The Art of Writing Headlines

Headlines for News And Headlines for Advertising

Headlines are headlines. They have the purpose of grabbing the attention of the consumer and persuading him/her to read further and even to purchase the newspaper, magazine, or product. Look at the headlines that grab your attention while standing in line at a store and you can model your headlines to do the same.

The Function of the Headline.

Headlines have developed during the last century, next to the article or advertisement itself, as the most important part of our media. From mere labels to indicate the kind of reading matter to be found in the columns under them, headlines in this country have developed into bulletins giving the substance of the articles to which they are attached. By presenting conspicuously in large type the important facts of the article or ad which it precedes, the headline serves a double purpose: it makes possible rapid reading of the copy thus outlined in the head, and it becomes an advertisement in and of itself to attract the purchaser.

Headlines Promote Rapid Reading

As concise summaries of the facts of the news or advertisement headlines fill an important place in contemporary life, for, by reading only the headlines, the busy man or woman can get in brief outline the news of the whole world. But also headlines in advertisements get the bullet points across as the busy consumer skims down to the most important part; the hook. The size of the type and the arrangement of the parts of the headline aid in a marked degree this rapid reading. Well-written heads that give clearly and accurately the information of greatest significance are an integral part of the page.

How Headliness Advertise

By their form and position, likewise, the headlines act as advertisements. Like all good advertisements headlines should create interest and lead to the sale of the product. By arousing the reader's curiosity and at the same time partially satisfying it, the head, when skillfully written, attracts the reader's attention and influences him to read more about the product.

A salesperson that aims to have large sales will naturally take advantage of the advertising element in the heads, by making them as attractive as possible. In fact, the efforts of some salespeople to make the most powerful appeal possible, have led to extreme forms of headlines with great black type, with varicolored effects, animations, sounds and so on. In general, blogs and news sites with regular subscribers are less inclined to employ large heads for advertising than are those that seek to just have large sales from unique visitors. Large heads extending across several columns are well calculated to catch the eye as the visitor arrives at the website or scans the magazines and newspapers at a stand. As in advertising in general there is always a temptation to make alluring statements at the expense of truth, so in headline advertisement there is a tendency to exaggerate and magnify in order to catch the unwary reader.

Large Headlines and " Yellow Journalism."

Since the more sensational papers have taken advantage of this advertising element and have yielded at times to the temptation to exaggerate or even to misrepresent, as is not unheard of in advertising generally, large display effects in headlines have come to be associated in the popular mind with so-called "yellow journalism." The connection between the two is by no means inevitable, however, for large headlines need not be any more sensational or inaccurate than smaller ones, and may legitimately be used to attract attention to the real features of the news. We have all seen these, once again, while standing in line at the store.

Clearness and Conciseness

Regarded as a bulletin of the most important facts, the headline should present these facts in a clear and concise manner. To be clear the form should be one that can be taken in by the eye at a glance. The relation of the divisions, or " decks," of the head should be evident, so that the reader may get a clear idea of the bearing of one statement on another. The statements should be concrete and specific. The limitations of space make it necessary for the headline to be concise so that the maximum number of important facts may be included.

Action in Headlines

As advertisements are largely concerned with activities, headlines should express the action related in the advertisement. In defining oratory Demosthenes said that the three essential elements are: first, "action " ; second, "action " ; and third, " action." The same characteristics may well be ascribed to the most effective headlines. Life and vividness of expression give interest to heads as they do to the advertisement. Freshness and originality of phrasing are also successful provided the uncommon form is clear. Short, crisp, specific words constituting definite statements that can be readily grasped in rapid reading, generally make the best headlines.

Donald [http://www.donomite.com]DonOmite Hammond has been a freelance webdesigner and programmer for over 10 years. He has done marketing of himself and his products as well as customers' products on their websites. DonOmite is the author of a popular e-book [http://www.donomite.com/psychologyofadvertising.html]The Psychology Of Advertising

How To Write Headlines - Writing Headlines That Get Your Articles Read - Part 1

The secret ingredient to all successful articles is writing a great 'Headline'. Whoever your reader is:


Website visitor
Robot web spider
Other website owners
All great articles that are optimised for your website have one thing in common.

A great Headline!


What is a Headline?
Why is writing a great Headline important?
How do you write a great Headline?

What is a Headline?


It's the bulletins that open up the news on the radio or TV.
It's what's written on the front of the news stand.
It announces the content of the article.
Headlines are used to pull the eyes to the page & compel the reader to read on... If they have searched for a specific word then, if your headline contains that word, they will be drawn to it.

Why is writing a great Headline important?

In a world of news, reports, sounds & pictures we suffer information overload - Headlines help focus the readers attention - grab their interest & give a reason for them to spend time reading your article. You do write your articles to be read, don't you? I know that some write articles just so that they include their website links or affiliate links, but these empty, badly planned articles are not the most successful on the web.

How do you go about writing a good Headline for an article.

