crawlers! And this is truly the gem of an advice from Ben Settle that we should take heart when writing attention-getting headlines: first and foremost
We Should Write For Our readers Using Our Natural Language And Not Just Write For Google.
For Whom the Keywords Toll
Sad but true, but most headlines or even articles are just laden with the right keywords or is keyword-rich solely for search engine optimization efforts. Sometimes, content and substance takes a backseat for this. Regrettably, this is not an ideal thing to do because you lose sight of your raison d'etre: that is, your flair for writing and the process of communicating something of value to your readers.
The Next Time You Write Attention-Getting Headlines For Your Articles, Think About This:
To Whom Are You Writing It For?
Friday, 4 November 2011
How To Write Headlines That Get Attention
No doubt, the headline is the most important part of any advertisement or sales letter. The reason is very simple. The headline is the first thing your prospect sees when he or she looks at your advertisement.
It's an advertisement for your advertisement.
The only purpose of your headline is to get your prospect to continue reading your ad or sales letter. It must get your reader's attention and it must pull them into your ad.
Your headline must be so irresistible that your reader has to find out more.
It doesn't make a difference how good your product or service is or how good your advertising copy is, if your headline isn't any good, your ad or sales letter won't get read.
Let's take a look at what two legendary copywriters have to say about the importance of good headlines:
"Advice to copywriters: When you are assigned to write an ad, write a lot of headlines first. Spend hours writing headlines -- or days if necessary. If you can come up with a good headline, you are almost sure to have a good ad. But even the greatest writer can't save an ad with a poor headline." --John Caples
"On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. If you haven't done some selling in your headline, you have wasted 80 percent of your money. The wickedest of all sins is to run an advertisement without a headline." -- David Olgilvy
It never ceases to amaze me how many advertisements I see that don't have headlines.
All advertisements should have a headline.
Let's talk about the rules you should follow when writing headlines, the different types of headlines you can use, proven words to use in headlines, and how you can become an expert at writing headlines.
Rules to follow when writing headlines:
1. First and foremost, your headline must appeal to your reader's self interest. Communicate the strongest benefit (or benefits) to your prospect. Everybody's favorite radio station is "WIIFM" -- What's In It For Me? Your headline should answer this important question.
2. Attract the attention of the prospect you'd like to target. If your headline doesn't attract the right people, it has failed. Your headline must reach out to your prospect, grab them by the throat and say, "Hey!!! I'm talking to you!"
3. Your headline must deliver a clear and understandable message. Most people read only the headlines. Because of this, your headline must make a complete statement and compel the prospect to continue reading the body copy.
4. If you have news, such as a new product, be sure to get that news into your headline in a big way.
5. Don't try to be clever or humorous with your headlines. These type of headlines are ineffective and a waste of money.
6. Include the words "quick" and "easy" if it fits what you are communicating.
7. Use specifics in your headlines, not generalities. For example, "Make $5,274 In 30 Days" is a better headline than "Make Money Fast". Specifics are more believable.
8. Always test two headlines against each other to see which one pulls the best.
9. Use upper and lower case letters for your headlines. This is easier to read than all caps. I also like to put quotation marks around my headlines. Studies have shown that quotation marks around headlines increase readership.
10. When it's time for you to write a headline for your ad, write at least 50 headlines. Some direct marketers spend days writing hundreds of headlines in search of the right one. To come up with selling headlines takes more than just a few minutes. You've got to commit yourself to sitting down and writing at least 50 headlines!
Your headline is the key to your entire ad's success. If you don't tell your prospect what's in it for them, you won't get their attention. If you don't get their attention, they won't read your ad. And if they don't read your ad, you've wasted your time and money.
Different types of headlines:
To help you write headlines that get attention, let's take a look at the different types of headlines you can use, how and when you may want to use them, and actual examples of headlines that were successful.
o The News Headline. If your product or service offers something newsworthy, announce it in your headline. Newsworthy is usually the introduction of a new product or the improvement of an existing product.
Here are some words you can use in your News
Headline: New, Announcing, Introducing, Finally, Just Released, Now, At Last.
Examples:
"Now! Own Florida Land This Easy Way... $20.00 Down And $20.00
A Month"
"New Diet Burns Off More Fat Than If You Ran 98 Miles A Week"
"Announcing... The New Edition Of The Encyclopedia That Makes It Fun To Learn Things"
o The Guarantee Headline. Guarantee Headlines state a desirable benefit, and guarantee results or other benefits. If you offer a powerful guarantee, let your prospects know by stating it in the headline.
Examples:
"Play Guitar In 7 Days Or Money Back"
"Announcing A New Technologically Advanced Golf Ball You Will Never Lose, Never Slice, And Never Miss... 100% Guaranteed"
o The How To Headline. These two words -- "how to", are very powerful words. You can never go wrong using a How To Headline. (Over 7,000 book titles start out with How To.) How To Headlines promise your prospect a source for information, advice, and solutions to their problems. If you ever get stumped for a headline, use the How To Headline -- it works!
Examples:
"How To Win Friends And Influence People"
"How To Get Your Cooking Bragged About"
"How To Form Your Own Corporation Without A Lawyer For
Under $50"
o The Benefit Headline. The key to a winning Benefit Headline is to know your market so well you can offer them a powerful, compelling benefit they can't easily get somewhere else. You must thoroughly research your target market in order to know what benefits are going to motivate them to take action.
Examples:
"If You Are A Careful Driver You Can Save Money On Car Insurance"
"It Cleans Your Breath While It Cleans Your Teeth"
"Get Rid Of Money Worries For Good"
o The Question Headline. Here again, to use this headline, you must really know your market. You need to know what your prospect is thinking, what their anxieties are, and what they're hoping to accomplish. If you know your target audience this well, then the Question Headline is an effective headline to use. The Question Headline must focus on your prospect's self interest and ask a question they want to know the answer to. The best type of questions to ask are questions that get your prospect involved.
Examples:
"Do You Make These Mistakes In English?"
"Can You Pass This Money Test?"
o The Reason-Why Headline. With the Reason-Why Headline you give your prospect specific reasons why they should read your ad. Reason-Why Headlines are effective because they contain facts and specific numbers. Reason-Why Headlines don't need to include the words "reason why". You can use "38 ways", "7 steps", "5 secrets", etc.
Examples:
"38 Fun And Easy Ways To Earn $500.00 Next Weekend"
"7 Steps To Freedom"
"67 Reasons Why It Would Have Paid You To Answer Our Ad A Few
Months Ago"
o The Testimonial Headline. The Testimonial Headline is just what it says -- it uses a customer testimonial for a headline. With this headline, you get your customers to sell for you by talking about the benefits they received.
Examples:
"I Lost My Bulges... And Saved Money Too"
"How I Retired On A Guaranteed Income For Life"
"I Was Tired Of Living On Low Pay -- So I Started Reading The Wall Street Journal -- By A Subscriber"
o The Command Headline. The Command Headline tells your customer what to do. Your command should encourage action by offering your prospect a benefit that will help them. Effective Command Headlines start out with action verbs.
Examples:
"Stop Dreaming And Start Making Money"
"Throw Your Wax Can In The Trash Can -- The New No-Wax Floor Is
Here"
"Order Christmas Cards Now -- Pay After January 20"
There you have it! Several types of headlines you can use for any kind of circumstance or market. Each headline type works well on its own or it can be combined with the other headline types.
Now, let's talk about words you can use in your headlines.
Powerful Headline Words That Are Proven To Work:
* Advice To * Amazing
* Announcing * At Last
* Bargain * Breakthrough
* Discover * Do You
* Easy * Facts
* Guarantee * Here
* How To * Immediate
* Life * Magic
* Money * New
* Now * Powerful
* Proven * Quick
* Sale * Secrets Of
* Success * Surprising
And finally, the three most powerful headline words:
FREE You Your
The words that you use in your headlines are very important. Dan Kennedy has talked about how adding just one letter to a headline (with no other changes to the ad) almost tripled the response of an ad that ran in a magazine.
Let's take a look at the headline Dan talked about. Here's what the headline said before the change:
"Put Music In Your Life"
And here's what it said after the change:
"Puts Music In Your Life"
Adding the "s" to the word "Put" almost tripled the response of the ad! (The first headline implies that you have to do something. The second headline implies that something is done for you.)
This example proves how important it is to spend lots of time writing dozens of headlines and then testing different headlines.
How To Become An Expert At Writing Headlines:
The first thing you can do to become an expert at writing headlines is to start a collection of headlines.
