Do crazy headlines really work?

[Louise M]

I'm no copywriter. I'm still learning lots about internet marketing and copywriting is at this point something I'm starting to dip into.

And I cringe a little thinking about it, because I keep seeing headlines that make outrageous statements like :

Homeless Baby makes $48,777 in 30 days...

Jobless nobody makes $899 in one day

Ok, I'm exaggerating a little, but the ones I see are sometimes that bad. And I see them so much that I now tend to disregard them.

So, seasoned copywriters who get results...are these the types of headlines you use? do they really work?

Interested in your feedback
Louise

[YasirYar]

Hey Lousie,

Yes they work.. or you would not be seeing so many online marketing courses with these kind of headlines..

Many people who join and/or try online marketing either want to quit their job, make a lot of money within a small period of time or are really broke..

These headlines exploit their situation and cater to their greed and therefore they work.

Now, I am not saying that all these kind of headlines are lies or exaggeration.. but many of them are.

[Bizzoyce]

Of course they work, People still believe a lot of what other people say. I mean huge numbers catch eyes. Who wouldn't want to make xx,xxx number of dollars a month.

[YasirYar]

Originally Posted by Bizzoyce

Of course they work, People still believe a lot of what other people say. I mean huge numbers catch eyes. Who wouldn't want to make xx,xxx number of dollars a month.

This is true to an extent that established online marketing experts who do not use such headlines are undersold compared to new "gurus" who use these crazy headlines..

Did anyone say greed?

[Alex Cohen]

Originally Posted by Louise M

I'm no copywriter. I'm still learning lots about internet marketing and copywriting is at this point something I'm starting to dip into.

And I cringe a little thinking about it, because I keep seeing headlines that make outrageous statements like :

Homeless Baby makes $48,777 in 30 days...

Jobless nobody makes $899 in one day

Ok, I'm exaggerating a little, but the ones I see are sometimes that bad. And I see them so much that I now tend to disregard them.

So, seasoned copywriters who get results...are these the types of headlines you use? do they really work?

Interested in your feedback
Louise

Louise,

When writing a direct response sales piece, it's necessary to put your own filter (the way YOU see the world) on the shelf and see things through your prospect's eyes.

For example, I recently wrote a coaching sales letter for a client in the get-pregnant niche. Needless to say, I've never experienced the pain an infertile women feels when she desperately wants a baby. So I had to ignore my "world view" and write from the prospect's perspective.

This is copywriting 101, but it's very important to understand.

Alex

[Daniel Scott]

Louise,

Some of them work... some of them are just copied by people who go "everyone's doing it, surely it's working!"

The headline's job is basically to get you interested and keep you reading. If it accomplishes that feat... it's a good one.

Yeah, there are exceptions... but it's a good general rule to work from.

Think of newspaper headlines. Some practically force you to read them... like (as an example) "Stripper Leads To Million-Dollar Bank Heist Arrest".

You'd want to know what that story was about... right?

That's why "outlandish" headlines work well. Of course, you have to balance them out with credibility and proof, because if people instantly go "Yeah, right" then you're screwed.

Like many things in life, it's an art. But IMHO that's half the fun.

-Daniel

[Mark Andrews]

Some rambling thoughts on this subject...

A lot of marketers Louise are like sheep, they tend to follow the herd, what everybody else is doing.

The headline though, it's single minded purpose is to gain the attention of the reader and this is important... to get the reader to read the first sentence.

Now, some very exaggerated (crazy) headlines they're obviously screaming out... 'It's all about me! (Me, me, me, me, meee'.)

And the marketer concerned? S/he is forgetting one crucial point, that the reader/s on the receiving end has/have personal emotion/s.

Emotions which can either be played or tapped into. But many marketers fall down because they don't tap into the embedded collective consciousness of a lot of people with their headlines. They don't tap into the underlying, underpinning story which resonates most strongly with a large segment of their target audience.

There are many ways to twist a headline though to make it unique and original. Unfortunately, too many don't realize that all they're doing right from the very get go, is introducing a very large glaring filter, which, more often than not - is simply going to act as one giant filter for the audience they're targeting.

