“The purpose of a headline is to target people who might interest you… Because the entire return on an ad depends on attracting the right kind of readers… The best salesmanship doesn’t stand a chance unless we get an audience.” “. – From the timeless classic, scientific publicityby legendary publicist Claude Hopkins
Make no mistake about it, as a copywriter or marketing professional, your ability to write or identify compelling, attention-grabbing headlines that get prospects to read your ads…is one of the most valuable skills you can possess. Because the simple truth of the matter is this: you have absolutely zero chance of closing the sale unless you “get an audience” with the prospect. So a good headline, an effective headline, must capture and hold the prospect’s attention and give them the opportunity to make their case.
How you can learn to write more effective headlines Whatever profession you’re in, no matter how good you are, you can get better at it by studying the methods, techniques, and mechanics of the people who are the best at what they do in their line of work. And this is especially true if your line of work includes writing effective copy. There are many books and magazine articles that have word-for-word and image-for-image reproductions of highly successful (ie profitable) ads and sales letters. In virtually all cases, there is also expert feedback on what made the ad or sales letter so effective.
With this article I humbly offer my contribution to this body of work.
1. “They laughed when I sat at the piano… but when I started playing!” The grandfather of the great advertising headlines; often imitated but seldom equaled. Is there anyone among us who has never longed for or relished an opportunity, when people doubt our ability, to prove them wrong? As the author of this ad, the late John Caples, once said: “Learning to play the piano is hard. You can’t sell that. But you can sell the idea of social success and overcoming whatever shortcomings you have to become popular.” . Also, people love rooting for underdogs like the main character in this ad obviously is. An action-oriented headline that promises an uplifting story, we are compelled to keep reading. Also keep in mind that the before and after angle can be effective on many headlines. 2. “A small mistake that cost a farmer $3,000 a year” A highly successful advertisement that was published in several agricultural magazines. An excellent idea of how sometimes the negative idea of offsetting, reducing or eliminating the “risk of loss” is even more attractive to the reader than the “prospect of gain”.
Barry Freed, a fellow writer and good friend, likes to illustrate this point with the following analogy: Imagine it’s 3 in the morning and your best friend knocks on your front door.
“Bill, Bill, wake up! I know how we can both make an extra $500 each today, guaranteed!” Most likely, this will be a severe test for your friendship. On the other hand, let’s say that same friend knocks on your door at 3 in the morning, except this time he says, “Bill, Bill, wake up! Someone’s in your driveway stealing your car hubcaps!”
You wouldn’t mind that at all, would you? In fact, she’d probably run right for the baseball bat he’s hiding behind the refrigerator…and in a matter of seconds she’d be walking out the front door, risking life and limb. All for $300 worth of hubcaps. Because that’s basic human nature. The fact is that people will fight much harder to avoid losing something they already own than to gain something of greater value that they currently do not have.
Another key factor that makes this headline successful is the appeal of the specific. Keep in mind that it wasn’t just a mistake; It was a “small” mistake. What farmer could stop reading the copy with that headline? What farmer would not feel compelled to find out: “What was that little mistake? Am Yo doing it too? If I am doing it how much it might be costing me?”
3. “How to win friends and influence people” Yes, the book title was also the headline for the ad that sold a million books by mail order in less than 3 years during the latter part of the Great Depression. The key to the success of this ad is its strong basic appeal. Who doesn’t want to know how to win friends and influence people? The keywords are “how”. Without these two words, the ad lacks power, punch, and most importantly, the promise of a benefit.
Certain words and phrases are inherently catchy and attention grabbing and can be used effectively in almost any headline. Such words and phrases include:
or How, how, here it is
o Why, Which, Who else, Where, When, What
or These, This, Which of These.
For better advertising results, look for ways to use these and other effective words in your headlines.
4. “I’m impressed: Shell’s Caprinus R Oil 40 keeps my EMDs in better condition than any oil I’ve used in 20 years.” “They say” copy has substantially more impact than “we say” copy. That’s why the testimonial quote above makes a very effective headline for this business-to-business advertising effort. Above the headline is a 4-color photo of the man who provided the quote.
He is standing in the engine room, identifying himself as AE “Bud” Dacus, the company’s chief engineer. And the first 2 paragraphs of the body of the ad continue in the same vein as the testimonial title. Do you think we have some credibility and credibility working here? I bet we do!
Testimonial headlines can help your ads get a great response, especially when they come from well-known experts at well-known companies. So make sure you stay close to your customers and regularly spend time reading the mail they send you. You may find a great headline, a natural and highly credible spokesperson, and the foundation for a very profitable ad campaign.
5. “If you were given $4,000,000 to spend, isn’t this the kind of gym you’d build?” This headline is an excellent example of a “self-incriminating” (and highly adaptable) technique for the reader to help specify what they would value most in said product. The copy follows these lines: Surely you would put this feature on it. He would be sure that it brought him this advantage, and so on. The reward of the ad is… we’ve already done it all for you.
Question headlines help draw readers into your copy, and there are many ways they can be used effectively. Here are some more examples of effective interrogative headlines:
6. “Do you make these mistakes in English?” This headline is a direct challenge made provocative and effective with the inclusion of a vital word: “these.” “What are these particular mistakes? Am I making them?” Also note your promise to provide the reader with useful information.
7. “Do you do any of these ten embarrassing things?” This headline is similar to number six in that it plays on our insecurities and makes us wonder, “What ‘ten’ are they? Do I do any of them?” The conclusion is: “I better read and find out.”
8. “How much is ‘worker stress’ costing your company?” Title eight takes the same approach as number seven, this time from a business perspective. Notice the quotation marks around the words “worker stress.” Don’t they add a certain element of intrigue?
9. “Six Types of Investors – Which Group Are They? You In?” And finally, headline nine strongly appeals to our innate curiosity about ourselves. How many of us, seeing this headline, wouldn’t want to know exactly which group we are in?
These last five headlines have similar characteristics. A key factor is that they are all written from one main point of view: “The point of you.” Each of them, in fact, contains some version of the word “you”. Case in point: Make sure you always keep your leads and customers front and center in each and every advertisement you make.
The bottom line of the headlines is the bottom line
Five times more people will read your headline than the body of your ad. How well it appeals not only to readers, but also to the right kind of readers, will largely determine how successful it is.
In short, your ability to write or identify compelling and targeted headlines will have a huge impact on the response your advertising generates and ultimately your business results. An easy and simple way to hone your skills in this important area is to study the tried and tested headlines of the past.