Whenever you see a headline that gets your attention and that compels you to read the ad, write it down on a 3 x 5 index card. Spend time studying these headlines and see if you can improve them.
An easy way to start a collection of effective headlines is to subscribe to the tabloid magazines. The people at National Inquirer, Star, and The Globe know how to write headlines. Because of their irresistible headlines, these magazines sell millions of copies each week! (Off the newsstands on impulse!)
I've got hundreds of index cards with headlines. When it's time for me to write a headline, I use these index cards for ideas.
Here's another trick for writing headlines:
Before you attempt to write a headline or any form of advertising, you should write down all the benefits of your product or service on 3 x 5 index cards. Write a single benefit on each card. When writing the benefits, remember to write them from your prospects point of view. (Also, convert the features of your product into customer benefits.)
Once you've taken the time to write down the benefits, you'll have a stack of cards (maybe hundreds) that you can use for headline ideas. Isolate the most important customer benefit and use it to create your headlines. Sometimes, one of the benefits may turn out to be the actual headline. (Also, use the index cards when writing your ad or sales letter.)
Here's a checklist to use when evaluating your headlines:
1. Does my headline communicate the strongest customer benefit?
2. Does my headline answer the question: "What's In It For Me?"
3. Does it offer a reward for reading the ad?
4. Is my headline clear and direct? Does it communicate a complete message?
5. Is my headline get attention with a powerful sales message?
6. Does it motivate my prospect to keep reading?
7. Is my headline speaking directly to my target prospect?
8. Is my headline interesting to my prospects, or does it bore them?
9. And finally, is my headline an ad for my ad?
Remember, the difference between a good headline and a bad headline is the difference between success and failure in advertising.
Your headline is the deciding factor on whether or not your prospect will read your ad. It is the most important element in advertising. Spend the time that's necessary to write winning headlines, and watch the response to your advertising sky rocket!
James A. Bower is the Co-Founder and President of Bower Income and Profit Systems a company dedicated to enhancing business performance in many areas through tapes books and seminars. His presentations include sales, marketing, telephone skills, motivation, goal setting and achievement, telephone equipment and voice mail design, and business organization for efficiency. He is an internationally recognized instructor and is the recipient of many awards in recognition of his successful efforts in assisting businesses create a more efficient environment resulting in maximum profits. He has had the opportunity to speak for groups as large as 5000 and can get his points across to any size audience.
It's an advertisement for your advertisement.
The only purpose of your headline is to get your prospect to continue reading your ad or sales letter. It must get your reader's attention and it must pull them into your ad.
Your headline must be so irresistible that your reader has to find out more.
It doesn't make a difference how good your product or service is or how good your advertising copy is, if your headline isn't any good, your ad or sales letter won't get read.
Let's take a look at what two legendary copywriters have to say about the importance of good headlines:
"Advice to copywriters: When you are assigned to write an ad, write a lot of headlines first. Spend hours writing headlines -- or days if necessary. If you can come up with a good headline, you are almost sure to have a good ad. But even the greatest writer can't save an ad with a poor headline." --John Caples
"On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. If you haven't done some selling in your headline, you have wasted 80 percent of your money. The wickedest of all sins is to run an advertisement without a headline." -- David Olgilvy
It never ceases to amaze me how many advertisements I see that don't have headlines.
All advertisements should have a headline.
Let's talk about the rules you should follow when writing headlines, the different types of headlines you can use, proven words to use in headlines, and how you can become an expert at writing headlines.
Rules to follow when writing headlines:
1. First and foremost, your headline must appeal to your reader's self interest. Communicate the strongest benefit (or benefits) to your prospect. Everybody's favorite radio station is "WIIFM" -- What's In It For Me? Your headline should answer this important question.
2. Attract the attention of the prospect you'd like to target. If your headline doesn't attract the right people, it has failed. Your headline must reach out to your prospect, grab them by the throat and say, "Hey!!! I'm talking to you!"
3. Your headline must deliver a clear and understandable message. Most people read only the headlines. Because of this, your headline must make a complete statement and compel the prospect to continue reading the body copy.
4. If you have news, such as a new product, be sure to get that news into your headline in a big way.
5. Don't try to be clever or humorous with your headlines. These type of headlines are ineffective and a waste of money.
6. Include the words "quick" and "easy" if it fits what you are communicating.
7. Use specifics in your headlines, not generalities. For example, "Make $5,274 In 30 Days" is a better headline than "Make Money Fast". Specifics are more believable.
8. Always test two headlines against each other to see which one pulls the best.
9. Use upper and lower case letters for your headlines. This is easier to read than all caps. I also like to put quotation marks around my headlines. Studies have shown that quotation marks around headlines increase readership.
10. When it's time for you to write a headline for your ad, write at least 50 headlines. Some direct marketers spend days writing hundreds of headlines in search of the right one. To come up with selling headlines takes more than just a few minutes. You've got to commit yourself to sitting down and writing at least 50 headlines!
Your headline is the key to your entire ad's success. If you don't tell your prospect what's in it for them, you won't get their attention. If you don't get their attention, they won't read your ad. And if they don't read your ad, you've wasted your time and money.
Different types of headlines:
To help you write headlines that get attention, let's take a look at the different types of headlines you can use, how and when you may want to use them, and actual examples of headlines that were successful.
o The News Headline. If your product or service offers something newsworthy, announce it in your headline. Newsworthy is usually the introduction of a new product or the improvement of an existing product.
Here are some words you can use in your News
Headline: New, Announcing, Introducing, Finally, Just Released, Now, At Last.
Examples:
"Now! Own Florida Land This Easy Way... $20.00 Down And $20.00
A Month"
"New Diet Burns Off More Fat Than If You Ran 98 Miles A Week"
"Announcing... The New Edition Of The Encyclopedia That Makes It Fun To Learn Things"
o The Guarantee Headline. Guarantee Headlines state a desirable benefit, and guarantee results or other benefits. If you offer a powerful guarantee, let your prospects know by stating it in the headline.
Examples:
"Play Guitar In 7 Days Or Money Back"
"Announcing A New Technologically Advanced Golf Ball You Will Never Lose, Never Slice, And Never Miss... 100% Guaranteed"
o The How To Headline. These two words -- "how to", are very powerful words. You can never go wrong using a How To Headline. (Over 7,000 book titles start out with How To.) How To Headlines promise your prospect a source for information, advice, and solutions to their problems. If you ever get stumped for a headline, use the How To Headline -- it works!
Examples:
"How To Win Friends And Influence People"
"How To Get Your Cooking Bragged About"
"How To Form Your Own Corporation Without A Lawyer For
Under $50"
o The Benefit Headline. The key to a winning Benefit Headline is to know your market so well you can offer them a powerful, compelling benefit they can't easily get somewhere else. You must thoroughly research your target market in order to know what benefits are going to motivate them to take action.
Examples:
"If You Are A Careful Driver You Can Save Money On Car Insurance"
"It Cleans Your Breath While It Cleans Your Teeth"
"Get Rid Of Money Worries For Good"
o The Question Headline. Here again, to use this headline, you must really know your market. You need to know what your prospect is thinking, what their anxieties are, and what they're hoping to accomplish. If you know your target audience this well, then the Question Headline is an effective headline to use. The Question Headline must focus on your prospect's self interest and ask a question they want to know the answer to. The best type of questions to ask are questions that get your prospect involved.
Examples:
"Do You Make These Mistakes In English?"
"Can You Pass This Money Test?"
o The Reason-Why Headline. With the Reason-Why Headline you give your prospect specific reasons why they should read your ad. Reason-Why Headlines are effective because they contain facts and specific numbers. Reason-Why Headlines don't need to include the words "reason why". You can use "38 ways", "7 steps", "5 secrets", etc.
Examples:
"38 Fun And Easy Ways To Earn $500.00 Next Weekend"
"7 Steps To Freedom"
"67 Reasons Why It Would Have Paid You To Answer Our Ad A Few
Months Ago"
o The Testimonial Headline. The Testimonial Headline is just what it says -- it uses a customer testimonial for a headline. With this headline, you get your customers to sell for you by talking about the benefits they received.
Examples:
"I Lost My Bulges... And Saved Money Too"
"How I Retired On A Guaranteed Income For Life"
"I Was Tired Of Living On Low Pay -- So I Started Reading The Wall Street Journal -- By A Subscriber"
o The Command Headline. The Command Headline tells your customer what to do. Your command should encourage action by offering your prospect a benefit that will help them. Effective Command Headlines start out with action verbs.
