Advertising Information
Google
 

How To Write Eye-Grabbing Headlines That Catapult Your Prospects Into Your Ads


If you're interested in improving the selling results of your ads, tweaking your headlines is a great place to start. Because your headlines influence the sales results of your ad more than any other element.

A great ad with the wrong headline can bomb, whereas a great headline on an average ad will probably do OK. Let's take a look at a few techniques for coming up with sales-boosting headlines.

First things first: Avoid these proven sales-killing "headlines" like the pox:

Your company name

A generic industry or service category (e.g. "Plumbing Contractor")

Or on a website or brochure, "Welcome to ABC Industries"

The points above sound basic (and they are), but it's surprising how many ads and websites make those mistakes.

So you've avoided those mistakes. What techniques can you use to create great selling headlines that practically catapult your readers into your ad? Here are a few ideas...

1. Call out to your target audience

If your message is aimed at stockbrokers, mention "stockbrokers" in the headline.

2. Mention specific benefits

Face it - consumers are jaded. We all are. Heck, I can hardly get out of bed in the morning :) General statements like "Lose weight fast" or "Save Money on _____" are no longer effective. Specific numbers and images evoke much more potent images in your prospects' minds than generalities. That's why they sell much better.

3. Use vivid, evocative verbs

Especially online, high-energy headlines work very well.

Here's a headline that uses all 3 of the above techniques...

"New Software Boosts Stockbrokers' Income by 34, 43, even 125% - by Slashing Time Spent Chasing "Dead" Accounts and Laser-Focusing Your Energies on the Big Players"

OK, it needs a bit of work, but you get the idea. Some people don't like this type of headline - it's too "hypey". And it's certainly not right for every kind of product or service - but I've had very good success with this type of headline, especially online.

4. Use "cognitive dissonance"

That's a fancy way of saying, make your audience curious. Here's a headline we're testing for a client who sells bumper stickers:

"Do You Wonder How We Can Sell Full-Colour Stickers At A 1-Color Price, with FREE Artwork?"

This type of headline makes people curious - they feel compelled to find the answer and relieve a sense of "dissonance" with this apparent paradox.

5. Include some challenging or surprising information

Here's a headline that I wrote for a lead-generating website for a rubbish removal contractor, 1300 Rubbish:

"Fast, Professional Rubbish Removal, Sydney-wide...We'll Pay You $1 Per Minute In Cash If We're Late!"

The "hook" is the guarantee. Also bear in mind that most of the people who see this headline will have already searched for the term "rubbish removal sydney" or similar, so they are expecting to see something related to those keywords.

How are your headlines? Can you use any of the above tips to get better response?

For more detailed information on how to improve your ads and written marketing materials, you can sign up free to our monthly newsletter, "Results-Driven Marketing Secrets".To join, just fill in the form below...

William Swayne is a internet marketing consultant based in Brisbane, Australia. He can be contacted at Marketing-Results.com.au.


MORE RESOURCES:

Boston Globe

How much are those front-page Times ads?
Reuters - 5 hours ago
(Slate) (Photo: “Spiderman” Alain Robert got free front-page advertising on the New York Times. Not in the paper but on the building. ...
Video: Money Minute: Times Ads, Hyundai, Construction AssociatedPress
New York Times now offers front-page advertising MarketWatch
NY Times debuts front-page ad; new revenue source The Associated Press
Adweek - AFP
all 349 news articles


Recession raises stakes for Super Bowl advertising
guardian.co.uk, UK - 1 hour ago
"The Super Bowl remains this incredibly unique advertising opportunity because you get all this focus and all this attention and all the PR buzz around it," ...
Kellogg School of Management Faculty Available to Discuss Super ... PR Newswire (press release)
all 14 news articles


BeliefNetworks, Inc. Launches AffinityAgent Advertising ...
MSNBC - 4 hours ago
Utilizing this technology, BeliefNetworks is able to help a variety of customers in the advertising and publishing world develop relevant ad concepts and ...


Dallas Pushes for More Video Board Advertising
MSNBC - 4 hours ago
The city council is looking to add more video advertising boards and told city staff that the five currently planned for Main Street are not enough. ...


Atheist advertising bid launched
The Press Association - 5 hours ago
An atheist advertising campaign on buses in Scotland has been launched with the slogan: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life. ...
Atheist bus campaign spreads the word of no God nationwide guardian.co.uk
London atheist bus advertising campaign spreads to Spain Monsters and Critics.com
Bus sides say there is no God Utalkmarketing
InTheNews.co.uk - Telegraph.co.uk
all 56 news articles


Report: Rough Year For Branded Advertising Online
MediaPost Publications, New York - 2 hours ago
This year is going to be a rough one for brand advertising, according to a new report from JP Morgan Chase. The economic downturn has created a climate in ...
JP Morgan: '09 to Be Rocky for Web and Brand Ads Adweek
all 8 news articles


The NAD: A Primary Forum For Resolving Advertising Disputes
The Metropolitan Coporate Counsel, NJ - 7 hours ago
Hugh Latimer, Chair of Wiley Rein's Advertising Practice, has experience in a broad range of complex litigation involving advertising, sweepstakes, ...
Wiley Rein Assists Client To Secure Significant Win In ... The Metropolitan Coporate Counsel
all 2 news articles


The Slate Group Names Matthew Turck Vice President of Advertising ...
WELT ONLINE, Germany - 8 hours ago
The Slate Group, publisher of Slate, The Root, The Big Money and Foreign Policy, today named Matthew Turck Vice President of Advertising Sales. ...


Sun-Times News Group Advertising Veteran Mike Sperling Named ...
Business Wire (press release), CA - 6 hours ago
Mr. Sperling, 38, most recently had been Senior Director, Automotive and Builder Advertising for the Sun-Times News Group, leading print and online sales ...
Sun-Times Media Group Appoints Jim Dyer VP, Classified Advertising ... RTT News
Sun-Times News Group Names VP/Classifieds Editor & Publisher
Sun-Times Media Group proceeds with deregistration of Class A ... Trading Markets (press release)
Editor & Publisher
all 18 news articles


BBC News

Strikes greet Sarkozy's TV reform
BBC News, UK - Jan 5, 2009
President Nicolas Sarkozy's changes will ban advertising on prime time public TV from Monday evening. The president says the reforms will increase quality, ...
French unions decry TV advertising change Forbes
France bans adverts on state TV during primetime guardian.co.uk
French TV adverts ban sparks wave of strikes Irish Times
Telegraph.co.uk - Media Guardian
all 66 news articles

Advertising - Google News


registration of site in directories and searchenginesBlogarama - The Blog Directory

home | site map | references
advertising-s.net © 2007