Consider the following:


learn the secret formula to .....
I made the fatal mistake ......, make sure you don't!
Why ..... & ...... grab your customers attention.
The last word on ........
Cash in on ....... before others do.
OH NO... Bush has done it again!
Didn't they all say 'read me' I have something important to say? Didn't they all indicate the nature of the article to come? Didn't they all have an element of curiosity about them? Didn't they all have impact?

Writing a good headline for an article is an art that one gets better and better at.

But here are some simple rules to follow and help you supercharge your Headlines:

1. Appeal to your readers biggest desires


Make money.
Get healthy.
Loose weight.
Achive more.
Look ten years younger.
Find love.
Readers are often looking for solutions to their problems. If your Headline is the answer to their problem then they will read on.

2. Acknowledge their fears.


Avoid making this costly mistake.
Act now ... don't loose out!
The terrible truth about 'X' and how to avoid it.
Sometimes readers haven't acknowledged a problem or are only just becoming aware of it. By suggesting that you know the problem and can help with the solution will get them to read on.



3. Ignite their emotions.


Why we all hate our boss!
No more Monday morning blues!
Throw away your glasses forever.
Why rubbish is YOUR fault!
Sometimes you need to grab those readers and compell them to read your articles by raising their emotion levels. Sometimes you are actually challenging them to argue with you.



4. Appeal to their curiosity.


How 'X' & 'Y' made a million from 1 simple widget.
Double your Adsense income overnight with this one simple strategy.
What New Year resolutions did Madonna make this year?
Make sure that you use your Keywords, that you've based your article on. Those looking for information on the a particular subject, for example 'How To Write a Great Headline' will likely choose your article to read over another that doesn't use the keywords that they searched on. Look at my headline and you see that it includes 'writing', 'headlines', 'write', 'read', 'articles'. I have a good chance that both the human visitors will use these keywords when searching for information on 'how to write a good headline' but I am also including information so that the search engines might give a high value to my article too.

In How to write headlines - writing headlines that get your articles read - Part 2 I look at more strategies to get those time poor internet readers choosing your article to read.

Brian Cotsen writes articles & reviews tools to help you succeed with your website or online internet affiliate marketing. Visit http://www.simplewebsitemarketing.com

Writing Powerful Headlines and Compelling Web Sales Copy to Sell Your Products and Services Online

Your headline is the most important part of your sales letter. If you are unable to get your prospect's attention and persuade them to keep reading, you will not make any sales. In fact, the headline is said to account for about eighty percent of the success of your web sales copy. The important thing is to grab attention, compel the reader to keep reading, and to tell a story that will help the prospect to see themselves using your product or service.

An attention grabbing headline will get you off to an excellent start with your sales copy. There are many headlines that have been used over and over, including:

They laughed when I sat down at the piano, but when I started to play...
Who else wants to...
Give me (period of time) and I'll show you how to (achieve a specific goal)

I recommend writing as many headlines as possible until you write some that tell exactly what you want to convey to your prospect. This takes practice, but it will definitely improve over time.

Compelling the reader to continue reading is done by making sure that your copy flows well. You can do this by reading out loud to another person to see how it sounds. Think of your copy as a story that begins and ends, and this will make it even more compelling. Start by discussing the problem, then tell how this problem got worse, and finally, share the solution to the problem (your product or service). Remember that you are always a problem solver, first and foremost.

Storytelling is the very best way to do this. Introduce yourself at the beginning, and tell the story of where you were when you first had to deal with the problem. By writing as though you were telling the story to a friend, the reader gets pulled in to the details and drawn in to wanting to know the solution. The idea is that they must see themselves as a part of the solution for this to be effective.

As you can see, headlines are important to the success of your sales letter, but compelling the reader to stay on the page and sharing the story of how the problem can be solved are also an integral part of making your web sales copy work and bring you many sales of your products and services.

Remember that the reason to start an Internet business is to give you the time and financial freedom to live the life you choose. Download a free teleseminar on building your online business by visiting [http://OnlineWritingSuccess.com]Get Started Online to learn how to write articles, blog, become involved in social networking and learn the technology needed to build a profitable online business.

Writing Headlines That Are So Irresistible In 60 Seconds Or Less

There are two type of headlines. One can be cold as ice; the other can melt your prospect's heart and compel him do what you want.

Which one do you think is more powerful?

You guessed it! The second headline... so irresistible that could sell concert tickets to deaf people.

If you want to write astonishing headlines as fast as you'd spell out irresistible, then read further as I will share with you 2 simple ways anyone can use to craft super headlines in a minute

Bur first let me share with you why most headlines are dud:

It's because 98% of people don't know that your headline is indeed your first [and last] impression to get the attention of your prospect. That is why you should spend 80% of your time on the headline itself.

You should also know that your headline needs to impact your reader on the emotional, gut-feeling level; it needs to build desire and get the reader advance further, just like a drama movie.

As Eugene Schwartz said it best - your headline main objective is not to sell; it is to lead the reader to the next paragraph.

Want to write super irresistible headlines within a minute? Here are the methods I use:

How to Write Irresistible Headlines In 60 Seconds or Less

- Method #1 -

How do you write headlines that out-pull your competitors?