Examples:
"Stop Dreaming And Start Making Money"
"Throw Your Wax Can In The Trash Can -- The New No-Wax Floor Is
Here"
"Order Christmas Cards Now -- Pay After January 20"
There you have it! Several types of headlines you can use for any kind of circumstance or market. Each headline type works well on its own or it can be combined with the other headline types.
Now, let's talk about words you can use in your headlines.
Powerful Headline Words That Are Proven To Work:
* Advice To * Amazing
* Announcing * At Last
* Bargain * Breakthrough
* Discover * Do You
* Easy * Facts
* Guarantee * Here
* How To * Immediate
* Life * Magic
* Money * New
* Now * Powerful
* Proven * Quick
* Sale * Secrets Of
* Success * Surprising
And finally, the three most powerful headline words:
FREE You Your
The words that you use in your headlines are very important. Dan Kennedy has talked about how adding just one letter to a headline (with no other changes to the ad) almost tripled the response of an ad that ran in a magazine.
Let's take a look at the headline Dan talked about. Here's what the headline said before the change:
"Put Music In Your Life"
And here's what it said after the change:
"Puts Music In Your Life"
Adding the "s" to the word "Put" almost tripled the response of the ad! (The first headline implies that you have to do something. The second headline implies that something is done for you.)
This example proves how important it is to spend lots of time writing dozens of headlines and then testing different headlines.
How To Become An Expert At Writing Headlines:
The first thing you can do to become an expert at writing headlines is to start a collection of headlines.
Whenever you see a headline that gets your attention and that compels you to read the ad, write it down on a 3 x 5 index card. Spend time studying these headlines and see if you can improve them.
An easy way to start a collection of effective headlines is to subscribe to the tabloid magazines. The people at National Inquirer, Star, and The Globe know how to write headlines. Because of their irresistible headlines, these magazines sell millions of copies each week! (Off the newsstands on impulse!)
I've got hundreds of index cards with headlines. When it's time for me to write a headline, I use these index cards for ideas.
Here's another trick for writing headlines:
Before you attempt to write a headline or any form of advertising, you should write down all the benefits of your product or service on 3 x 5 index cards. Write a single benefit on each card. When writing the benefits, remember to write them from your prospects point of view. (Also, convert the features of your product into customer benefits.)
Once you've taken the time to write down the benefits, you'll have a stack of cards (maybe hundreds) that you can use for headline ideas. Isolate the most important customer benefit and use it to create your headlines. Sometimes, one of the benefits may turn out to be the actual headline. (Also, use the index cards when writing your ad or sales letter.)
Here's a checklist to use when evaluating your headlines:
1. Does my headline communicate the strongest customer benefit?
2. Does my headline answer the question: "What's In It For Me?"
3. Does it offer a reward for reading the ad?
4. Is my headline clear and direct? Does it communicate a complete message?
5. Is my headline get attention with a powerful sales message?
6. Does it motivate my prospect to keep reading?
7. Is my headline speaking directly to my target prospect?
8. Is my headline interesting to my prospects, or does it bore them?
9. And finally, is my headline an ad for my ad?
Remember, the difference between a good headline and a bad headline is the difference between success and failure in advertising.
Your headline is the deciding factor on whether or not your prospect will read your ad. It is the most important element in advertising. Spend the time that's necessary to write winning headlines, and watch the response to your advertising sky rocket!
James A. Bower is the Co-Founder and President of Bower Income and Profit Systems a company dedicated to enhancing business performance in many areas through tapes books and seminars. His presentations include sales, marketing, telephone skills, motivation, goal setting and achievement, telephone equipment and voice mail design, and business organization for efficiency. He is an internationally recognized instructor and is the recipient of many awards in recognition of his successful efforts in assisting businesses create a more efficient environment resulting in maximum profits. He has had the opportunity to speak for groups as large as 5000 and can get his points across to any size audience.
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Fundraising Letter Writing Tips From Reader's Digest for Successful Donation Request Letters
If your donor has the choice of reading your fundraising letter of reading the latest issue of Reader's Digest, which one will she read?
This is not a trick question. The competition for your donor's attention has never been greater. If you want your donors and members to read your fundraising letters from start to finish, learn a few lessons from the editors at Reader's Digest, the largest-selling magazine in the world.
1. Hook your reader with a an irresistible headline
Sniper on the Loose.
Heart Attack at 55 MPH.
Breast Cancer Myths.
Five Items You Shouldn't Buy Used.
50 Cleanest (Dirtiest) Cities in America.
These headlines from the covers of recent issues are hard to resist, aren't they? The editors, in six words or fewer, announce the article topic and tantalize you at the same time. Reader's Digest is famous for this. They are the undisputed experts at writing irresistible headlines. Follow their lead by writing irresistible headlines on your mailing envelopes, and writing irresistible overlines for your letters.
2. Pick a hot topic that interests your readers
Look at those headlines again and notice the topic.
Sniper on the Loose [public safety]
Heart Attack at 55 MPH [human drama]
Breast Cancer Myths [women's health]
Five Items You Shouldn't Buy Used [consumer safety]
50 Cleanest (Dirtiest) Cities in America [environment]
Each topic has broad appeal. The topic of your donation request letter must also have broad appeal. It must resonate with the largest number of donors possible.
3. Keep your reader hooked
Your donor opens your envelope and starts reading. Now what? You must keep him reading. That's what Reader's Digest does. On the cover of the magazine is the headline and page number for the article. Turn to that page and the editors keep you hooked by repeating the headline and then, beneath it, placing a subhead that draws you into the article. For example, for their story, Heart Attack at 55 MPH, they included this subhead: "An eight-year-old girl is trapped in a moving car after her father has a heart attack while driving. Can she be saved?"
4. Start your letter with a bang
The first sentence in your appeal letter is the most important one you'll write. It must be strong or you'll lose your reader. The editors at Reader's Digest know this too. That's why they always start their stories and articles with surprise, action, intrigue or drama. Consider this opening for their article entitled, "Deadly Neglect: The shocking truth about what's going on in America's nursing homes."
"Loren Richards, an 84-year-old Kentucky farmer, spent his last days bedridden and in intense pain. A bowel impaction that went neglected and untreated for several days finally caused a fatal heart attack, after a morning spent screaming for a doctor who never came."
That opening has all the ingredients of a great opening. It starts telling a story. It involves a person. It involves human suffering. It involves injustice.
Reader's Digest doesn't publish many original articles. Instead, as the name suggests, the magazine re-publishes articles and stories that have appeared in other publications. Only the best stories make it into Reader's Digest.
People read Reader's Digest from cover to cover because it's informative, entertaining and inspiring. Make your fundraising letters informative, entertaining and inspiring and your donors will read your letters cover to cover as well. And respond with a donation.
This is not a trick question. The competition for your donor's attention has never been greater. If you want your donors and members to read your fundraising letters from start to finish, learn a few lessons from the editors at Reader's Digest, the largest-selling magazine in the world.
1. Hook your reader with a an irresistible headline
Sniper on the Loose.
Heart Attack at 55 MPH.
Breast Cancer Myths.
Five Items You Shouldn't Buy Used.
50 Cleanest (Dirtiest) Cities in America.
These headlines from the covers of recent issues are hard to resist, aren't they? The editors, in six words or fewer, announce the article topic and tantalize you at the same time. Reader's Digest is famous for this. They are the undisputed experts at writing irresistible headlines. Follow their lead by writing irresistible headlines on your mailing envelopes, and writing irresistible overlines for your letters.
2. Pick a hot topic that interests your readers
Look at those headlines again and notice the topic.
Sniper on the Loose [public safety]
Heart Attack at 55 MPH [human drama]
Breast Cancer Myths [women's health]
Five Items You Shouldn't Buy Used [consumer safety]
50 Cleanest (Dirtiest) Cities in America [environment]
Each topic has broad appeal. The topic of your donation request letter must also have broad appeal. It must resonate with the largest number of donors possible.
3. Keep your reader hooked
Your donor opens your envelope and starts reading. Now what? You must keep him reading. That's what Reader's Digest does. On the cover of the magazine is the headline and page number for the article. Turn to that page and the editors keep you hooked by repeating the headline and then, beneath it, placing a subhead that draws you into the article. For example, for their story, Heart Attack at 55 MPH, they included this subhead: "An eight-year-old girl is trapped in a moving car after her father has a heart attack while driving. Can she be saved?"
4. Start your letter with a bang
The first sentence in your appeal letter is the most important one you'll write. It must be strong or you'll lose your reader. The editors at Reader's Digest know this too. That's why they always start their stories and articles with surprise, action, intrigue or drama. Consider this opening for their article entitled, "Deadly Neglect: The shocking truth about what's going on in America's nursing homes."
