It is fortunate for those of us in the business that headlines are so important because it just so happens that they are one of the easiest things to change and test.
If you had to constantly test different sales letters, that would take you a very long time. Sometimes it takes weeks or months to create a sales letter. But, a headline can be written in seconds.
You can literally write hundreds of headlines in a day. You can throw out the ones that don’t sound right, and test only the absolute best ones.
Also, a lot of times a headline can simply be cut and pasted so that you don’t even have to change the first page of your sales letter. This makes testing headlines one of the cheapest, but most effective ways to test. And, when you find a headline that is a hit, it can spell instant success for you.
Here are the four ways to write headlines that really draw the reader to your sales letter…
Writing Headlines Method One – Try to appeal to a prospect’s interest in every headline you write.
Your headline absolutely must tell the reader that you are offering them something that they really want and need. A self-interest benefit must be offered or implied in your headline.
Whenever you write a headline, ask yourself, “How will this headline benefit the reader?” If you can’t think of a way, then trash that headline and write another one!
Writing Headlines Method Two – Don’t just try to arouse curiosity by itself in the headline statement.
In order to get the most response from your headline, you cannot just arouse curiosity in the reader. That will only do so much. You must combine curiosity with self-interest and benefits.
The customer knows you are trying to sell them something, so curiosity by itself is not going to make them fork over their wallets.
And please, avoid ridiculous teasers like: “Help! Someone’s Just Eaten My Cat!”
Then the body copy says: “Now that I’ve got your attention, can I introduce you to our range of pre-stressed concrete lintels…”
Writing Headlines Method Three – Never interject the negative side of an offer in your headline.
Never use words that people could take as negative. For example, don’t ever say “My plan has made a few people rich” (why just a few?) or “Some of my customers will get rich.” Instead say, “My plan can make you rich!”
Overall, tell the customer what you will do for them. Use lots of “you’s” in the copy. If you can, make your headline talk directly to them.
Writing Headlines Method Four – Make your offer a quick and easy way for the reader to get what he or she wants.
If you have really honestly found a way for your customer to make £1,000 a week, you need to tell them about it. But make sure your headline sounds believable. Don’t stretch the truth just to get more people to read your sales letter.
“Make Ten Million Pounds a Day From Your Armchair Watching Your Favourite TV Programmes” is not a credible headline.
These four things will help you write killer headlines. Even if you don’t have a product, you can practice writing headlines. Write about anything even if it’s not your product. Make something up. By practicing, you will soon pick up on ways you can turn your headlines into sales over and over again.
For instance, pick a subject and practice writing headlines for it. Let’s suppose you chose the subject of health. Here are some examples of health headlines, taken directly from the front cover of a catalogue I received in this morning’s post.
These headings are all written down the left side of the page …
“I’m healed at last!”
How to go from chronically
sick to suddenly healthy faster
than you thought possible.
Complete reversal of HEART
DISEASE in weeks. Page 7
CRIPPLING ARTHRITIS
REVERSED IN 14 DAYS.
Page 8
Dangerous HIGH
BLOOD PRESSURE
vanishes in 6 weeks.
Page 7
HEALING DIABETES:
After only 7 days, insulin is
unnecessary. Page 8
On the right side of the cover, (which by the way is the side of a page most of us glance at FIRST) is a photograph of a healthy and happy looking couple in their fifties, obviously on a beach. Both are dressed in holiday casuals, with the man giving the woman a ‘piggy back’. Great photo – powerful selling! It doesn’t take a genius to work out who they are selling to, and what they are selling!
As you know – they are not selling a solution to health problems, so much as selling HAPPINESS, HEALTH, VITALITY AND YOUTHFULNESS. They are the triggers for the brain.
So, with this in mind, brainstorm as many headlines as you can on the subject of health. As this is a practice run, you don’t need to worry about writing headlines you can’t substantiate – which obviously for health products, is absolutely essential.