Headlines that Sell
Sh!t Hot Headlines
(That will Triple your Profits!)
Daniel Evans
(That will Triple your Profits!)
Daniel Evans
The headline is (or should be) the very first thing a person sees so it has to:
- Be Fully Visible.
- Be 100% relevant to topic.
- Be To the point – No fluff. Summarize in as few words as possible.
- Carry Huge Impact – It must state or propose something attractable.
Be Fully Visible
Your headline needs to be in the first place people look. This may seem like a paradox as they might look elsewhere if there is something attractive there but by instinct people will look at a graphic or text up top or the middle if there is no graphic or text up top.
Of course it's not only the positioning of the headline that determines it's effectiveness. There is also the size of it to consider and how it contrasts to the rest of your content. You could have the greatest, most effective headline in the world but if it's written in a size 10 font blending in with the rest of your content that's also written in a size 10 font then it won't serve much of a purpose.
The headline needs to be distinctive. It needs to shine. It needs to SELL.
To the Point
There's no point in rambling into 10 lines otherwise your headline becomes an article. Research has shown that that visitors decide to remain on your page or leave within 8 seconds. Given that statistic, your headline needs to be powerful and to the point communicating your message in the most effective way possible in a single sentence (ideally) consisting of 7-8 words. Obviously the length will depend upon what you want to communicate, however aim to communicate it in a condensed manner.
Carry Huge Impact
Equally, there's little point in having a sizeable headline which stands out effectively but communicates an unappealing message. If the user isn't affected emotionally by your headline then they'll be headed straight out the door.
The goal is to provide a fact, propose something or ask a question that will immediately grab the attention of the audience.
Keywords
Text based headlines might not look as visually appealing as those graphic headlines which are developed in graphics programs however the text headline comes with a bonus which compromises this factor.
The text based headline becomes an element which can be detected by search engines so by including relative keywords in your headline you can actually encourage organic traffic. 2 birds with one stone!
Application
With the above in mind, it's important to consider where you headline is being shown.
If you are using a text based headline on a website for example, you should know that search engines will extract it displaying it in search results. With that in mind you should ensure that your headline includes the actual topic related to your product / article to allow for targeted traffic.
If for example you are offering a product which teaches a business model using Facebook, it's important to explain this (as attractively as possible) in your headline rather that simple stating that you “make X amount per month online”.
Equally if you are sending an email promoting your product, the headline becomes the very first (and sometimes only) thing the recipient sees before they open your email so it's always a good idea to state the topic in the most impactful way possible.
Audience Motivation
Because of the potential of a headline being powerful it reflectively has the impact to stir up emotion and have the audience be motivated and pepped up by your words.
Not only does it prepare them for reading onwards, it prepares them to strive forth and do the task it hand which, more often than not, involves hitting the “buy” button!
Self Inspiration
As I have commented elsewhere, the very first step I make when creating a product (after deciding the name) is to create a product cover.
This may seem odd given that usually that would maybe be regarded as the final step however the creation of the cover has a positive psychological effect on motivation.
With the cover created, I've brought the shell of a product into existence which manifests the urge to see it to completion.
Not only is that sound advice for you to do the same with your product covers, it stands valid too for your headlines in the sense that if you create your headline first it will give you inspiration and creativity to write the rest of your content whilst affirming to yourself the quality of your product.
Use of Buzz Words
We've discussed keywords which are relative to your content and search engines, however there are also buzz words to take advantage of.
Buzz words are used to bring out a specific emotion in the reader.
The following 10 most powerful words in the English language:
You, Results, Health, Guarantee, Discover, Love, Proven, Safety, Save, New.
The use of buzzwords in your headline will dramatically increase it's attractiveness and reflective potential conversion rate.
Adjectives
Adjectives are awesome! They are powerful! They are ULTRA EFFECTIVE!!