"Loren Richards, an 84-year-old Kentucky farmer, spent his last days bedridden and in intense pain. A bowel impaction that went neglected and untreated for several days finally caused a fatal heart attack, after a morning spent screaming for a doctor who never came."
That opening has all the ingredients of a great opening. It starts telling a story. It involves a person. It involves human suffering. It involves injustice.
Reader's Digest doesn't publish many original articles. Instead, as the name suggests, the magazine re-publishes articles and stories that have appeared in other publications. Only the best stories make it into Reader's Digest.
People read Reader's Digest from cover to cover because it's informative, entertaining and inspiring. Make your fundraising letters informative, entertaining and inspiring and your donors will read your letters cover to cover as well. And respond with a donation.
Thursday, 27 October 2011
Newspaper Writing Tips - How to Write Copies That Will Make Headlines
1. First thing to do is to make sure that the story that you would like to cover is recent and newsworthy. Instead of giving out tips and how-to guides, write about the things that are currently happening in the government, in politics, and in the worlds of entertainment and sports. You'll also be able to capture the attention of your target readers if you talk about controversial issues from around the globe.
2. Use enticing headlines. You cannot afford to use lousy headlines when writing for newspapers. Keep in mind that your target audience will only read your articles if your headlines are powerful, benefit-driven, intriguing, or thought-provoking. Learn and master the art of creating such headlines through constant practice, by asking tips from professional news writers, and by taking advantage of relevant seminars and training programs.
3. Offer the juiciest information upfront. Use the inverted pyramid technique when writing your news copies. This will help you hook your readers in. Tell them exactly what happened on your first paragraph without using fillers and lengthy introductions. You can then present quotes and supporting details on your succeeding paragraphs.
4. Offer complete information. You shouldn't miss any part of the puzzle so you can avoid leaving your readers confused or unsatisfied. Take all the time that you need when researching your chosen stories and ensure that you get complete, detailed information. Interview all those people who have witnessed what happened and those who are considered experts on the subject matter so you can easily fill your articles with useful and complete information.
2. Use enticing headlines. You cannot afford to use lousy headlines when writing for newspapers. Keep in mind that your target audience will only read your articles if your headlines are powerful, benefit-driven, intriguing, or thought-provoking. Learn and master the art of creating such headlines through constant practice, by asking tips from professional news writers, and by taking advantage of relevant seminars and training programs.
3. Offer the juiciest information upfront. Use the inverted pyramid technique when writing your news copies. This will help you hook your readers in. Tell them exactly what happened on your first paragraph without using fillers and lengthy introductions. You can then present quotes and supporting details on your succeeding paragraphs.
4. Offer complete information. You shouldn't miss any part of the puzzle so you can avoid leaving your readers confused or unsatisfied. Take all the time that you need when researching your chosen stories and ensure that you get complete, detailed information. Interview all those people who have witnessed what happened and those who are considered experts on the subject matter so you can easily fill your articles with useful and complete information.
Monday, 24 October 2011
Tips to Writing a Great Attention Grabbing Headline
How Good Headlines Will Grab And Hold Your Readers Attention, Then Entice Them Into Your Article.
Writing a great attention grabbing headline for your ad, article or blog post is as important as writing a good headline for a newspaper. You need to grab your visitors attention in the few seconds you have them on your page, and you need to use SEO (Search Engine Optimization) techniques as well. Keep on reading to discover examples of attention grabbing headlines.
Your great, attention grabbing headline needs to have good keywords, so your creative freedom starts to be diminished. Did you know that you also have the option to write a great subtitle in most cases? A subtitle lets you increase the attention of your readers as they will read the subtitle as well as the title. When choosing what to use for your attention grabbing headline and subtitle, what is the best option to use?
Questions are good. People love to have questions answered. If you're using a question, make sure you ask one your readers will have an interest in having answered. It creates curiosity.
People like to be shocked. Read the magazine headlines and tabloids to prove the point. Readers also like humour, ideas that are new and exciting, to be stunned and everyone knows sex sells.
So let's examine some of the options I could have used for:
The Curiosity Question:
"Are your readers glued to your page, forced to read on, because you create emotional hooks in your headlines?
The Identification Question:
"Who else has trouble creating an attention grabbing headline that sucks your readers into your article?"
The Scientific Method:
"Newest Research Show That 62% More People Click On Emotionally Charged Headlines"
- I made up the percentage, but you can see the idea.
Sexy (suggestive) Headline:
"Enticing Headline Ideas To Draw In Your Readers Like A Magnet"
New and Exciting:
"Brand New Never Before Seen Ideas To Creating Exciting Headlines Easily"
Secrets Revealed:
"Jealously Guarded Copywriting Secrets To Writing Compelling Headlines Revealed"
Solving A Problem:
"How To Write Compelling Headlines In 3 Easy Steps"
Humour:
"How A Great Headline Affects Your Bottom Line"
Authoritative:
"Learn How To Create Attention Grabbing Headlines In Less Than 5 Minutes"
Writing a great headline takes time. Write down several options before you choose the final one. That is what professional copywriters do. Take your time to craft your headline that will catch your readers attention and compel them to read your entire article or copy.
Writing a great attention grabbing headline for your ad, article or blog post is as important as writing a good headline for a newspaper. You need to grab your visitors attention in the few seconds you have them on your page, and you need to use SEO (Search Engine Optimization) techniques as well. Keep on reading to discover examples of attention grabbing headlines.
Your great, attention grabbing headline needs to have good keywords, so your creative freedom starts to be diminished. Did you know that you also have the option to write a great subtitle in most cases? A subtitle lets you increase the attention of your readers as they will read the subtitle as well as the title. When choosing what to use for your attention grabbing headline and subtitle, what is the best option to use?
Questions are good. People love to have questions answered. If you're using a question, make sure you ask one your readers will have an interest in having answered. It creates curiosity.
People like to be shocked. Read the magazine headlines and tabloids to prove the point. Readers also like humour, ideas that are new and exciting, to be stunned and everyone knows sex sells.
So let's examine some of the options I could have used for:
The Curiosity Question:
"Are your readers glued to your page, forced to read on, because you create emotional hooks in your headlines?
The Identification Question:
"Who else has trouble creating an attention grabbing headline that sucks your readers into your article?"
The Scientific Method:
"Newest Research Show That 62% More People Click On Emotionally Charged Headlines"
- I made up the percentage, but you can see the idea.
Sexy (suggestive) Headline:
"Enticing Headline Ideas To Draw In Your Readers Like A Magnet"
New and Exciting:
"Brand New Never Before Seen Ideas To Creating Exciting Headlines Easily"
Secrets Revealed:
"Jealously Guarded Copywriting Secrets To Writing Compelling Headlines Revealed"
Solving A Problem:
"How To Write Compelling Headlines In 3 Easy Steps"
Humour:
"How A Great Headline Affects Your Bottom Line"
Authoritative:
"Learn How To Create Attention Grabbing Headlines In Less Than 5 Minutes"
Writing a great headline takes time. Write down several options before you choose the final one. That is what professional copywriters do. Take your time to craft your headline that will catch your readers attention and compel them to read your entire article or copy.
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Website Writing Tips - 3 Powerful Promotional Types of Headlines
Headlines are the first text that visitors see when they open your website. When headlines are effective, they urge your visitors to explore the rest of the web page. This increases the likelihood that they will continue reading and take action.
Here are three types of headlines to promote your product or service: the How To, the Question and the Command headline.
The How To Headline
This is a great one to build up your headline writing muscles. Once you feel comfortable with How To headlines, you can experiment with other types. Or if you prefer, you can decide to use only How To headlines. They work!
People are always looking for answers about how to do something. How to choose a financial planner. How to wind surf. How to prepare for retirement. And so on.
You can use a simple How To headline, such as How to Housetrain Your Puppy. The implied benefit is "no more messes," "no more getting upset," etc. You can make the headline much stronger by adding a timeframe or something unexpected. For example:
Timeframe: How to Housetrain Your Puppy in 10 Days
Something Unexpected: How to Housetrain Your Puppy Without Losing Your Temper
You can make the headline even stronger by using both a timeframe and something unexpected. Here's an easy and powerful how to headline formula:
How to (do X) + Timeframe + Something Unexpected
Using this formula, we can enrich the housetraining headline to read like this:
How to Housetrain Your Puppy In 10 Days Without Losing Your Temper
The Question Headline
An effective question makes your website readers answer it in their minds and want to read about the solution you offer. Be aware that a question that has a yes or no answer is double-edged. If the purpose of the answer is to weed out visitors who are not within your target market, then use it.
