You have to catch the reader's attention straightway and give them a
genuine reason to continue reading. If you don’t do this, they’ll leave to the
next ad, website or brochure. Think of the number of times you hit the Delete
button, after reading the headline of an email! You didn’t even bother to
open it.
Why? Because the headline failed!
If they don't read your message, you can't sell them anything. Headlines
are the difference between breaking-even and breaking records.
Rule #1: PUT THE BIGGEST BENEFIT IN THE HEADLINE
Do this and you’ll generate many leads. These readers have an
interest in the benefits of your product. You want to contact these people. You want to
sell to these people.
Be specific with your message. You can’t target everyone, so
don’t reduce the impact of the message by burying it in the middle of numerous
offers, benefits and features.
Put the most important benefit first!
Be careful though, as "gimmicky" headlines can make readers
wary. If they open the brochure, or read your ad expecting information on a subject that
interests them and find something different, they’ll be sorely disappointed. They
will hold your product with a very low opinion from then on.
Rule #2: TEST THE HEADLINES
Test every headline until you find the winner. Don’t settle on the
first. Don’t assume you know what your readers want.
Many winning headlines have some things in common; the word
‘You’ or ‘Your’ appears in them. They tend to use simple language, and
avoid clever word plays or puns.
JUST DO IT
COKE IS IT
A DIAMOND IS FOREVER
Cleverness might make you feel good, but it rarely the same impact on
readers. Can you think of a great tag-line that’s cryptic, double-meaning or obscure!
Probably not!
Puns and word play tend to confuse the reader, making it unclear to them
what you're selling.
Rule #3: DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF A WORD
An ad with the headline "How to Repair Computers-quickly, easily,
swiftly" was relatively successful.
However, when the word Repair was changed to Fix, the orders shot up.
Examine EVERY WORD in your headline. Use clear, simple language. Insert
any word that conveys the key benefit better, or adds authenticity to your headline. A
single word can generate lots of additional revenue.
Next Steps
For the next project you're working on, make sure to offer at least one
significant benefit.
Write the benefit in simple, clear language. As an experiment,
invest the extra hour in developing the best headline you possibly can. Then
publish the ad and watch what happens.
You’ll never take headlines for granted again. |
