This article is a continuation of Marketing Examples: Create Ad Headlines that Sell. In this article I’ll go over the following:
Proven Steps for Writing Headline Teasers
- Begin headline with word Introducing
- Begin headline with the word Announcing
- Use words that have an announcement quality
- Begin headline with the word New
- Begin headline with the word Now
- Begin headline with the word At last
- Begin headline with the word How to
- Begin headline with the word How
- Begin headline with the word Why
- Begin headline with the word Which
- Begin headline with the word Who else
- Begin headline with the word Wanted
- Begin headline with the word This
- Begin headline with the word Because
- Begin headline with the word If
- Begin headline with the word Advice
- Put a date into your headline
- Write your headline in news style
- Feature the price in your headline
- Feature reduced prices
- Feature an easy-payment plan
- Feature a free offer
- Offer information of value
- Tell a story
- Use a testimonial-style headline
- Offer the reader a test
- Warn the reader not to delay buying
- Let the manufacturer speak directly to the reader
- Address a specific person or group
- Have your headline ask a question
- Offer benefits through facts and figures
- Use a before and after style headline
Let’s Get Going
Write a paragraph that describes your product or service including your company as a whole, while keeping in mind that information you have reviewed in this chapter.
On to the Headlines
Now take the information in the previous paragraph as well as from the rest of the chapter and try to write headlines that sell.
Now Ask These Questions of Your Headlines
- Does the headline promise a benefit or a reward for reading the copy?
- Does it get its point across simply and quickly?
- Is the headline as specific as possible?
- Does it reach out and grab your attention with a strong selling message?
- Does the headline logically relate to the product?
- Do the headline and visual work together?
- Does the headline arouse curiosity?
- Does the headline select the audience?
- Is the advertiser’s name used in the headline?
- Avoid negatives!
Illustrations and Pictures that Work
After your headline the next place people look in regards to your advertisements is at your picture, if you choose to use them, which you almost always should. Here are tips on using pictures that sell
- The subject of your illustration is all important.
- The kind of photographs which work hardest are those which arouse the reader’s curiosity.
- When you don’t have a story to tell, it is often a good thing to make your package the subject of your illustration.
- In a study of 70 campaigns whose sales results were known, Gallup did not find a single before and after campaign that did not increase sales.
- Photographs attract more readers than illustrations.
- The use of characters known to people who see your advertisement boosts recall.
- Keep your illustrations as simple as possible, with the focus of interest on one person. Crowd scenes don’t pull.
- Don’t show human faces enlarged bigger than life size. They seem to repel readers.
- Historical subjects bore the majority of readers.
- Do not assume that subjects which interest you will necessarily interest consumers.
- Full color advertisements cost 50 percent more but on average are 100 percent more memorable.
The Best Pulling Photos of All
- Men buy products from ads featuring men and women do as well
- Brides
- Babies
- Animals
- Famous people
- People in odd costumes
- People in odd situations
- Pictures that tell a story
- Romantic pictures
- Catastrophe pictures
- News pictures
- Pictures of Santa Claus or Presidents
- Picture of the product in use
- A close up picture of the product
- Photos pull better than illustrations
- The best pulling picture of all is a face looking directly at the reader
Note: Even though the above are the best pulling photos make sure that the photo corresponds to your headline.
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Well I arrived here on another post but ended up staying for 20 minutes reading your stuff! Enjoyed it 😀
Thank You for this information this is something that I have to work on to become a better marketer. Finally I feel that I am at the beginning of something here. Thanks to You..
Your very welcome
I was having the hardest time coming up with headlines for my youtube videos so thanks alot. I put the use the “how” in the title for 5 of them!
Glad to help 🙂