For example, an online business that sells stylish, trendy shoes for women might have a headline that says, Are you looking for an exciting variety of shoe styles and colors? The headline summarizes their product line. Those visitors whose shoe interest matches "exciting variety of shoe styles and colors" will say yes and continue reading. Those whose shoe interest does not match will say no and deselect themselves. Both the business and the visitor win.
However, if visitors are potential clients and the headline question causes an answer that suggests to them your service isn't what they are looking for, your headline is not effective. For example, let's say the same shoe business uses this home page headline: Are you looking for stylish red shoes? The visitors may conclude that this business only carries red shoes. If their answer is yes, great. They will continue reading. But if it is no, they may deselect themselves and click on to the next website. The business lost the opportunity to show them all the variety they offer.
The Command Headline
Command headlines boast big benefits. You can find great examples on magazine covers, such as Invest in Your Future, Make More Time For Your Kids, Double Your Income, and Increase the Resale Value of Your Home Lose 10 pounds in 10 days.
Notice that in addition to focusing on a big benefit, the command headline automatically speaks directly to the reader because you is understood in the content of the verb. For example, (You) Double Your Income.
Now it's time to practice writing headlines for your product or service by starting with these three headline types: How To, Question, and Command.
Here are three types of headlines to promote your product or service: the How To, the Question and the Command headline.
The How To Headline
This is a great one to build up your headline writing muscles. Once you feel comfortable with How To headlines, you can experiment with other types. Or if you prefer, you can decide to use only How To headlines. They work!
People are always looking for answers about how to do something. How to choose a financial planner. How to wind surf. How to prepare for retirement. And so on.
You can use a simple How To headline, such as How to Housetrain Your Puppy. The implied benefit is "no more messes," "no more getting upset," etc. You can make the headline much stronger by adding a timeframe or something unexpected. For example:
Timeframe: How to Housetrain Your Puppy in 10 Days
Something Unexpected: How to Housetrain Your Puppy Without Losing Your Temper
You can make the headline even stronger by using both a timeframe and something unexpected. Here's an easy and powerful how to headline formula:
How to (do X) + Timeframe + Something Unexpected
Using this formula, we can enrich the housetraining headline to read like this:
How to Housetrain Your Puppy In 10 Days Without Losing Your Temper
The Question Headline
An effective question makes your website readers answer it in their minds and want to read about the solution you offer. Be aware that a question that has a yes or no answer is double-edged. If the purpose of the answer is to weed out visitors who are not within your target market, then use it.
For example, an online business that sells stylish, trendy shoes for women might have a headline that says, Are you looking for an exciting variety of shoe styles and colors? The headline summarizes their product line. Those visitors whose shoe interest matches "exciting variety of shoe styles and colors" will say yes and continue reading. Those whose shoe interest does not match will say no and deselect themselves. Both the business and the visitor win.
However, if visitors are potential clients and the headline question causes an answer that suggests to them your service isn't what they are looking for, your headline is not effective. For example, let's say the same shoe business uses this home page headline: Are you looking for stylish red shoes? The visitors may conclude that this business only carries red shoes. If their answer is yes, great. They will continue reading. But if it is no, they may deselect themselves and click on to the next website. The business lost the opportunity to show them all the variety they offer.
The Command Headline
Command headlines boast big benefits. You can find great examples on magazine covers, such as Invest in Your Future, Make More Time For Your Kids, Double Your Income, and Increase the Resale Value of Your Home Lose 10 pounds in 10 days.
Notice that in addition to focusing on a big benefit, the command headline automatically speaks directly to the reader because you is understood in the content of the verb. For example, (You) Double Your Income.
Now it's time to practice writing headlines for your product or service by starting with these three headline types: How To, Question, and Command.
Sunday, 16 October 2011
Earn Extra Money From Home Writing Effective Headlines
Your headline is the first thing that grabs potential customers eyes when they see your article so that it can help you earn extra money from home. So you want to make sure that you have something in your headline that they want to see. If the title is creative enough it will help keep your reader interested in what you have got to say.
The color red usually correlates with urgency or importance. If you don't like using the color red you could try black or text with yellow highlight in the background if red doesn't suit your sales page's color theme. In my own opinion I think it is a better choice to go with red as they create effective headlines easily. It is a color that can easily fit in with almost any color theme and do it very well.
Even if you are referring to someone else in your headline, make absolutely sure that it ultimately shows what it has to do with your prospect and how it can benefit them. And this benefit that is mentioned should often refer to your prospect and not any one else.
It is very important that your headline stands out from the rest of your font since we all know that the purpose is to get your potential customers attention and hold their attention through out the article. We all know that if we can keep their attention that long it will mean more sales in the long run so as to earn extra money from home.
For your headline you will want to keep the length somewhere in between 20 to 25 words and 4-6 lines. If you make your headline to long your prospect can possibly get disinterested and leave your site before you have a chance with them. That would be a waste of everyone's time.
Whatever your product or service, the better that you can relate it to the majority of your customers, the higher the chances are that you can get them to read your sales letter, and then hopefully purchase from you. If you can utilize these ideas, you ought to be able to create outstanding headlines in no time. So if you want to find out more about how to earn money from home check us out.
The color red usually correlates with urgency or importance. If you don't like using the color red you could try black or text with yellow highlight in the background if red doesn't suit your sales page's color theme. In my own opinion I think it is a better choice to go with red as they create effective headlines easily. It is a color that can easily fit in with almost any color theme and do it very well.
Even if you are referring to someone else in your headline, make absolutely sure that it ultimately shows what it has to do with your prospect and how it can benefit them. And this benefit that is mentioned should often refer to your prospect and not any one else.
It is very important that your headline stands out from the rest of your font since we all know that the purpose is to get your potential customers attention and hold their attention through out the article. We all know that if we can keep their attention that long it will mean more sales in the long run so as to earn extra money from home.
For your headline you will want to keep the length somewhere in between 20 to 25 words and 4-6 lines. If you make your headline to long your prospect can possibly get disinterested and leave your site before you have a chance with them. That would be a waste of everyone's time.
Whatever your product or service, the better that you can relate it to the majority of your customers, the higher the chances are that you can get them to read your sales letter, and then hopefully purchase from you. If you can utilize these ideas, you ought to be able to create outstanding headlines in no time. So if you want to find out more about how to earn money from home check us out.
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Headlines - 3 Tips to Writing Headlines That Make the Sale
Want to know the secret for creating promotional materials that make sales?
It starts with the headline.
You see, people are busy. They're only going to take a few seconds to determine if they want to spend any time with your promotional materials or not (whether that's an email, a web site, a sales letter or something else).
How will they make that decision? A big part of it will come from reading your headline. So if your headline doesn't pull its own weight, your prospects will most likely simply move on.
So how can you craft a headline that persuades your prospects to keep reading? Here are 3 tips to get you started:
1. Put yourself in the mind of your prospect. Chances are, your prospect landed on your site because they have a problem. And they're looking for a solution to that problem. And they're impatient because they're squeezing in searching for this solution in between taking the kids to dance class, sending a few last emails and figuring out what to throw together for dinner. (Okay, that was a very female-biased day, but men are equally as stretched.) So if they're not feeling confident they're going to find a solution, they WILL move on. And fast.
But, if you create a headline that embodies the solution, then they'll probably stick around and keep reading. For instance, a headline like this:
Give me 3 days and I'll show you how to make more money while working far less
If you're considering writing a headline like this, then your prospects are probably completely overwhelmed, exhausted, struggling to get everything done and not making much money. See how the headline entices them to read on because it promises a solution?
Here's another one:
Give me 3 days and I'll show you how to lose weight without crazy fad diets, pills, hours of sweaty exhausting exercise or feeling hungry.
(Ah, don't we all wish?)
Okay, so your prospect wants to lose weight and has tried a lot of things without success.
See how this works?
2. Give them a time limit. If you were wondering in the above examples why I had a time limit in there, it's because that resonates with people. Again, people are impatient. They don't want to wait years or decades for the solution to take effect (even if that's what it takes). They want to know the solution is within reach and it's a manageable time frame. So if you can frame your solution around something that sounds doable (a couple of weeks, days or minutes are best yet if you can distill it that far).
