Many marketers spend hours and hours (or even days) working on the content of their promotions. They understand their audience; share the features and emphasize the benefits; include their credibility; and weave in an emotional element that grabs the reader and compels them to keep reading right to the end.
So by the time they’ve finished writing their promo, they’re tired of writing and eager to send it out. They slap on a title, sit back and wait for the sales to come in…but they’ve neglected the vital component – the headline.
The result – no one reads the wonderful words they’ve written because they weren’t enticed to – therefore, no sales.
Your headline packs the power to attract a reader (aka potential customer) or let them slip on by.
A good headline:
- Helps select your best prospects.
- Motivates action by stirring an emotion.
- Appeals to the prospect’s self-interest.
- Communicates the strongest benefit.
- Delivers a clear and understandable message.
- Usually answers the question “what’s in it for me.”
- Pulls your reader into the body of your message.
- Sets the tone for the offer.
The difference between a good headline and a feeble headline is success or failure. It doesn’t matter how good your advertisement is if it doesn’t get read.
Before you begin writing a word of your promotional content, write at least 50 headlines. Yes, this takes time but the results are worth it. Once you’ve put effort into writing a fabulous headline, the content nearly writes itself.
And finally, test your headline…send out a promo with your best headline and see the results. Then send out a second promo with a different headline. Track which has the best response. Your “best” headline may surprise you…a twist of the words could change the way you do business.
