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Business Human Resources Successful Marketing from the Top: Headlines That Turn Heads
Business Human Resources Successful Marketing from the Top: Headlines That Turn Heads
| Successful Marketing from the Top: Headlines That Turn Heads |
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| Written by Celine Horan |
| Sunday, 19 October 2008 09:13 |
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All marketers want to find that perfect headline time after time. It's not just for the sake of looking clever- a poor headline will often destroy a presentation, just as a sweaty handshake at a job interview hints at your inability to rise to the occasion under stress. After all, that whole "looking absurdly clever all the time" part never hurt anyone in the business world. In this article I discuss five questions you must ask yourself that will go a long way in helping you write stronger headline copy than ever before. The questions you must ask yourself are: Does your headline drive the prospect to want to buy now - or later? The most important thing you must achieve in your headline copy - is give the prospect every possible reason to desire your product now, and not later. You could say things like - 'while stocks last' or 'offer ends today' etc., in your headline copy. In order to make the product seem like it's got a ticking clock on it, find out what makes it special and fresh. If you bring up these points right away, your readers will be less inclined to put down your presentation for later. Headlines need to sell their products Assuming that you already know, hand on heart that your product or service is something the public wants, then expressing this in your headline copy should be a piece of cake. But do check to make sure that you've described the product or service in such a way that it sounds so useful, and so interesting that the prospect will want to keep on reading to find out more about it. Does this product stand out from the rest? This is where your headline should outline the uniqueness of the product or service. It's always important to discover as many unique selling points this product or service has, during research time (if it's not your product). Then if you've done a good job of explaining it's uniqueness in your headline, the reader will have no choice but to continue reading to find out more about it. Is the headline specific and clear? If it doesn't immediately tell the reader what's going on, then it's worse than useless- it's detrimental. It's vital to be clear, concise and specific throughout your copy but especially in your headline. This is where the prospect gets their first glance at what it is you're offering. So it's vital to tell her, very quickly what she should expect, should she decide to read through the letter. Try to make your headline similar to those on the fronts of magazines. If you walk by any magazine stand, you're sure to find some catchy headlines for inspiration. As soon as you look at the few lines on the cover, you're curious about what's inside. This is because magazines speak directly to their readers, and they know their space limits. Their headlines have to be very good and very short, or no one will even glance inside. When you next buy a magazine, ask yourself why did you pick that particular magazine instead of the other. Was it anything to do with the copy perhaps? Is my headline doing it's job? Simply use the above as a checklist. Headlines that meet those criteria will choose readers, repelling those who would never be interested to begin with. For every five headlines an executive reads, they're only going to read one full proposal. This means that your headline is worth five times as much money to you as the rest of the copy involved. The world famous copywriter David Ogilvy has even admitted that spending even a little more time on the headline is well worth it. So based on that logic and compelling evidence, it would stand to reason that you spend 80% of your time crafting that perfect header. It would be time well spent. There's no other way to go! About the Author: About the Author: Ready for the babyboom crisis? Then get Celine Horan's FREE Impact Report NOW! Celine Horan is a niche marketing strategist, sales catalyst and industry expert who offers high level marketing advice coupled with ROI boosting, agency level copywriting services to the career development, recruitment, LMS and e-learning industry. Kindly provided by MoneyHunter.org You are welcome to use this article on your own website, if you include the link just before this text. |
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