3. Use language your prospects will relate to. Whether it's language that resonates with your prospects (hours of sweaty exhausting exercise would probably resonate with prospects who don't like to exercise whereas it wouldn't with people whose hobby was running marathons) or using words like "Free" or "Guaranteed," making sure you pick the right words can mean the difference from a kick-butt sales piece to a so-so one.
And don't be afraid to simply tweak a couple of words. Sometimes that's all it takes to tweak a word or 2 to transform a blah headline into a sexy, profit-pulling one.
Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a copywriting, marketing communications and creativity agency. She helps people become more successful at attracting new clients, selling products and services and boosting business. To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level, visit her site http://www.michelepw.com
It starts with the headline.
You see, people are busy. They're only going to take a few seconds to determine if they want to spend any time with your promotional materials or not (whether that's an email, a web site, a sales letter or something else).
How will they make that decision? A big part of it will come from reading your headline. So if your headline doesn't pull its own weight, your prospects will most likely simply move on.
So how can you craft a headline that persuades your prospects to keep reading? Here are 3 tips to get you started:
1. Put yourself in the mind of your prospect. Chances are, your prospect landed on your site because they have a problem. And they're looking for a solution to that problem. And they're impatient because they're squeezing in searching for this solution in between taking the kids to dance class, sending a few last emails and figuring out what to throw together for dinner. (Okay, that was a very female-biased day, but men are equally as stretched.) So if they're not feeling confident they're going to find a solution, they WILL move on. And fast.
But, if you create a headline that embodies the solution, then they'll probably stick around and keep reading. For instance, a headline like this:
Give me 3 days and I'll show you how to make more money while working far less
If you're considering writing a headline like this, then your prospects are probably completely overwhelmed, exhausted, struggling to get everything done and not making much money. See how the headline entices them to read on because it promises a solution?
Here's another one:
Give me 3 days and I'll show you how to lose weight without crazy fad diets, pills, hours of sweaty exhausting exercise or feeling hungry.
(Ah, don't we all wish?)
Okay, so your prospect wants to lose weight and has tried a lot of things without success.
See how this works?
2. Give them a time limit. If you were wondering in the above examples why I had a time limit in there, it's because that resonates with people. Again, people are impatient. They don't want to wait years or decades for the solution to take effect (even if that's what it takes). They want to know the solution is within reach and it's a manageable time frame. So if you can frame your solution around something that sounds doable (a couple of weeks, days or minutes are best yet if you can distill it that far).
3. Use language your prospects will relate to. Whether it's language that resonates with your prospects (hours of sweaty exhausting exercise would probably resonate with prospects who don't like to exercise whereas it wouldn't with people whose hobby was running marathons) or using words like "Free" or "Guaranteed," making sure you pick the right words can mean the difference from a kick-butt sales piece to a so-so one.
And don't be afraid to simply tweak a couple of words. Sometimes that's all it takes to tweak a word or 2 to transform a blah headline into a sexy, profit-pulling one.
Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a copywriting, marketing communications and creativity agency. She helps people become more successful at attracting new clients, selling products and services and boosting business. To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level, visit her site http://www.michelepw.com
Saturday, 8 October 2011
Needed Writer - Writing Great Headlines and Slogans
In a great headline, a dog is never just a dog.
One punctuation mark can make all the difference. A colon can add significant meaning to the phrase "needed writer," turning it into a want ad-"Needed: Writer."
An expert advertising writer knows that creating copy for advertisements is much closer to composing a poem than writing prose, though this is may not be apparent at first.
Though some copy does read like a paragraph from the newspaper, passing along a few pieces of information, an advertisement is intended to do more than simply communicate. An advertising writer seeks to grab attention, deliver a meaningful message, and motivate a contingent of people to do something specific. Whether its purpose is to enlist volunteers at a soup kitchen or to sell expensive televisions, an ad must persuade people to act.
If an individual understands the message but fails to act, then to some extent the ad has failed, even if it succeeds in building awareness or establishing good will.
Of course, each prospective customer represents so many uncontrollable variables that neither the writer nor the ad is always at fault, but a great advertising writer keeps in mind that consumers rarely make purchases for logical reasons. Most people spend money for emotional reasons and later come up with the necessary logical arguments to justify their decisions: "Isn't the picture so much sharper than our last television?" or "Did I tell you it gets 36 miles to the gallon on the interstate?
As with poetry, we know ads require a special type of reading. We're supposed to read between the lines and pay attention to what's been left out. The awkward syntax of the "needed writer" grabs the reader's attention and, perhaps, piques her curiosity. An even better example is Nike's famous "Just Do It" tag line. The folks at Wieden & Kennedy who developed this slogan sought to capture Nike's brand and to communicate its mission, values and unique value proposition at the same time. "Just Do It" evokes an attitude or posture towards life with which Nike wanted to associate itself.
Great headlines and slogans become a part of popular culture and the public consciousness because they carry an invisible cargo that separates the Wall Street Journal from Macbeth. What distinguishes "Just Do It" from the slogan of that athletic shoe company that you never choose? Emotion. Nike captured an attitude with three words.
The power of "Just Do It" comes from the slogan's spareness, or economy of language. Less is more. To have used more verbage would have been to weaken the slogan. Think about how negative space in a photograph or graphic "amplify" the focal points. A rest in a piano concerto has the same effect. A great slogan distills that brand into its essence, and each word in an ad must carry its share of the message. A word wasted is money wasted. More text can dilute, rather than reinforce, the core message. "Needed Writer" and "Just Do It" get straight to the point.
Regardless of where or how you're advertising, a great advertisement makes an emotional connection with its target audience. Showing an understanding of a common desire or problem builds trust with your audience. They feel understood. When you offer a solution, they believe you and want for you to tell them what to do.
A great advertisement is more than a tool; it is a work of art.
An avid flyfisherman, outdoorsman, and traveler, Austin Church divides his time between helping his marketing and advertising clients sell more stuff with SEO copywriting, traffic generation, and marketing strategy and his own creative projects.
One punctuation mark can make all the difference. A colon can add significant meaning to the phrase "needed writer," turning it into a want ad-"Needed: Writer."
An expert advertising writer knows that creating copy for advertisements is much closer to composing a poem than writing prose, though this is may not be apparent at first.
Though some copy does read like a paragraph from the newspaper, passing along a few pieces of information, an advertisement is intended to do more than simply communicate. An advertising writer seeks to grab attention, deliver a meaningful message, and motivate a contingent of people to do something specific. Whether its purpose is to enlist volunteers at a soup kitchen or to sell expensive televisions, an ad must persuade people to act.
If an individual understands the message but fails to act, then to some extent the ad has failed, even if it succeeds in building awareness or establishing good will.
Of course, each prospective customer represents so many uncontrollable variables that neither the writer nor the ad is always at fault, but a great advertising writer keeps in mind that consumers rarely make purchases for logical reasons. Most people spend money for emotional reasons and later come up with the necessary logical arguments to justify their decisions: "Isn't the picture so much sharper than our last television?" or "Did I tell you it gets 36 miles to the gallon on the interstate?
As with poetry, we know ads require a special type of reading. We're supposed to read between the lines and pay attention to what's been left out. The awkward syntax of the "needed writer" grabs the reader's attention and, perhaps, piques her curiosity. An even better example is Nike's famous "Just Do It" tag line. The folks at Wieden & Kennedy who developed this slogan sought to capture Nike's brand and to communicate its mission, values and unique value proposition at the same time. "Just Do It" evokes an attitude or posture towards life with which Nike wanted to associate itself.
Great headlines and slogans become a part of popular culture and the public consciousness because they carry an invisible cargo that separates the Wall Street Journal from Macbeth. What distinguishes "Just Do It" from the slogan of that athletic shoe company that you never choose? Emotion. Nike captured an attitude with three words.
The power of "Just Do It" comes from the slogan's spareness, or economy of language. Less is more. To have used more verbage would have been to weaken the slogan. Think about how negative space in a photograph or graphic "amplify" the focal points. A rest in a piano concerto has the same effect. A great slogan distills that brand into its essence, and each word in an ad must carry its share of the message. A word wasted is money wasted. More text can dilute, rather than reinforce, the core message. "Needed Writer" and "Just Do It" get straight to the point.
Regardless of where or how you're advertising, a great advertisement makes an emotional connection with its target audience. Showing an understanding of a common desire or problem builds trust with your audience. They feel understood. When you offer a solution, they believe you and want for you to tell them what to do.
A great advertisement is more than a tool; it is a work of art.
An avid flyfisherman, outdoorsman, and traveler, Austin Church divides his time between helping his marketing and advertising clients sell more stuff with SEO copywriting, traffic generation, and marketing strategy and his own creative projects.
