How to Grab Attention with your Headlines

How to Grab Attention with your Headlines

by: Charlie Cook

Youกve got just a few seconds to grab your prospectsก attention, spark their interest and motivate them to keep reading whether they’re looking at your web site, your letter or your brochure. Headlines are the first thing your prospects read. Four out of five people determine whether they keep reading to learn about your products and services on the basis of your headline.

Do your headlines capture your prospectsก attention or do they confuse them and send them away?

Are your headlines prompting prospects to learn about your products and services or click to another web site or throw away your letter?

Avoid the three following headline mistakes.

Don’t Emphasize Obscure Company Names

Most small businesses and many not so small businesses names aren’t household words. Unless your name is among the top ten most recognized brands such as, Craftsman, Waterford, Rolls Royce, the Discovery Channel, WD40 or Crayola there is a very good chance people won’t associate your company name with anything.

Have you ever visited a web site or read a print ad where the companyกs name covered the top part of the page and it was something like, กPharos Partnersก? Unless the name of your company describes what you do, it is not going to grab prospectsก attention. Move it to the side and make room for a creative headline.

Avoid Welcome Statements

On many web sites the first line you read is, กWelcome to our Siteก. There is a reason you don’t see these in print ads. Welcome statements are a waste of time in marketing materials; they do little to help prospects understand what you do.

Delete Vague Descriptions and Statements

Statements like, กOur purpose is to connect you with information and resources to achieve your maximum potentialก, could apply to a number of different professions. It could refer to a cooking school, a management consultant or an eldercare program.

Are you wasting valuable space where your headline goes to feature a company name that doesn’t describe what you do?

Does your headline include กbusiness speakก terms your children or motherinlaw can’t explain?

Is your description of product and services specific or is it so generic that it could apply to other types of businesses?

Does your headline focus on the selling points that distinguish your products and services from the competitions?

Writing Headlines that Get Your Prospectsก Attention

People look at web sites the same way they look at magazine ads. They scan the page quickly to see if the product or service is something they want. On the web or in a marketing brochure, if you capture their interest, theyกll keep reading.

The best way to do this is to give them a clear idea of the problems your products or services can solve and/or the benefits you provide. Use a few carefully selected words such as:

Leverage your expertise to attract a steady stream of clients

Reliable Office Supplies, free next day delivery.

Inhome sports training for exercise enthusiasts

Web and print design that helps your business grow

Costa Rica Travel, Unique offthebeaten track tours to jungles and beaches

Your page headline should communicate clearly what you offer clients, which problems you solve and the benefits you provide. Do your headlines:

Clarify what you do?

Describe the problems you solve?

Define whom you do it for?

Explain the benefits?

Emphasis a key selling point?

Compel your prospects to keep reading?

Imagine that you worked at an exercise facility and wanted to attract clients for your massage business. Here are some possible headlines you might use for your flyer and associated critiques.

George Jenkins Massage

(Itกs your name but so what)

Are You Bothered By Back Pain

(Better, it defines the problem)

7 Ways to Get Instant Back Pain Relief

(Defines the problem and a solution)

How Computer Users Can Banish Back Pain in One Hour

(Defines who your target market is, the problem and the benefit)

Grab your prospects attention in the first few seconds with your headline. Then follow with compelling copy that clarifies the value of your products and services and youกll generate many more sales.

2004 © In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.

About The Author

The author, Charlie Cook, helps service professionals and small business owners attract more clients and be more successful. Sign up to receive the Free Marketing Guide, ก7 Steps to Grow Your Businessก and the กMore Businessก newsletter, full of practical tips you can use at http://www.charliecook.net

[email protected]

This article was posted on March 22, 2004

by Charlie Cook

10 Elements Every Direct Mail Piece Should Have

10 Elements Every Direct Mail Piece Should Have

by: Joe Niewierski

Don’t want your direct mail to end up in the trash with the rest of the unread mail? Studies show an effective direct mail campaign should draw a .5 to 1 percent response. These 10 tips will help you get the results you want:

1. A clear, bold headline. On the envelope or front of the mailer there should be one central message. The best way to achieve that is with a bold, clear headline that’s not cluttered up with other text. A good guideline is to have the headline fill up at least 15% of the front of the mailer.

2. A graphic that supports the message. The graphic should be easy to understand and add to the message the headline is trying to convey. For instance, if you are trying to get people to list their home you would want to show a home with SOLD sign clearly visible out front. That graphic reinforces the message more than a simple picture of a home.

