ZEROING ON THE HEADLINE THAT SELLS.

A compelling copy has only one purpose - to get the next sentence read by the reader. So it becomes imperative that you capture the attention of your reader from the headline, as it is said, that on average, 8 out of 10 people will read your headline copy, but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest.

The headline is your first impression you make on a reader, effectiveness of which determines whether you are able to place your reader; once they become your prospective client, on the slippery slide that compels them to take more time to read. As a good headline not only tells its reader what a story is about, but also captures their interest and makes them want to read on. Now that you understand the power of headline, it is important that you know some of the don’ts that you need to remind yourself while working on your headline, they are, don’t be clever, don’t get desperate, don’t forget your reader, and don’t settle for just any headline.

A persuasive headline; is clear, demands attention, caters to its reader, and always tries to push the envelope, betters your odds of beating the competition and getting what you have written read by large number of people. Your headline is a promise to the reader which clearly communicates the benefits you will deliver to the reader in exchange for their valuable time. Although headline writing is a difficult skill to master, but there are some tool which are polished over the years that can come in handy while you struggle to come up with your unique copy headline.

Before starting, you need to first clear the misunderstanding that a headline must be short, this notion is faulty, just have a look at two of the most iconic headlines; David Ogilvy’s New Rolls- Royce and John Caples’s They laughed when.., hope these headlines dispels the notion once and for all.

A simple ‘How to,’ headline structure is powerful because the reader gets benefit number one right after ‘How to’ with another benefit following the word, ‘and’ this works because reader love information that show the How to do so, just remember the plethora of book title that start with ‘How to.’ Another important structure is the ‘Question headline’, which automatically gets your reader involved in the copy, as the headline taps into the reader’s problem and the headline is a pill that fixes the problem. Starting a headline with ‘Who else wants,’ is a classic social proof strategy that implies an already existing consensus desire, in the same vein, ‘The secret of,’ headline works on the principle that you have some information or inside knowledge that will benefit the reader, this process becomes doubly effective when the message is coming from an expert.

‘Here is a method that is helping...to...,’ structure feed on reader’s desire to have more information that helps them in leading a comfortable life. Similarly, ‘The little known way,’ is an intriguing way of accompanying the job of getting an enticing copy headline done. A classic structure, ‘Get rid of....once and for all,’ zeroes on either a painful problem or an unfulfilled desire that the reader wants to get rid of. Generally reader’s love, ‘Here’s a quick way to,’ headline structure, when the choice of solving their life’s problem arises.

Who doesn’t like, ‘Now you can have...,’ and ‘Have ...you can be proud of/ build a ...you can be proud of,’ headline structure that targets reader’s vanity, dissatisfaction or shame. The ‘What everybody ought to know about,’ headline not only draws the reader’s curiosity, but also throws a challenge for the reader to go ahead and see for them self whether there is something that they are missing in their life. The ‘Testimonial headline,’ go a long way in doing the selling, as they not only answers the questions that spur up in the reader’s mind, but also provide proof and evidence that support your claim.

A ‘Command headline,’ is one which tells reader’s what to do work best when you turn your most important benefit into a calling statement and use as a headline. Similarly, ‘Exciting news headline,’ comes in use when you have something big to announce that is of interest to your reader. Headline with ‘Special offer,’ and ‘Free offer,’ makes the reader to take action, because every reader loves a bargain.   

The ‘Alert headline,’ work on the principle that the reader is scanning for something of interest and will only be stopped by something that is relevant to them. An important headline, ‘Fear of loss,’ works on the principle that, reader’s fear of losing something is greater than the desire for gain. Another, headline in similar vein, ‘The lazy...way to...,’ never fails to work as no reader likes to think of them self as lazy, but everyone like to save time and effort.  In the same way, ‘Do you recognize the ...early warning sign of...,’ headline structure not only helps the reader in wanting to avoid problems, but also promises the critical tips before it is too late. And finally, ’See how you can...,’ headline structure is very effective as readers love quick and easy ways to make their life comfortable by learning something new or gaining some advantage.   

In summation, your headline must be useful to the reader, provide urgency, convey the idea how your main idea is unique and make the reader take action of your choice. 

Learning how to write a great headline is absolutely critical, practice it diligently. So the next time you sit down to come up with your engaging headline, make sure you have plenty of time for experiments. As a compelling headline determines the effectiveness of your complete piece. 

Now it is your turn to create some brilliant headlines.