How To Write Headlines that get you up to 19 times greater response

How To Write Headlines

that get you up to 19 times greater response to all your ads, letters and brochures…

Please get a copy of today’s newspaper. Look at the front cover and tell me what your read…

 Let me guess, it probably says something like this – Cold Blooded Murder, Sex Scandal, Corruption Charges Laid, Innocent Victims Sued or something equally grizzly and sensational.

 Do you know why most of the main articles in newspapers start with headlines relating to disasters, murders, sex and corruption? Well, I am going to tell you anyway. It’s because that’s what sells newspapers. It attracts people who read newspapers (and sometimes even those who don’t) and they buy it.

 The only purpose of a headline is to target the person you

want to reach and to sell them on wanting to know more.

If you want proof, look at the magazine racks in the newsagents. Magazines aimed at young women such as Cleo have articles headlined – “What You Always Wanted To Know About Men, 4 Signs To Look For If He’s Cheating On You, 8 Tips On Looking Great This Summer.”

 

Headlines sell magazines and newspapers to their targeted audience.

Magazines for home owners and renovators such as Lifestyle to their Kitchens and Bathrooms have articles headlined – “12 Tips To Help You Renovate On A Budget, New Fashion Colours For Your Bathroom…..”

None of the successful magazines have on their covers, or as headlines for their articles, the publishers or the article writer’s names. Let’s face it, who would buy a magazine or a newspaper with Efficient Publishing Company as the feature story. Followed by the Ron Smedley and Sarah Bushwhacker reports.

 None of the successful magazines have on their covers, or as headlines for their articles, the

publishers or the article writer’s names.

So why is it that most businesses keep sticking the company’s name and logo on top of their advertisements or in the first paragraph of everything they do?? Or the other kind of headline that is a favourite with advertising agencies and many so-called experts. This is the “Guess what I am all about – see if I can trick you headline.”

These headlines are aimed at testing the reader’s intelligence and ability to guess. They are usually the result of endless corporate meetings and advertising agency think-tanks.

Don’t use ‘clever’ headlines —if you want results

 Here are few samples of confusing headlines. Guess what they are trying to sell…..

“Go for the Gong” – subtitled – “your face will be red if you don’t” Any ideas what it’s selling?? No, you lose. It’s not a TV game show, a story on sexual and mating habits or a tale about a steep mountain climb to reach the sacred Chinese gong…

 It’s a full page advertisement trying to get you to advertise in a suburban newspaper. Here are a couple of better alternatives…

 “Would you like to double your business?”…..

………48 of the companies that advertise in our paper have!

 OR

FREE report How to reach customers spending 1.9 billion dollars with effective newspaper advertising.

 Another clever headline I have come across recently is this one –

               see if you can guess what they are selling…

 JUST WHAT A SLAB OF SEASONED WOOD NEEDS. A LITTLE MORE SEASONING. This could be selling anything from a wood stain or preservative to a new recipe. It’s confusing and written in hard to read upper case typestyle. Some better alternatives………

 At XYZ furniture we don’t use glues, nails, screws, hinges, stains or paints.. . That’s why the rugged, natural looks will last you a lifetime.

 OR

 Every piece of XYZ furniture is made from salvaged timber and is guaranteed for life by its makers.

 

In both the above examples the writers assume – wrongly – that the readers will continue to read into the rest of the ad to find out what it is they are trying to say. What they don’t realise is that,

 

“Five times as many people read headlines as read the rest of the advertisement, article or letter.”

 

A change in a headline has been tested to increase the response to an advertisement by up to nineteen, yes nineteen times.

 The best headlines are usually those that tell the reader the largest benefit they will get from using your product or service. What your product or service will do for them. This basic rule is overlooked by 95% of all the ads and selling letters I come across.

Here’s what Brian Voiles, a $6,500 per ad US copywriter who’s sold millions of $$ worth of products has to say about writing headlines…

How to ‘Target’ Your Market With Your Headlines

 Being clever, humorous, or abstract is one of the dumbest wastes of money you can make, when it comes to headlines and ad writing. Don’t do it.

 If you run ads in general interest publications or in local magazines and your product is pest control, don’t use clever headlines like, “Got the bug to clean the house?” or “This problem affects every homeowner.” Instead, create a headline that communicates your purpose for running the ad; and the, qualify the reader.

For example:

“If Your Home Is Plagued By Ants, Roaches, Box Elder Bugs,

Mice, Or Rats, I Can Quickly & Easily Get Rid of Them Forever

With An Exciting New Monthly Maintenance Service!… 100% Guaranteed!”

