Sell More with Your Headlines
Copywriters will tell you that the most important thing they write for any advertisement is its headline. Because the headline is the only copy many people will actually read, the best way to improve your ad is to strengthen the heading. Here are tips to selling more by beefing up your headlines:
Offer Something People Want
Most of the time, the best way to grab attention through a headline is not by making it funny or clever, but by promising something consumers want. Which advertisements in the last month have you stopped to read? While you may have read a few ads after seeing their outrageous headlines, you were probably more attracted to copy that benefited you somehow.
This is why free or discount offers make great headlines. It is very difficult to pass up a free offer without at least investigating it further. Other headlines that offer things people are looking for include breaking news or product benefits.
Sell Your Product in Your Headline
David Ogilvy, who has been called the Father of Advertising, said that about five times as many people read advertising headlines than copy. He added that if advertisers haven't done some selling in their headlines, they've wasted 80% of their clients' money.
If you're going to sell your product in your headline, it stands to reason that you should mention it there. By not mentioning your product in your headline, you've lost any chance of selling to the masses who don't read your copy. Also, try to list one of the product's benefits in the headline. That way, even if consumers don't read the rest of your content, they know what your product is and why they should buy it.
Avoid Doubt
Strengthen your headline by giving readers a solid reason to try your product or read the rest of your ad copy. Be assertive. If you believe in your product, your customers will be more likely to believe in it, too.
Strong headlines don't include quantifying words like "might" or "could," and they don't have asterisks next to them. Quantifiers and asterisks water down your claims and create doubt as to how beneficial your product actually is. Be careful about using questions in your headline, too, because poorly worded questions can lose possible leads. For instance, a headline like "Looking for a flat-screen TV?" rules out those who are not actively looking for a television, but might be interested in one anyway. A much better headline would make a statement about the television's benefits, leaving no doubt that the ad applies to all consumers.
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