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How
to Write HEADLINES That Grab Eyeballs!
These
easy-to-understand techniques will let you create powerful headlines
in your print advertising, brochures, flyers, and Web site copy, even
if you are just an average writer!
This
chapter gives you dozens of easy ways to make your Headlines a
marketing and sales POWERHOUSE.
1. Use
"How To."
Ads
which promise information about how to do something will get
attention and readership. Even if readers don't need the information
now, they may want to know how to do it later.
If
these headlines also stimulate a fear in the reader, they get a lot
of attention -- "How To Safeguard Your Child's
Health," "How to Stop Going to the Dentist," or "How
to Avoid Prostate Cancer" are examples of ads which offer a
step-by-step list of ways to reduce readers' fears.
One
of the most successful of all such headlines is Dale Carnegie's: "How
To Win Friends and Influence People." That headline
promises to satisfy two of the reader's important motivations --
friends and power.
How
To headlines can also be tied to the readers' desires. "How
to Retire Wealthy," "How To Meet The Man of Your Dreams,"
or "How To Sell Anybody Anything" are three examples
of headlines that tap into powerful human desires.
2. Create
a mental image or picture in the reader's mind.
We
remember pictures far better than words. So it makes sense that
readers recall words that create a picture in their minds better than
words that don't.
For
example, a cosmetic ad had this headline, "See your mother
on weekends. Not every time you look in the mirror." This
headline created a strong mental image, raised a fear in the minds of
female readers. The ad then told scared readers how to avoid that image.
3. Use
a strong word that's packed with emotions.
Short,
emotion-packed words in bold letters grab attention. It's often best
to use them alone or in a two-word phrase. For example, a headline
may say "You're Fired" or "Sexy." A
financial seminar was advertised with the simple, catchy headline "Bankrupt."
Just
a glance at emotional words often triggers an emotional response
that hooks the reader. Words like "Free," "Sex,"
and "Danger" are great grabbers. Of course, the
headline should have some relationship to the ad and your product.
4. Use
a mysterious word or phrase.
"Ancient
Secrets Revealed!," or "Mobster's Lost Vault Uncovered!!"
are examples of this technique. People love mysteries. If your
headline promises your readers secrets, intrigue, mystery, or
oddities, they will often stop to learn more. [Note how exclamation
marks lend drama and excitement to the headline. Read On!!!]
5. Make
it short.
Most
readers just glance at ads. Your headline should be quick and
simple, so they know "what's in it for them." A short
headline is easier to understand, so readers prefer it. Readers
prefer a headline like "Coke Hits The Spot" over "Coke
Tastes Great When You Are Really Thirsty." Short headlines
are generally easier to remember.
Single
words can be powerful. For example, an odd single word can intrigue
readers, like "Oops!" or "Oh-Oh!" |
6. Make
a promise.
"Save
$100 a Month!," or "Lose 10 Pounds in a Week!!,"
or "Free Jamaica Vacation!!!" are headlines that
promise readers things they want. One common type of
"promise" headline offers a money-back guarantee.
This promise addresses one of the toughest fears to overcome -- the
fear that if you don't like it, you're stuck with it.
Research
on promises agree with our own common sense -- they create an
impact. Adman David Ogilvy says, "The headlines which work
the best are those which promise the reader a benefit."
Ogilvy also says if a headline is in quotation marks, recall is
increased by 28%!
Promises
can be used for products or services. They usually describe the
outcome of the use, rather than the features of the product or
service itself. For example, one headline read, "Stronger
Than Morphine, But Safer Than Aspirin." This headline uses
two motivations: desire and fear. This 'double-bang' promise headline
made the phones ring!
7. Ask
a question.
Reader
involvement is a key reason to use the Question technique. "Got
Milk?" makes readers answer that question. An insurance
company asks, "Is Your Family Protected?" And an ad
for a school of voice asks, "Can You Carry A Tune?"
Each
question stimulates a buying motive in targeted readers,You'll note
that these headlines focus on a single identified "hot
button" motivator (or series of highly interrelated buttons)
of the target buyer.
Stimulating
the motivations first encourages the reader to look a little further
into the ad copy. A Sprint long distance telephone company ad focused
on a nearly universal desire with a headline asking, "Wouldn't
you like some FREE TIME to build your business?" The
reader's unspoken response is, "Sure! Who wouldn't?"
That
response makes the reader a participant in the ad, and encourages
him/her to read a little more of the ad.
When
you ask your question, don't be cute or beat around the bush.
The reader won't usually give you the time it takes to decipher a
tricky or unclear headline. "Got Milk?" "Going
Broke?" and "Retiring Soon?" are all
simple, clear, grabbing questions that demand a response from the reader.
8.
Offer Safety From Danger.
We
all fear things, like crime, disease, disability, old age,
loneliness, etc. The role of a headline in a "fear" ad
is to stimulate a fear, then suggest a way to reduce it. "Breast
Cancer -- Early Warning Signs," or "Got Smelly
Feet? -- Dr. Sholl's Can Help."
Of
course, headlines can simply raise the fear, then offer the solution
later in the ad. "Home Break-ins On The Rise!" "Boomers
Can't Afford to Retire."
Some
products or services offer protection from hidden dangers.
Tylenol's early ads warned that aspirin could cause "hidden
stomach bleeding," and promised that Tylenol was safe for
your stomach. An ad for Anti-Virus software begins, "You
Can't See a Computer Virus -- Until It's Too Late!" An air
duct cleaner's ad stated, "We Clean the Air You Breathe,"
and showed dramatic Before-and-After photos of a filthy and a clean
air duct.
Consumers
have many real fears, but they aren't motivating fears unless you
remind the reader about them, such as -- "Don't Be
Embarrassed by Gas." Look for hidden fears you can stimulate
then satisfy with your product or service.
This is just a tiny sample of the psychological tips and tricks you
can use to multiply
the power of your advertising -- without hiring expensive consultants!
GUARANTEED or YOUR MONEY BACK!
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