If you sell plumbing supplies to the contractor market and you run ads in “Contractor” magazine, you shouldn’t run ads that begin, “The best source of them all.” Instead, come-up with a headline that (again) communicates your purpose for running the ad; and then, qualify the reader. For example:

“If You’re Looking For A Convenient Source For Quality Plumbing Supplies,

We Sell 100% Guaranteed Plumbing Parts Exclusively To Contractrors At

10% Over Cost, With 30-Day Invoicing And A Special Added Discount For Orders Over $1,500.” 

Do you see how these last two headlines target the prospects in the headline right at the opening of the headline? That’s what you must do. Let’s look at some other examples of this:

 If you want to reach people over 45, say:

                                             “If You’re 45 Or Over And Thinking Of Adding To, Replacing,

Or Getting Life, Health, Or Disability Insurance,

This Information Will Show You a 100% Guaranteed Way To Get It At The Lowest Possible Rates.”

 Or, try this one…

 “100% Insurance Coverage For People Over 45 With

No Physical, No Waiting, No Restrictions.”

 

If you’re trying to target health- or weight-conscious people for

membership in your health club, use a headline like this:

 

    “Here’s a Quick & Easy Way To Become Tight, Lean,

Attractive, Radiant, And Remarkably Healthy In Just 45

Minutes, Three Times A Week… 100% Guaranteed

Or You Pay Nothing!”

 Or, how ‘bout this:

If you want to reach people over 45, say:

                                              “If You’re 45 Or Over And Thinking Of Adding To, Replacing,

  Or Getting Life, Health, Or Disability Insurance, This Information

     Will Show You a 100% Guaranteed Way To Get It At The

Lowest Possible Rates.”

 Or, try this one…

 “100% Insurance Coverage For People Over 45 With No

Physical, No Waiting, No Restrictions.”

 

If you’re trying to target health- or weight-conscious people for membership in your health club, use a headline like this:

     “Here’s a Quick & Easy Way To Become Tight, Lean,

Attractive, Radiant, And Remarkably Healthy In Just 45

Minutes, Three Times A Week… 100% Guaranteed

Or You Pay Nothing!”

 Or, how ‘bout this:

 

“If You Want To Lose 15 Pounds In The Next 30 Days, Mark’s Health Club Can Quickly And Easily Do It For You In Just 30 Minutes A Day, 2 Times A Week, 100% Guaranteed For Only $35 — But Only If You Come On-Board Before March 17th!”

Results oriented headline for gyms works better.   

If you want to reach people interested in furniture, don’t use a “cutesy” headline. Instead, try:

                    “Looking For a $1,500 Sofa Value For Just $475? We Have 150

                                                         In Stock Right Now!”

 Or…

           “Looking For Nice Furniture? We Sell Expensive Furniture At

  Deep Discounts — Our Average Price Is 45% Less Than The

  Manufacturer’s Suggested Price.”

 Whatever you sell, and whomever you want to reach with your offer, be specific. Call-out to them in your headline. Send your message directly to your target prospects, and tell them what you’re offering, and what’s in it for them.

Being specific in your headline increases your response.

 If you want to reach working women who don’t have time to cook, say:

“Here Are 24 Fast, Easy, Inexpensive Dinner

                                                                Ideas Especially Created For Working Women

                                                                           Who Don’t Have A Lot Of Time To Cook!”

Don’t you think that’s going to “pull ‘em over”?. . . you bet it

will! Working women will stop in their tracks for that headline.

 The point is, put your target prospects in your headlines, and you’ll prosper. Here’s another “snazzy” way to put your prospects in your headline:

 “Attention Homeowner! . .

 “Attention Lawyers. .

 “Attention Mechanics With Old, Worn-out Tools. .

 Using the word “attention”, and then calling out to your precise target, you can bet you’ll get their attention! Or, you can try it without the word “attention”:

                                                                                           “MUMS! Now You Too Can Stop. . .“

“Janitors! . . . End Your Worries.

Target groups of people with selective headlines.

These two headlines call-out directly to the target audience. This concept really is obvious, and logical if you think about it… when you’re out on the street. and suddenly someone yells “HEY YOU!! !“ Doesn’t that make you stop! And depending on the tone of voice being used, it could send scary shivers down your spine. . . or it could get you real excited!

 That’s exactly what you’re trying to do to your prospects. That’s the impact you’ll get, and the power of putting your prospect into the headline.

 

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