Basic Marketing 101: Headlines
It is impossible to measure how important the headline is so let’s just say it’s REALLY important. It can set the entire pace and theme of your entire sales process. You can even implement urgency or scarcity directly into your headline.
If your headline doesn’t put across a strong, short, compelling message that is hard to ignore, then many prospects will simply not read your sales page. The tricky thing about headlines is that they need to accomplish so much with such a small amount of words.
No one will read your copy if you don’t snag them with the headline.
First and foremost, your headline should be designed to get attention and be persuasive. There are many ways to approach this but these are two main methods that cover most angles.
The first and most common way is to, in as few words as possible, show the reader how they can save, gain or accomplish something that will positively impact their life.
This can apply to anything from entertainment or mental stimulation to financial and mental security.
The second way is to point out something negative that the reader can avoid. This can apply to embarrassment, financial mistakes, discomfort or whatever else people want to avoid. You hit on a nerve and give a quick, easy glimpse, or the promise of, a simple solution.
You know the phrase you always hear: “The fear of loss is greater than the desire for gain.”
Your headline is the only thing that will get people to read your ad. Think in terms of this: your headline should be intriguing, persuasive and urgent enough that it will be more difficult for your reader to NOT read the article.
Once you have found your attention getting angle, add a hint of urgency or scarcity so that people are not only interested in reading your sales copy, but they feel it is important to do it quickly. This is the key that makes all the difference.
If you are having trouble with headlines there is a really good book by Victor O. Schwab called “How To Write A Good Advertisement.” It has a great chapter on headlines in addition to a lot of valuable information on copy writing in general.
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