Monday, 3 October 2011
Article Writing Secret: Hyped-Up Headlines Help Boost Your Article Marketing Success
My clients often want to know how to make their articles stand out from the thousands that already exist in their marketplace. I encourage them to consider using alliteration in their headlines. What's alliteration you say? It's when you use words that all have the same sound. Check out the headline for this story as an example.
Here are a few tips I created to make headline writing a bit easier for you:
Don't force it.
Hey, if it's not there, it's not there. Look for a way to use words that begin with the same sound for a few minutes. If it doesn't come, then go with the old standby, "How to" or "3 Ways to" and move on.
Accompany the headline with an equally clever article.
You finally have a great alliterative headline, now what? You'd better have a funny, amusing or interesting article to back it up. The reader's curiosity is piqued, give him the information you promised in that great headline of yours.
Have a look at other alliterative headlines for inspiration.
Let's face it, these kinds of headlines can be a challenge. To make it easier, consider reading the work of others. Keep your eyes open because these headlines are used everywhere, magazines, newspapers, brochures - keep a file of these gems. It's worth it.
Here are a few from the undisputed kings (and queens) of clever headlines - The New York Post - for more inspiration:
PAYBACK'S A PITCH
MANIC MOB TRACKS THE TIGER [TIGER WOODS]
GANGLAND GALA AT GOTTI GRAVE
SALE SURVIVORS
Alliterate every word? Not so.
Not every word in your headline has to begin with the same sound. Conjunctions and prepositions such as: of, and, or, from get a pass. (Note: There are exceptions to this rule. Sometimes the first few or last few words in a headline have alliteration and all others don't.)
NICOTINE NAZIS ARE ASH-KING FOR IT THIS TIME!
BUGGED BRASS ORDERS JACKO COPS TO HUSH
TIGER BAGS HIS BABE
Don't forget your subheds.
It can be a risky move to use alliteration in your main headline. If it's too much for you, save your creativity for your subheds. This will move your readers through your copy swiftly and effortlessly - with a little flair.
Secondary headlines help, too.
Keep in mind these headlines don't offer a bevy of information. To connect the reader to the article, build a bridge with a secondary headline that clearly spells out what you're going to say. And it's a good idea not to use alliteration in the secondary headline either. Just tell it like it is.
There you have alliteration basics. Spice up your headlines with this bit of writing and watch response rates soar.
Here are a few tips I created to make headline writing a bit easier for you:
Don't force it.
Hey, if it's not there, it's not there. Look for a way to use words that begin with the same sound for a few minutes. If it doesn't come, then go with the old standby, "How to" or "3 Ways to" and move on.
Accompany the headline with an equally clever article.
You finally have a great alliterative headline, now what? You'd better have a funny, amusing or interesting article to back it up. The reader's curiosity is piqued, give him the information you promised in that great headline of yours.
Have a look at other alliterative headlines for inspiration.
Let's face it, these kinds of headlines can be a challenge. To make it easier, consider reading the work of others. Keep your eyes open because these headlines are used everywhere, magazines, newspapers, brochures - keep a file of these gems. It's worth it.
Here are a few from the undisputed kings (and queens) of clever headlines - The New York Post - for more inspiration:
PAYBACK'S A PITCH
MANIC MOB TRACKS THE TIGER [TIGER WOODS]
GANGLAND GALA AT GOTTI GRAVE
SALE SURVIVORS
Alliterate every word? Not so.
Not every word in your headline has to begin with the same sound. Conjunctions and prepositions such as: of, and, or, from get a pass. (Note: There are exceptions to this rule. Sometimes the first few or last few words in a headline have alliteration and all others don't.)
NICOTINE NAZIS ARE ASH-KING FOR IT THIS TIME!
BUGGED BRASS ORDERS JACKO COPS TO HUSH
TIGER BAGS HIS BABE
Don't forget your subheds.
It can be a risky move to use alliteration in your main headline. If it's too much for you, save your creativity for your subheds. This will move your readers through your copy swiftly and effortlessly - with a little flair.
Secondary headlines help, too.
Keep in mind these headlines don't offer a bevy of information. To connect the reader to the article, build a bridge with a secondary headline that clearly spells out what you're going to say. And it's a good idea not to use alliteration in the secondary headline either. Just tell it like it is.
There you have alliteration basics. Spice up your headlines with this bit of writing and watch response rates soar.
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Estate Sale For The Undead - Writing Ad Headlines
Writing Internet Marketing Advertising for your business can become a daunting experience when trying to attract the living public to your products and services. If you are among the population of the "Undead," then most likely, you are bombarded with advertising every day. The competition is humongous. Knowing your target market and writing killer ad copy will stop people dead in their tracks at your website and buying your products.
Knowing Your Target Market
Before you start your advertising campaigns, it is imperative to know the key elements of advertising and your Target Market. Ask yourself the following questions: What, Why, Who, When, Where, and How?
1. What? Define your product or service. Write a detailed description.
2. Why? Define the benefits of your product or service (the value that someone will receive by buying or using your product).
3. Who? These are the customers who are looking for your product or service.
4. When? Determine how quickly the customer will receive your product or service.
5. Where? Keywords for your ad should be researched and must be targeted to your product or service. People are searching the internet to find an answer to their needs or problems. They must be able to find you and get the answer to their problem.
6. How? The Call To Action! Telling the potential customer the benefits that they will receive and a link to take them to exactly what they are looking for.
Finding Inspiration For Writing Your Ads
Inspiration from people you know and media that is familiar to you, like: television commercials, billboards, newspapers, magazines, telemarketers, internet, cell phones, mail, and even the guy in the gorilla suit holding the sign and trying to lure passers-by to come in to their business, will help you with your ad copy.
Television Commercials:
Watch commercials on TV and listen to how the key elements of advertising are answered.
Example: This last holiday season, there was a commercial that was set inside a shopping mall. Carolers were riding down the escalators singing about the stores they had been in and how they were able to get everything to complete their shopping. The Carolers held their shopping bags up with the names of the stores and showed the frustrated shoppers in the mall where to go to get their shopping done.
� The Problem: Wandering the mall trying to find gifts and getting the holiday shopping done.
� The Advertisement: The Carolers holding the bags full of gifts with the names of the stores and singing to the other shoppers where they can go to find everything they need.
� The Call to Action: "Why are you still standing there?"
Television Shows or Movies:
When you watch TV shows and movies, listen for things that make you laugh, make you cry, or even make you sick. Emotions can have a powerful effect in advertising.
Example: "I Love Lucy Show" that 1st aired in the 1950's. In this episode the Ricardos and the Mertzes are traveling by car to California. After driving for many hours, they become hungry and decide to stop at a run-down caf�. Once inside they are given the menus and as each one orders, they are told by the owner that he is all out of that item. In their frustration, they ask what is available. The owner brings out bags of cheese sandwiches. They decide to go elsewhere.
As they are driving, they begin seeing these road signs every 5 miles about how good the food is up ahead. They pass the 15 mile sign, the 10 mile, 5 mile... 1 mile signs and they are so excited about finally getting to eat. When they pull in, they find that they have driven in a great big circle ending up back at the run-down caf�.
� The Problem: Hunger
� The Advertisement: The signs describing the food they would receive.
� The Call to Action: The placement of the signs directing them exactly where to go to eat.
Conversations with Friends, Family, or Strangers:
Listening to what other people say may give you an idea for an advertisement.
Example: My sister and I were talking about having a garage sale. She said that she had so much stuff that there would be no way that she could get it all outside for a garage sale. She said that she would just like to open the door to her house and let people make her an offer on whatever they wanted. Then she asked me, "Can you have an "Estate Sale For the Undead?" And thus, that question became the title of this article.
Once you have defined the key elements of advertising and identified your Target Market, writing powerful, emotional, and shocking Ad Headlines becomes easy and effortless.
Knowing Your Target Market
Before you start your advertising campaigns, it is imperative to know the key elements of advertising and your Target Market. Ask yourself the following questions: What, Why, Who, When, Where, and How?
1. What? Define your product or service. Write a detailed description.
2. Why? Define the benefits of your product or service (the value that someone will receive by buying or using your product).
3. Who? These are the customers who are looking for your product or service.
4. When? Determine how quickly the customer will receive your product or service.
5. Where? Keywords for your ad should be researched and must be targeted to your product or service. People are searching the internet to find an answer to their needs or problems. They must be able to find you and get the answer to their problem.
6. How? The Call To Action! Telling the potential customer the benefits that they will receive and a link to take them to exactly what they are looking for.