Visit your top 5 competitors web sites or landing pages, and notice their headlines. What you want to do is come up with better, more irresistible headlines than what they currently have. One way to out-pull your competitors is to write specific headlines.

For example "Writing Headlines That Are So Irresistible In 60 Seconds Or Less" will always out-rank "Writing Irresistible Headlines Fast." Specific words win, general terminology usually proves a dud.

How to Write Irresistible Headlines In 60 Seconds or Less

- Method #2 -

It's so easy yet dangerous to write headlines from the top of your head, as most people do; how to write if you do not know where to start?

Head over on Amazon.com and look out for the best selling books and magazines in your niche or industry.

You'd find a dozen headline "ideas" you could model for your needs; inspiration is free, so try this method, it works like a charm.

You might want to check out these [http://www.infomarketingblog.com/127-winning-advertising-headlines/]127 winning advertising headlines.

Also, do you dare to follow me on Twitter? http://twitter.com/codrutturcanu

I always send out irresistible alerts to all my followers.

5 Golden Rules For Writing the Best Headlines

When writing copy of any kind, the most important thing for the writer to do is write amazing, attention grabbing headlines. This is the first thing your reader will see. If you bore them, they WILL go away! As a network marketer, that is NOT what's going to let you bring home the bacon.

In the interest of helping my fellow marketers become better headline writers, I'm going to share with you what I've found to be the five most essential elements to writing powerful, effective headlines. Or what I consider the "Golden Rules."

So, in no particular order, let's begin.

#1 Golden Rule To Write The Best Headlines: Make you headlines conversational.

By making them conversational, they will be more engaging for the reader. This should be the goal of all of your copy writing, but especially your headlines. By writing how people talk, you will have them instantly engaged.

#2 Golden Rule To Write The Best Headlines: Enter the conversation already going on in the reader's thoughts.

This piece of advice was originally presented by copywriting genius Robert Collier, and has withstood the test of time. This could very well be the single most important thing to remember when writing headlines, so use it often.

#3 Golden Rule To Write The Best Headlines: Understand that the primary motivation of the headline is getting your reader to read the next line.

Create a sense of mystery and intrigue that will keep your reader hungry for more. Make them feel like they have no choice but to keep going till the end.

#4 Golden Rule To Write The Best Headlines: Ask the reader an intriguing question.

This is a fantastic way to get your reader involved. Keep your question open-ended and include a benefit. Don't ask any questions that can be easily answered, because your reader will probably lose interest right away.
And finally,

#5 Golden Rule To Write The Best Headlines: Dramatize the benefits of your product or service.

People crave action, so show them the exhilaration your product or service can give by laying it on thick.

It is my heartfelt desire to provide my readers with content that they find useful and entertaining. If you've found any value in the information presented in this article, please feel free to let me know. Your candor is greatly appreciated.

I hope you've enjoyed the article.

Writing Successful Headlines - 7 Sizzling Tips For Better Headlines

Do you know that your headline, irrespective of sales letter, article or online content, will have to make the biggest impact or potential customers will not read any further? Your headline must contain your Unique Selling Proposition or USP which clearly indicates the most compelling benefit of your product or service.

In order to keep your readers excited and interested, it is even advisable to also use several subheadings that support your headlines, throughout the content of your sales copy. These subheadings must convey more of the benefits and structured in such a way, that will compel your readers to stay on the page and convincingly migrate towards the purchasing or "Buy Here" icon.

From a web surfing perspective, most of the potential browsing customers will not read every single word, but they will most definitely look at your headlines. It is imperative therefore that you make absolutely sure that a visitor who only scans your headlines, understands in full what they will be getting when purchasing your product and services.

Readers do not want to be bogged down with too much detail, so you should simplify matters for them. Try and divide your text into smaller blocks, whilst ensuring that each of the blocks start with a headline. A headline ultimately serves the purpose of an advertisement for the text that follows. It must be convincing enough to entice or even compel your visitors to continue reading.

In order to make your headlines even more effective, take note of the following 7 sizzling tips;?

1. Direct your headlines at your target customers - by being specific and not general. By example, refer to "pregnant mothers expecting twins" as opposed to just "pregnant mothers".

2. Put yourself in the shoes of the customer - What type of headlines would stir your emotions and get you excited?

3. What exactly is the Unique Selling Proposition or USP of your product or service? - What differentiates it from the rest and why is it so unique? You need to have a very compelling and important benefit within the headline that puts you way above the competitors.

4. Focus on solutions - What kinds of problems does it solve and direct it at the three attributes that most people want to improve i.e. health, wealth and happiness.

5. Learn from the experts - Look at other headlines and study the work of well-known or sought after copy writers.

6. Maintain credibility - Do not hype or make outrageous claims and promises. A false and misleading headline will cause untold or even permanent damage to your own reputation as well of that of your product or service.

7. Edit and review - Make sure that your headlines are free of spelling and grammatical errors. There can be nothing more off-putting than incorrect usage of the language or other related and blatant literature errors.

Writing successful headlines is not always about talent, but also about skill, dedication and commitment.  Take the necessary time and effort to improve on your style, and very soon you will be ranked amongst the top successful headline writers.

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