A headline captures the reader’s attention and provides a compelling reason to read whatever follows.
The headline is the most important part of any ad or sales letter. It determines whether or not people will read your message. You may have the best-written copy in the world but you’ve wasted your time if your headline doesn’t excite readers enough to read your message.
Simple but effective headlines
Here are some examples of effective headlines:
- Lose 15 pounds in 30 days… And keep it off
- Submit Your Ad To 200 Websites With 1 Mouse Click
- Instantly Increase Your Orders By 29%
- How To Make $2,000/Month At Home With Your Computer
- Discover How To Reduce Your Fuel Bills By 43%
Each of these headlines clearly states the benefit you can expect to get from the product, service or business opportunity promoted in the ad under the headline.
If the consumer is interested in gaining the benefit, he/she cannot resist reading the entire ad to find out more.
Five steps to writing better headlines
STEP 1
Define in writing the ideal prospect you want to capture with your headline. Be sure to include the characteristics that make your product or service valuable to this prospect.
STEP 2
Personalise this ideal prospect by visualising them as one person you want to attract with your headline. Keep this vision of one person in your mind whenever you’re writing a headline. Your ad or sales letter will be read by one person at a time. Therefore, you’ll find it easier to produce an effective headline by visualising just one person and writing to that person.
STEP 3
Determine the most valuable benefit this person will gain from the product, service or business opportunity promoted in the message under your headline.
STEP 4
Write as many one sentence statements as you can about this benefit. Use one or more of the words from the following list in each statement. There are many other power words you can use in your headlines. However, many years of trial and error have taught these 12 are the most effective: You, Free, New, Guaranteed, Fast, Easy, Discover, Proven, How-to, Save, Increase, $7953 (any exact amount of money)
STEP 5
Select the most powerful statement on your list. If you have several that seem equally powerful, try combining them into one statement and use that as your headline. That’s it! You’ve just created a powerful headline to capture your reader’s attention and provide a compelling reason to read whatever follows your headline.
Here are some examples:
- Easy Ways To Increase Your Sales 60% or More This Month!
- Discover How You Can Reduce Arthritis Pain FAST!
- You Can Earn 50% More Commissions This Year – Guaranteed!
- How To Save $1,329 On Your Next Printing Job!
- How To Build Your Small Business FAST – Guaranteed!
Use this simple five-step procedure the next time you want to create a captivating headline. It’s easy to follow and you’ll create a powerful headline to attract your reader’s attention and compel him/her to read your ad or sales letter.