Of course some niches will be more affected than others with the wrong type of headline... If you're targeting a small obscure niche, some of the more traditional glaring (crazy) headlines might still work. On the other hand, if your targeting the IM crowd, it's very unlikely that many of the over used headlines are going to have as much clout as they used to.

So my advice? Try to be inventive. Try to be original.

For tips ask Malcolm Lambe (The Copy Nazi), he's absolutely brilliant at coming up with superb headlines which are like art pieces in their own right. The guy just has a knack for uncovering benefit rich headlines which really grab the attention of the reader! Non of this boring, done to death nonsense - he'll come up with something original every time!

And the main headline, well, it's still perhaps one of the most, if not the most important element of your sales copy.

When writing headlines don't start your sales letter off by writing your headline first. Just jump right into the sub headlines first and continue to write the rest of your copy as you normally would.

When you get to your benefit driven bullet points... one of these will probably stand out head and shoulders above the rest of your bullet points. Now, adapt this bullet point and use it for your main headline.

Use the headline as an interactive amplification device.

Make it emotional so it appeals directly to your targeted readers own emotions. Try and tap into the collective emotion experienced by the majority of your would be readers or target market.

What is this pain?

What is this frustration?

And what is the best possible benefit to switch the negative into a positive emotion?

Never be content with just the one headline.

Write 50 headlines down on a piece of paper or type them out using your keyboard. Set aside an hour to write out these 50 headlines.

The first 10-15 will be very easy IF you understand your product or service very well and if you know what your USP is precisely.

After this initial start... you'll start to struggle a little more trying to come up with those truly creative hooks which nudge your reader (tip them over the edge) to begin the slide down into your sales funnel.

For further inspiration and headline copywriting tips, go to Google and type in Ted Nicholas headline writing tips or something similar. He has some excellent tips too on this very important subject.

Hope this helps you out a little bit.

Best,


Pete Walker

[phanio]

Yes they work. But the question is will they attract the right people for you and your business. While you might get more clicks, they might not be the right traffic.
Know your customers and write copy for them.

[max5ty]

Yes and no.

Yes they can get a lot of people's attention -- no, they don't sell any more product.

The writer is sitting around patting themselves on the back for being clever and witty, and all their copywriting friends are praising their abilities to write super duper killer headlines...but who cares?

Show me the money.

Your headline is only aimed at your target audience -- they're the ones whose attention you want.

If you're selling peg legs, you could write a headline that makes everyone laugh -- or you could get right to the point and simply say, "Miracle Peg Legs".

Anyone looking for a peg leg will probably read on.

Too many writers sit around broke (although witty and happy to be praised), while others focus on the money part of the business.

It's all about the money.

Say what you need to say to get your one legged friends attention -- leave the humor to the comedians.

[HeySal]

I think that they are losing their power now. There have been so many people burned by these headlines that the masses are starting to "get it". I had a bit about this in my current ebook.

The power of these headlines is that they filter immediately into our categorical systems as something valued -
until people start getting burned and start talking. Once enough people start to recognize them as scams, even a truthful one won't fly.

I'm thinking that these types of headlines have been abused long enough that they are starting to send up red flags when people read them. Check out the main forum sometime - there's a lot of talk against them now, and that didn't used to happen much.

Once a hype tactic is revealed and people start becoming aware of the techniques used, the technique loses power. This technique was so abused and so often reported that the FTC has stepped in to stop it - under the truth in advertising law. The FTC would have a heyday in the WSO forum. You can write that headline - but you better be able to back it up with proof of "typical result" or you risk a hefty fine.

You will also find that even if you are able to dupe people temporarily with one of these headlines -- they will remember you if it doesn't work and your next work isn't going to get the reception you had hoped for. There's a lot of hype marketers that aren't doing as well as they used to.

Before you write something for a quick buck, you need to consider your future in the business and what you really want in the long run - as well as if you can fly under the FTC radar if you do decide to go crazy with it.

