5 Easy Ways to Improve Your
Headlines
Is the headline on your home page
“Welcome to My Site”?
If so, you are missing a vital opportunity
to gain your readers' attention.
According to David Ogilvy, one of the most
successful copywriters of all time, “On
average, five times as many people read the
headlines as read the body copy. It follows
that unless your headline sells your product,
you have wasted 90 percent of your
money.”
The purpose of the headline is to motivate
people to read the opening paragraph of your ad
and then continue reading the entire piece. If
your headline is not compelling, you might be
throwing away all the effort you put into the
rest of your marketing piece.
Here are 5 simple tricks that professional
copywriters use to write great headlines:
1. Begin with “How to”
One of the most famous “How to” headlines of
all time is Dale Carnegie’s "How to Win Friends
and Influence People."
“How to” headlines are still extremely
effective. To gain your readers’ attention,
your “how to” headline should offer valuable
advice for a problem they are facing.
You can modify the standard “How to”
headline by using a “Top 10” list or
incorporating a specific number. For example,
“The Top 10 Ways to Increase Your
Productivity” or “5 Easy Ways to Improve Your
Headlines.”
2. Promise Quick Results
This type of headline is used all the time on
magazine covers and in commercials. Think of
all the advertisements that promise you can
“Drop 10 Pounds This Month.”
If you decide to use this type of headline,
be sure that you don’t promise something
that you can’t deliver.
3. Share a Secret
This popular headline formula offers your
readers inside information. Women’s Health
Magazine recently ran an article called
“Michelle Obama’s 7 Secrets of a Sexy
Marriage.” I read the article!
4. Extend an Invitation
Invitation headlines are common for special
events or promotions. For example, “We invite
you to test drive our software free for 30
days.”
5. Create a Sense of Urgency
One of the most effective ways to generate a
response is by creating a sense of
urgency. You can do this by stressing a
deadline, such as, “Please take a moment now to
renew …Your subscription expires next
month.”
You can also create a sense of urgency by
mentioning that only a limited number of spaces
are available, stating that your event is
expected to sell out or offering a discounted
price for a limited amount of time.
If you still can’t think of an interesting
headline, simply use a testimonial.
Testimonials are one of the most powerful ways
to gain your readers’ trust.
Do you need help creating copy that
gets results? Contact me at rachel@freshperspectivewriting.com or
647-342-4921. I would be happy to schedule a
complimentary phone consultation to
discuss your next
campaign.
Do you want to reprint this
article?You can, as long as you ask
permission first by e-mailing me at
rachel@freshperspectivewriting.com.
I'll send you a short bio to include at the
end of the article.
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