Learn How Advertise Successfully from Forward Productions Learn How to Advertise Successfully.
Site MapSite Home
Related Sites >Traffic-Reach - Unlimited Quality Traffic - On DemandSmartAuctioning.comForward Productions SitesMapJoin Our Links Directory!


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.





Help keep Advertising Advice available by donating any amount.





MORE RESOURCES:

Siliconrepublic.com

Hallmark Channel and Google to Form Strategic TV Advertising Agreement
MarketWatch - 9 hours ago
"Partnering with Google is a milestone for Hallmark Channel's continued advertising success," said Bill Abbott, Executive Vice President, Ad Sales, ...
Google, Hallmark Channel team up for TV ads CNET News
Google, Hallmark Channel in ad partnership Bizjournals.com
Google Opens Advertisers Up to Walker Texas Ranger WebProNews
Television Week - Adweek
all 38 news articles


GoTV Networks Licenses Thin Multimedia's Innovative Banner and ...
MarketWatch - 12 hours ago
With this license, GoTV will integrate banner and video advertising solutions directly into its content offerings and deliver the best of quality mobile ...
Starent Networks, Corp. to Present at the Barclays Capital Global ... Business Wire (press release)
all 19 news articles


Fitch cautious on media advertising decline
Forbes, NY - 7 hours ago
AP , 12.03.08, 11:03 AM EST Fitch Ratings warned Wednesday that a potential global recession spanning into 2010 could lead to a media advertising decline on ...
Commentary: Steep economic decline poses a huge threat MarketWatch
Fitch: US Media and Entertainment Outlook Negative in 2009 Business Wire (press release)
Fitch Strengthens Originator Reviews across Global Structured Finance MarketWatch
all 14 news articles


KOMO News

Activision inks deal with Microsoft unit
Bizjournals.com, NC - 3 hours ago
Massive Inc. is wholly owned by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and creates platforms to deliver advertising in video games. The company has an office in Santa ...
Massive News from the Battle.net Front Motley Fool
Massive, Blizzard sign Multi-year Advertising Deal - Update RTT News
Microsoft's Massive ratchets up in-game ads CNET News
Gamasutra - SYS-CON Media
all 117 news articles


Pontiflex Launches ROI Calculator, Enables Marketers to Easily ...
MarketWatch - 6 hours ago
The calculator empowers online marketers and advertising agencies to proactively assess returns on their marketing dollars. This is useful especially in a ...


Finance and Commerce

Auto Restructuring Plans Mean More Pain For Media Industry
CNNMoney.com - 6 hours ago
That will lead to lower marketing spending from the second-largest advertising category at a time when the media industry is already reeling from a rapidly ...
Cash-starved companies slash ads, events and other spending Automotive News
Another Month of Miserable Auto Sales New York Times
Chrysler Nov. US sales fall 47% to 85260 vehicles MarketWatch
The Associated Press
all 862 news articles


Media advertising campaign targets violence against journalists
Los Angeles Times, CA - 1 hour ago
A television, radio and print advertising campaign called "What you don’t know can hurt you ("Te hace daño no saber" in Spanish)" is to launch here in ...


Photo: MultiVu Appoints Tracey Page as Divisional Vice President
MarketWatch - 9 hours ago
In her new role, Ms. Page will be responsible for expanding client relationships and increasing sales in the advertising and marketing arena for MultiVu's ...


Cobb EMC deal leaves co-op with arena advertising
Atlanta Journal Constitution,  USA - 3 hours ago
By MARGARET NEWKIRK What will a nonprofit, electric cooperative do with $11 million worth of advertising on a high-profile arts center looming over I-75? ...


Escapist Magazine

Sony Tries Virtual World Advertising On PS3: Unlike Second Life ...
Silicon Alley Insider, NY - 3 hours ago
Next up with virtual world advertising dollars: Red Bull, which is partnering with Sony (SNE) to put a tropical island and airplane racing game on the PS3 ...
Red Bull Builds Itself a ‘Home’ on PS3 Crispy Gamer
all 5 news articles

Advertising - Google News

Site MapSite Home
Related Sites >Traffic-Reach - Unlimited Quality Traffic - On DemandSmartAuctioning.comForward Productions SitesMapJoin Our Links Directory!



© 2006 Forward Productions A Quality Host is our favorite web host