Truth in advertising doesn't bring in the windfall that the hype does - but it's more likely to earn you a continual influx from people who find your products deliver value. So figure - do you want to sell a lot real fast to people who will be disappointed with the product after reading the headline and will never buy again, or would you prefer to build a following that will buy over and over again from you and give you good word of mouth advertising?

This sounds cold - but if you feel you have to hype a headline - do it asking a question. "Would you like a chance to earn XXX in the next month?" NEVER state that they WILL, just that others have done so - and if others haven't - that's not hype, that's flat out lying. Even strong implications of that nature can get you busted to the tune of $11,000. (Fine for each offense).

[Ricochet]

I personally never paid much attention to copywriting!!

Anyone who's been around Internet Marketing knows these outrageous headlines and claims are BS..

The key in my eyes is to make clear the benefits that your product/ service will bring the end user..

You could spend forever and a lifetime perfecting copywriting in "practice mode"... the best option is to just create your sales, squeeze page with some cleverly thought out copy and then TEST, TRACK & TWEAK......

If you have a good product/ service it will sell itself..

Understanding your target market is also a good starting point.. use quantcast to get an idea of the demographics of your target market and work from there..

[travlinguy]

Ridiculous headlines work in certain markets. One of those is the fast-buck back alley of Internet Marketing. Cruise over to the WSO forum and take a look. Every day people are eating that stuff up. It's funny too.

Many of the people who buy stuff based on ridiculous claims are the same people who'll post on the main board saying they've been scammed. I guess it's part of the "real world" leaning process.

[Louise M]

Thanks Alex,

Just like writing content for your market, copywriting has to be prospect/market centric. I guess the question is - do outrageous titles like the ones above, which may play into the prospect's needs or feelings, disappoint and eventually alienate your market?

[Louise M]

Daniel,

That's why "outlandish" headlines work well. Of course, you have to balance them out with credibility and proof, because if people instantly go "Yeah, right" then you're screwed.

Like many things in life, it's an art. But IMHO that's half the fun.

Thanks, that's very true about many things in Internet Marketing, such as site layout (user experience/monetization), quality posts (content/keyword), etc.

I find similar above headlines to be unbelievable.

thanks
Louise

[Louise M]

Thanks Pete,

That is indeed very helpful, not just for me but anyone who's reading this.

On the other hand, if your targeting the IM crowd, it's very unlikely that many of the over used headlines are going to have as much clout as they used to.

I would agree with this. Those crazy headlines would maybe grab those just beginning, but I think they would quickly learn that it's more hype than substance.

[Louise M]

Sal,

The power of these headlines is that they filter immediately into our categorical systems as something valued -
until people start getting burned and start talking. Once enough people start to recognize them as scams, even a truthful one won't fly.

Yes. That's one reason I would like to stay away from the above Headline formula. Even if I was making a true statement, I think I would get thrown out with the rest of dirt bath water.

I guess my opinion on those crazy headlines is quite clear.

Thanks for bringing up the legalities involved.

As for me, I would much rather have customers returning again and again!

[John_S]

They work because people think others are stupid. They work to the degree the buyer thinks there are enough stupid people who read these things to make money off of.

Don't fool yourself. A lot of these buyers are just looking for something to copy and sell themselves.

It is more than a little incestuous. I'm still waiting for someone to come out with the real insider report on CircleJerk Marketing. You just know that's the stuff they really don't want you to know. (Really)

[Louise M]

travlinguy,

Many of the people who buy stuff based on ridiculous claims are the same people who'll post on the main board saying they've been scammed. I guess it's part of the "real world" leaning process.

I find the internet and internet marketing in particular is a very exaggerated reflection of the "real world". And it offers tons of life lessons.

Thanks for the feedback,
Louise

[Tuffy22]

Sadly enough, they do work...depending on who you are targeting. It truly depends on your audience and what motivates them. There is a large segment of people who internally filter outlandish headlines because it's not what captures their attention. Again, it completely depend on the targeted audience.