Finding Inspiration For Writing Your Ads
Inspiration from people you know and media that is familiar to you, like: television commercials, billboards, newspapers, magazines, telemarketers, internet, cell phones, mail, and even the guy in the gorilla suit holding the sign and trying to lure passers-by to come in to their business, will help you with your ad copy.
Television Commercials:
Watch commercials on TV and listen to how the key elements of advertising are answered.
Example: This last holiday season, there was a commercial that was set inside a shopping mall. Carolers were riding down the escalators singing about the stores they had been in and how they were able to get everything to complete their shopping. The Carolers held their shopping bags up with the names of the stores and showed the frustrated shoppers in the mall where to go to get their shopping done.
� The Problem: Wandering the mall trying to find gifts and getting the holiday shopping done.
� The Advertisement: The Carolers holding the bags full of gifts with the names of the stores and singing to the other shoppers where they can go to find everything they need.
� The Call to Action: "Why are you still standing there?"
Television Shows or Movies:
When you watch TV shows and movies, listen for things that make you laugh, make you cry, or even make you sick. Emotions can have a powerful effect in advertising.
Example: "I Love Lucy Show" that 1st aired in the 1950's. In this episode the Ricardos and the Mertzes are traveling by car to California. After driving for many hours, they become hungry and decide to stop at a run-down caf�. Once inside they are given the menus and as each one orders, they are told by the owner that he is all out of that item. In their frustration, they ask what is available. The owner brings out bags of cheese sandwiches. They decide to go elsewhere.
As they are driving, they begin seeing these road signs every 5 miles about how good the food is up ahead. They pass the 15 mile sign, the 10 mile, 5 mile... 1 mile signs and they are so excited about finally getting to eat. When they pull in, they find that they have driven in a great big circle ending up back at the run-down caf�.
� The Problem: Hunger
� The Advertisement: The signs describing the food they would receive.
� The Call to Action: The placement of the signs directing them exactly where to go to eat.
Conversations with Friends, Family, or Strangers:
Listening to what other people say may give you an idea for an advertisement.
Example: My sister and I were talking about having a garage sale. She said that she had so much stuff that there would be no way that she could get it all outside for a garage sale. She said that she would just like to open the door to her house and let people make her an offer on whatever they wanted. Then she asked me, "Can you have an "Estate Sale For the Undead?" And thus, that question became the title of this article.
Once you have defined the key elements of advertising and identified your Target Market, writing powerful, emotional, and shocking Ad Headlines becomes easy and effortless.
Sunday, 25 September 2011
Beginners Writing - Headlines to Launch Your Million Dollar Business
Beginners writing for money, understand what will launch your million dollar business. Head lines are what captivate, interest and lead your audience into what ever you have on offer. Around 90% of your blog, sales copy, news letter, article's effectiveness is generated by your headline. Around five times more headlines are read compared to the body.
Visualize this. What happens when a basket ball enthusiast enters a book store? They enter and head for the Sports section that interests them. They then scan the shelf, searching the book or magazine covers for basket ball headlines. Once there, they look for something that interests them, make a selection, flip through it skimming again the headlines or pictures. If they find something that rivets them, they buy, sometimes in a matter of few minutes. Out of thousands of books/ magazines the choice can be made in minutes.
That's how much time you have to make an impression in getting your headline picked.
1. As can be seen in the above example the importance of putting your offer out where potential prospects surf. If it's a sports program on offer, frequent sports chat or ezines sites. Position your self in areas that target those specific surfers IE. basket ball enthusiasts.
2. The head line you choose is the ad for the ad... You have a one time chance to get attention so invest heavily to make that happen. Use all you have, bold easy to read fonts, italics, underline, colour, pictures, and of course powerful words that reach out to get noticed.
Headlines have launched ideas to become multi million dollar business's. The difference between success and failure can be down to just changing one or two words in a headline. It could be well worth your while as a beginner writer to learning all you can and perfecting your skills in creating your own killer headlines that stand out from the crowd.
If this has tickled your interest read my free report called: 3 Psychological Elements to an Article Head Line That Captivate Attention and Prompts Action!! While there grab my FREE e-book " The 101 most powerful words to use in creating killer blog and article content...
Visualize this. What happens when a basket ball enthusiast enters a book store? They enter and head for the Sports section that interests them. They then scan the shelf, searching the book or magazine covers for basket ball headlines. Once there, they look for something that interests them, make a selection, flip through it skimming again the headlines or pictures. If they find something that rivets them, they buy, sometimes in a matter of few minutes. Out of thousands of books/ magazines the choice can be made in minutes.
That's how much time you have to make an impression in getting your headline picked.
1. As can be seen in the above example the importance of putting your offer out where potential prospects surf. If it's a sports program on offer, frequent sports chat or ezines sites. Position your self in areas that target those specific surfers IE. basket ball enthusiasts.
2. The head line you choose is the ad for the ad... You have a one time chance to get attention so invest heavily to make that happen. Use all you have, bold easy to read fonts, italics, underline, colour, pictures, and of course powerful words that reach out to get noticed.
Headlines have launched ideas to become multi million dollar business's. The difference between success and failure can be down to just changing one or two words in a headline. It could be well worth your while as a beginner writer to learning all you can and perfecting your skills in creating your own killer headlines that stand out from the crowd.
If this has tickled your interest read my free report called: 3 Psychological Elements to an Article Head Line That Captivate Attention and Prompts Action!! While there grab my FREE e-book " The 101 most powerful words to use in creating killer blog and article content...
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
3 Tips to Writing Amazing Ad Headlines That Get You Sales Like Crazy
How do you know what's interesting to your ideal prospect? Read on to learn 3 tips to writing amazing ad headlines that get you sales like crazy.
Before you can serve your ideal prospects, first you must know what is important to them. Then, intentionally do things to get their attention so they see you as a provider of the perfect solution for him or her. Here are 3 tips to writing great headlines in your marketing copy to get sales like crazy:
1. The secret to grabbing your ideal prospect's attention is first knowing the desperate needs and wants that are missing from your prospect's life. The "missing item" haunts your prospect like an old familiar melody that incessantly plays on in his or her head. So how do you learn what they want or need? You ask them! Listen closely, then personally relate to their description about their need or want. Start with their most intense desire. What is it? Whatever feeling the client is feeling, it aches to be satisfied or relieved. So, as a marketer, become the prospect's personal shopper.
2. In your marketing copy, point the way for your ideal prospect to get satisfaction through the benefits of your product or service. As you describe how your prospect can feel satisfied using your solution, you are building a relationship with your prospect.
3. Once you build a trusting relationship with your prospects, they are more likely to rely on your honesty and your advice. This trust will help them to select your product to satisfy their needs.
Finally, after you know what your prospects really want, give it to them in the way they want it. Good news! They are already looking for you and your products. Show them how to find you now! When you speak their language, and give them what they crave, they really appreciate you. Provide the solution for their most frustrating challenge. Do that repeatedly with all your clients and become friends with your customers who buy from you fast!
Imagine getting more customers by connecting with them. You can learn how to make a meaningful difference with your market by discovering how to connect with them.
Before you can serve your ideal prospects, first you must know what is important to them. Then, intentionally do things to get their attention so they see you as a provider of the perfect solution for him or her. Here are 3 tips to writing great headlines in your marketing copy to get sales like crazy:
1. The secret to grabbing your ideal prospect's attention is first knowing the desperate needs and wants that are missing from your prospect's life. The "missing item" haunts your prospect like an old familiar melody that incessantly plays on in his or her head. So how do you learn what they want or need? You ask them! Listen closely, then personally relate to their description about their need or want. Start with their most intense desire. What is it? Whatever feeling the client is feeling, it aches to be satisfied or relieved. So, as a marketer, become the prospect's personal shopper.
2. In your marketing copy, point the way for your ideal prospect to get satisfaction through the benefits of your product or service. As you describe how your prospect can feel satisfied using your solution, you are building a relationship with your prospect.
3. Once you build a trusting relationship with your prospects, they are more likely to rely on your honesty and your advice. This trust will help them to select your product to satisfy their needs.
Finally, after you know what your prospects really want, give it to them in the way they want it. Good news! They are already looking for you and your products. Show them how to find you now! When you speak their language, and give them what they crave, they really appreciate you. Provide the solution for their most frustrating challenge. Do that repeatedly with all your clients and become friends with your customers who buy from you fast!
Imagine getting more customers by connecting with them. You can learn how to make a meaningful difference with your market by discovering how to connect with them.
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