Writing Headlines in Copywriting

WHOLY HEADLINE!  The Copywriting Element That Can Make ... Or Break Your Marketing Efforts!

by Phyllis Schwartz

Nothing is more important to getting your message noticed than your headlines. Just about every major resource I've read on writing headlines uses this quote from marketing great David Ogilvy:

"On the average, five times as many people read the headlines as read your body copy. It follows that, unless your headline sells your product, you have wasted 90 percent of your
money."

Now here's a quote from copywriting legend Ted Nicholas:
"Based on hundreds of tests conducted, a good headline can be as much as 17 times more effective than a so-so headline. And this is with exactly the same body copy!"

No question about it - learning how to write good headlines is money  in the bank. Today we're going to look at some of the different types of headlines, starting with the one that appears to be used on the Internet more than any other: The "How To" Headline.

I've selected the "how to" format first because it is an easy, if not the easiest, approach to work with --- and, done correctly, can be dynamite for your ad or sales letter.

When using the "how to" approach, the first thing you need to think about is what your product or service does for your prospective customer. Take this column for example: How
To Write Good Headlines ... simple, but isn't it something you really want to know?

Here are several more examples.

Say you were an expert in search engine positioning: How To Get Top Website Positioning In Google Your First Time Out! Or if you were selling makeup: How To Make Yourself Look  Like A Model Using XYZ Magic Makeup! Or how about a headline for a travel article:  How To Make It Around The World And Back For Pennies On The Dollar! Or buying a car: How To Outsell A Car Salesman And Get Yourself A New Car Below Dealer Cost!

Those are just made up nonsense to get you into headline creation mode. :-)

Once you get the hang of the "how to" approach, you can take your headline further by changing things around a bit: The Secret of How To Write Better Headlines ... Discover How To Outsell A Salesman ... How You Can Give Yourself The Face Of A Model.

Another headline approach that can be extremely effective is The "Question" headline.

Would You Like To Make More Money?

A question that hits home with your reader will cry out for an answer. What better
way to keep someone reading on! Here are a few more question headline examples, starting with the straightforward question approach: Are You Starting To Feel Old Beyond Your Years? What Does Your Neighbor Have In His Garage
That You Don't? How Would You Like A Free Vacation?

Sometimes people go a step further and use a question to capture a reader's attention immediately following it up with a benefit statement or offer.

Examples: Are You Tired Of Carrying Around Extra Weight? Read On To Discover A Foolproof Way To Lose At Least Ten Pounds This Week! Do You Want To Know The Secret To Making A $1,000 A Day Online? Read On to Find Out What It Is. You'll Discover That You Already Have Exactly What It Takes!

The "Direct Statement" headline is literally that - a straightforward statement or claim about what you are promoting - usually on the short side and always to the point. The trick to making this approach effective is creating a statement that is intriguing enough to reel your readers in: The Shocking Truth About Eating Chocolate! The Secret To Getting A Hefty Raise That Works Every Time!Why Your Children Are Not Learning In School And What You Must Do About It (It's Not Moving To A New Area)!

There is also a category of headline called The "Indirect Statement."

It almost seems contradictory to the definition of headline in the first place - why would we want our headline to be anything less than direct? The goal of an indirect headline Is to capture the reader's curiosity and get them to keep reading. Example: There's A Something Valuable Inside This Column... And It Could Be Yours For Free!

This is a valid headline approach and can be used successfully, but it takes skill and experience to make it work. If you're new to writing headlines, I'd suggest you go a different route. I've included it here just to give you a more complete perspective on the subject.

In the next article, we'll take a look at four more headline formats.

For the meanwhile, why not try your keyboard at these approaches and see what you come up with. Remember, the ability to write a good headline is the most important copywriting skill you can develop. There's no such thing as too much practice, when you get results that translate directly into dollars and cents!

Wishing you headline success!