Adjectives modify the quality of a word (a noun or pronoun). They help to give a word impact. To name a few:
Awesome, Immediate, Fast, Easy, Best, Safe, Reliable, Unique, Powerful, Leading, Improved.
Simple Adjective Headlines
This type of headline is the purest form. It states simply what the product or service is you're offering with an adjective (or two) for emphasis on the noun. This type of headline is more suited to an application where tactical wordplay may not be the best solution such as a serious product / service which is being marketed to a more formal audience.
Killer Offline Sales Technique!
A Safe & Rapid Fat Loss Solution!
Effective Sales Conversions in a snap!
Statement Headlines
A statement headline simply puts out the benefit in a pure form without unnecessary hype. It depicts the author to have a “no bull” authoritative stance on the topic often with a little edge thrown into the mix for impact.
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Big Benefit Headlines
It goes without saying that your customers want to gain some form of benefit from your product or service so it's a good idea to consider throwing the benefit right into their faces in the form of a headline rather than burying it somewhere in your sales copy. By throwing the main selling point directly at them, you can be confident that if the headline doesn't sell it to them, it's unlikely that the details will.
The benefit headline should grab your audience by the throat and then have them read the smaller details which dissect the product or service demonstrating how it can deliver the stated benefit.
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Simple Solution Headlines
We've all heard of “5 a Day” right? The unspecific blanket rule for ensuring we consume enough fruit and veg on a daily basis. People don't have time to think about nutrients and macro-nutrients – or they certainly convince themselves that they don't. Life needs to be mapped out in a simple fashion for most to avoid an assumed brain overload.
The best way of achieving this and to make our product more appealing for it's perceived simplicity is to present our product / service in steps and have the headline reflect it or you may present your product / service as a single solution to a single problem or a “secret” which is exposed immediately or soon after using your product / service.
7 Step Abs – Try it For 4 Weeks – Risk Free!
The Tanning Secret – Simple Trick to Prolong your Tan!
The 10 Mistakes You'll Make in Your Driving Test!
How-to Headlines
These headlines are suited to instructional products or services which feed the need for knowledge which allows a person to achieve a goal. The How-to headline must include the benefit / result as the focus rather than the steps to achieve it. We don't want to begin with the words “How to plan” or “How to Start” for example.
We need to dive straight to the gold and tell the reader / listener “How to [GOAL]”, We aren't teaching how to begin. There are many people who have committed themselves to begin things but fall short at following through to see success. We are therefore presenting the benefit / goal as if it's within perfect reach rather than the first step of a huge journey.
How to Quit Smoking & Never Go Back!
How to Improve Your Reading Speed by 50%
How to Quit Your Job & Earn Twice as Much Online!
Controversial Headlines
The majority of people thrive on controversy. It's what makes people watch soaps and reality programmes on TV and read tacky tabloid newspapers. A crack in the monotony of the conformity of everyday life emanates a radiant light which demands attention.
A controversial headline would include a swear word (usually censored), and / or the product itself might use swear words with sales copy and presentation to match.
If you choose to use this tactic it's pinnacle that you know your audience and who you wish to attract. Whilst controversial might be cool and hip to younger folks you it;s use may rule out a more formal, mature demographic. Ask therefore if your style is warranted and suitable for the image, product / service you are depicting and providing.
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Impact Question Headlines
This type of headline poses a question to the audience in hope they will associate with themselves. The question may focus on the benefit of the product or service or it may focus on a negative circumstance which the product or service can resolve with the answer being “yes” and promoting the person to read on.
Sick of Completing Your Tax Return?
Tired of Being Out of Breath?
Infuriated by Your Slow Computer?
News Headlines
A news headline grabs the attention of the audience by presenting a factual statistic, a finding or solution to a problem not unlike those that are seen in newspapers or on TV. The “news” need not be “new” as such. The purpose of this type of headline is to bring information to “new” eyes. These type of headlines will contain the usual adjectives and sometimes controversy.
