One of the most important skills for any creative entrepreneur and business owner to possess is the ability to communicate a message through clear and effective copy. On the other side of the coin, poor copywriting has the potential to drive away business and potential clients, customers and partners.
To empower publishers and help them master the craft of writing headlines, Shweiki Media has partnered with author and seasoned copywriter Debra Jason of The Write Direction to present a two-part webinar series on 12 pointers for creating great headlines that grab attention. This is part two.
Here, Jason covers the final six of twelve tips to help publishers create rock-solid headlines. The material discussed is taken from an excerpt from Chapter 18 of Jason’s book, “Millionaire Marketing on a Shoestring Budget.”
In the last webinar, “Do Your Headlines Go Ka-Ching? (Part One)” Jason covered the first six of twelve tips to help publishers create rock-solid headlines to grab a prospect’s attention. Those six tips were:
- Ask a question in your headline.
- Give news using words such as “introducing,” “announcing,” “now available,” or “new.”
- Address the prospect’s concerns.
- Promise something wonderful, but do NOT lie.
- Be specific.
- Give the readers a command—tell them to do something.
Today, Jason explains the final six tips to fast forward publishers’ copywriting skills.
The Last Six Pointers For Creating Great Headlines:
7. Promise Your Prospect’s Helpful/Useful Information: Using numbers in headlines work very well because readers are given a finite set of rules or tips to help them move forward. For example, “Five Reasons Why Using Numbers in Your Headlines Work” or “Four Tips for Losing Weight Without Feeling Starved for Your Favorite Foods.”
8. Promise to Reveal a Secret: It is important to actually reveal the secret at the end. Publishers never want to disappoint their customers by not delivering on a promise. Remember, bad news travels faster than good news. Examples include: “Explore the Secret to Connecting and Engaging with Your Prospects” and “Discover the Secret to Writing Thought Provoking, Compelling Copy.”
9. Offer Prospects GOOD News: The ninth tip is giving prospects good news because everyone likes to get good news as opposed to bad. For example, “You Are Never Too Old to Tone Your Body and Be In Good Shape” or “How to Attract The Love of Your Life Without Compromising Your Values.”
10. Target a Particular Type of Reader: Publishers should always know the audience they are targeting. The headline, “Do You Aspire to Write Children’s Books?” is specifically targeting authors who want to write in that genre.
11. Tie Into Current Events: People are interested in things that are relevant to them or relevant in the world today. The most well-known example of this are the official sponsorships of The Olympics. The official car, airline, beverage, etc. of The Olympics generates a lot of of traffic because everyone is watching it.
12. Highlight Your Guarantee: The final tip for creating a great headline is highlighting a guarantee. For example, “Lose 10 Pounds in 1o Days or Your Money Back.”
Magnetic Words to Use in Headlines:
Here are some words that grab a prospect’s attention.
- At last
- Exciting
- Exclusive
- Fantastic
- Free
- Guaranteed
- How-to
- Love
- Limited Offer
- Powerful
- Time-sensitive
- Urgent
- Breakthrough
- Special
In addition to these words, here are a few more from David Ogilvy’s “Confessions of an Advertising Man.”
- New
- Suddenly
- It’s here
- Just arrived
- Improvement
- Amazing
- Sensational
- Revolutionary
- Miracle
- Magic
- Easy
- Wanted
- The truth about
- Bargain
- Last chance
Now, you have an arsenal of magnetic words to help you create great headlines.
As creative entrepreneurs and business owners, one of the most important tools you have in offering programs and services is the copy used to communicate messages. If you would like to explore this topic deeper or sharpen your copywriting skills, please visit Write Direction.com.
Do Marketing With Heart, Not Hype
