Effective ways to get a prospect's
attention,
build interest, and get the sale.
by Dr. Kevin Nunley
articles
index
Every one of your marketing
tools needs a headline. Headlines get attention, make
your message easy to read, get your main selling points
across, and lead your customer to a sale. Use a short
three word headline for classified ads. Use headlines
frequently in your web site copy to help people get your
main message without having to spend a lot of time online.
Headlines range from
newspaper "hit-you-in-the face" to more subtle ones that
don't seem like a headline at all. A hard-sell direct
mail letter might have your headline in all capitals at
the beginning:
I'VE GOT FIVE WAYS
TO SAVE YOU MONEY--NOW!
Or your headline can
be softer and less obvious, more like an important paragraph
in bold at the beginning of your letter:
Here's something I
know
you will be interested in.
I've got five ways you can
cut costs 20%--today!
Your headline gets attention
when when it appeals to the reader's interests. Use your
headline to point out a problem the reader has or something
you know the reader feels strongly about. Headlines aren't
a good place to list the features of your product or service.
Instead, headline the benefit the feature provides.
"Webbuster gets your
site listed high on search engines.
Nothing drives a flood of eager customers to your site
faster."
Studies show headlines
get even better results if they're enclosed in quotation
marks like the example above. It's a good trick to use
from time to time.
Seven Surefire Headlines
Over the years copy writing
pros have found several headline formulas that almost
always work well. Try these headlines, putting your product,
service, or benefit in place of mine.
1. Ask a Question.
"Are you worried about filing your tax return this year?"
A question headline gets the reader to answer in their
mind. You automatically get the prospect involved in your
message. Many people will read further into your letter,
ad, or web site copy just to find out what answer or solution
you provide.
2. Start your headline
with "How to." "How to buy a car without getting a
lemon." How to headlines work like magic. Almost all my
articles start with "how to." People love information
that shows them how to do something valuable. It works
for reports or letters that provide helpful information.
3. Provide a testimonial.
The recommendation of a satisfied customer can go a long
way in convincing others to buy from you. "This product
really works! I'm happier and less stressed. Marina Monson-Central
City." Always include the customer's full name and the
city they live in. Many readers won't believe a testimonial
where it's hard to figure out who the author is. "R.A.,LA"
doesn't work nearly as well as "Richard Allen-Big Town,
LA."
4. Issue a command.
Some classic headlines command readers to "Aim High" and
"Put a tiger in your tank." Turn your most important benefit
into a commanding headline. "Stop rushing through life."
"Make more money this month." "Feel better about yourself."
5. Important news
makes a good headline. This particularly works well
for big changes in your company or the introduction of
hot new products. "Richard Benson is taking the helm as
our new CEO with a powerful vision for the future." "Software
Central introduces the new Instant Forms 2000--professional
web site forms in 20 minutes."
6. Headline a deadline
for a special offer. Most of us are busy and tend
to put off taking action. If you don't get the prospect
to act now, you may never get the sale. "Save Money Now"
and "Get More If You Buy Now" offers increase response.
7. FREE offers often
pull the best response. "FREE report on boosting web
site sales" is a powerful way to get lots of interested
prospects. There is a myth that affluent or professional
customers are turned off by free offers. Not true. Simply
tailor your free offer to match the style of your customers
or industry. You might subtly headline a "no-cost initial
consultation" or "a bonus Widget 2000 in each package."
Prospects are in a hurry.
They are bombarded with hundreds of ads, letters, postcards,
and commercials every day. They tend to skip or tune out
any marketing message that looks like it will take too
much time or be too much trouble to figure out. Headlines
simplify the learning curve. A reader can scan down your
page, quickly digest your headlines, and figure out what
you're offering. Once the prospect knows you have something
she is interesting in, she will take more time to read
your entire letter, ad, or web page.
Spice your headlines
with action words like save, act, run, feel, and do. Cut
out unnecessary words. Put subheadings in your copy to
break up stretches of text. If someone else is writing
copy for you, share some of these power headline ideas
with them. In our hustle, bustle world good headlines
make your sales materials stand out, easy to use, and
motivating.