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Testimonial Headlines
This type of headline can be used after someone has used your product or service and they have taken the time to get back in touch to tell you how awesome it is.
This kind of headline serves as social proof right off the bat. You feed the audience an unbiased line of appraisal from someone, unconnected to you (the author) who has used your product or service and found it to be a great asset. The line is right in the face of the audience who don't have to spend time scrolling down in search of testimonials. Instead the headline is left to speak for itself; “This WORKS!”.
The best testimonial to quote is naturally one that gleams an aura of excitement and positivity with powerful adjectives and mention of the product or service.
“The BEST Addition I've Made to My Online Store!”
“Simply Amazing! After Reading 2 Chapters I felt MUCH More Positive!”
“Don't Hesistate! This is by Far, The BEST Wordpress Social Media Plugin!”
Self Quote Headlines
Self quote headlines can be used to highlight something you've said yourself. The quotes give an aura of being “official” and they depict an element of authority.
“I Guarantee You'll Witness a 10% Increase in Sales or I'll Give you a $100 Cheque!”
“4274 Active Users Can't be Wrong! This Software is a Google Bomb!”
“In Depth Coaching has Exploded Sales Far Beyond Expectations!”.
Figures
Throughout the headline examples listed above you may have noticed that many contain specific figures I.e numbers which refer to a cash amount, a percentage or a number of people.
In the same respect that people seek simple solutions (see Simple Solution Headlines), people also like clean cut, factual figures. Figures help to establish and backup facts. It's been proven for instance that people are more likely to believe a claim containing a percentage value.
That's not to say you should throw in a fake percentage just for the hell of it or any other figure, but maybe aim to provide some factual figures in your headline to relay some constructive data to a potential customer that relates to your product or service.
Naturally, if you are releasing a new product, you won't have any figures relating to your own product but you can always choose the News Headline option and spring a “news” fact on your audience stating a figure within it.
Email, Website & Spoken Headlines.
Depending on the medium you use either; email, forum, website or spoken word, you'll have different methods at your disposal to use to emphasize words.
In an email for example, you can't bold your text or make it stand out any more in comparison to the next email in a persons inbox apart from using certain keywords (as mentioned earlier) and perhaps capital letters (though don't go crazy with them!).
In contrast, a website allows you to be a lot more creative with the use of various font sizes, colours and of course, graphics. Before you consider the graphic headline option you'll have to consider the SEO aspect and ask yourself if a text version would be better to attract traffic (after people search for keywords in your headline). If not, you can opt for the graphic option with a range of fonts, highlights, swishes and circles at your disposal which are included in the graphics package I've kindly included in this package!
If you're planning on venturing into some audio / video you'll be emphasizing words by intonation which involves giving a melody to your speech to give it depth and to distinguish words. Although this might sound simple, for many it can prove difficult as their range of speech tones is naturally limited in a “comfortable” state. Some people have to make a real conscious effort to ensure that they add tonal quality to their otherwise drone-like voices to keep things interesting.
To those people; practice makes perfect. It's a good idea to practice our intonation by recording yourself and changing your voice accordingly. As you are speaking it will sound odd at first but you'll find yourself move into a pacey swing where the tones will come naturally. It's with the skill we can insert “headlines” into our speech, emphasizes certain points with tone rather than depending on volume alone.
The Bottom Line
Having studied the top line – the headline, we'll not summary with a bottom line question to evaluate whether you headline is of use:
Does it Grab YOUR attention?
If the answer is anything other than a certain “Yes!” (the same answers as the audience should give to your headline) then you need to go back to the drawing board and have a rethink.
Don't overlook your headline and don't assume it to be something you think of in an instant. Take pride in it since it's one of your most prominent selling tools!
The greater thought you put into your headline using this guide, the more it will return!
Guaranteed!
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Gary Ning Lo -
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The Copy Nazi Banned-
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Daniel Evans -
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