3. Color that pops. Make the headline and other text stand out by using a color that stands out from the background color. When you look at the card, ask yourself, กWhat do I see first?ก If your answer isn’t the headline, you might want to tweak the colors.

4. Subheads that lead into text. If you have a couple of paragraphs of text with no lead in, there’s nothing to entice people to actually read the copy. A subhead will give people a place to start reading. If you have only a 100 words or so you may be able to get away with it, but if the text gets any longer than that the average reader will want to have some guideposts along the way.

5. Benefits, benefits, benefits. One of the biggest errors people make in advertising is stating features, rather than benefits. For example, never assume recipients know what benefit can be derived from a lower interest rate on their mortgage. Let them know how their monthly payments will go down.

6. The offer. An offer is always a good idea and should represent a specific reason to call now, such as ขLimited supplyข or ขInterest rates are climbing.ข

7. Your company name and logo. Although this needs to be on the mailer, it shouldn’t overshadow the offer. Customers care most about what you can do for them.

8. Call to action. Tell prospects exactly what you want them to do. ขCall today for more informationข or ขSee us onlineข are two of the most common desired actions.

9. Contact information. Provide your name, phone number, and Web address directly following the call to action. Whatever you ask prospects to do, give them the means to do it easily.

10. Return address. A return address ensures you’ll get returned mail from the post office and sends a message that you’re an established professional. People feel better knowing the company they’re dealing with has an actual location.

About The Author

Joe Niewierski, the VP of Marketing & Promotion at PostcardMania, became a published writer after graduating with a BA in Advertising from the University of South Florida. Joy Gendusa founded PostcardMania in 1998; her only assets a computer and a phone. In 2004 the company did close to $9 million in sales and employs over 60 persons. She attributes her explosive growth to her ability to choose incredible staff and her innate marketing savvy. Now she’s sharing her marketing secrets with others. For more free marketing advice, visit her website at www.postcardmania.com.

This article was posted on February 21

by Joe Niewierski

Testing Headlines

Testing Headlines

by: Patrick Quinn

A correspondent to AdBriefing, my monthly newsletter, has posed a very sticky question. How, she asks, can you tell whether a headline you have written is a good one…or not? What she means by this, I imagine, is whether the headline will actually help to make sales, rather than just act as a passing amusement to its readers.

The latter precept, that a headline should actually try to sell something, is not as universally known as it might be. The vast proportion of headlines actually say nothing whatsoever about the product and the benefits of owning it. And the reason for this is that good, selling headlines are not easy to write. So the majority of socalled copywriters take the easy route and produce something which they think is humorous or eyecatching and hope that this will do the job. That it won’t and doesn’t can be witnessed day in and day out in press ads, brochures and websites worldwide.

But I digress.

There is sadly no absolute test that a headline will do the job it is paid to do. If there were, we benighted copywriters would be earning ten times what we are earning now, on the grounds that our work would be foolproof. Every headline we conceived would be irresistible; and products would move off shelves like Spring snow off a dyke.

But there is a test – a very good and worthwhile test – that you can apply to any headline you create. I call it the ‘So What?’ test.

Allow me to give you an example of ‘So What?’ in action. If you produce a headline that says: Our Widget works twice as fast as any other Widget, and then ask yourself ‘So What?’, it immediately becomes clear that the line is bereft of a sales proposition. Because there is no obvious benefit to the potential customer.

On the other hand, if you write: Our Widget works twice as fast, so you do the job in half the time, then the ‘So What?’ has been answered. Your customer can cut his production time by 50%.

Likewise, were you to write: Our Widget is so small, it fits into the palm of your hand, you simply invoke ‘So What?’. Which results in: Our Widget fits into the palm of your hand, so it goes wherever you go. In this case, the benefit is portability. You can use it anywhere.

Over the years, I have found the ‘So What?’ test to be invaluable. You might care to give it a try yourself.

And on the subject of headlines consider this.

When trying to write a headline many people tend to go off halfcocked. They consider the marketing brief, then bash down a headline or two to satisfy it. After that, they write the body copy.

Experience shows, however, that if you write the body copy first, the odds are that there will be the makings of a headline within it struggling to get out.

Body copy is, or should be, a carefully worked and logical encapsulation of the marketing brief. In other words, the whys, the wherefores and the benefits of owning the product or service. It makes sense, then, that if it is properly written, there is a very real chance of finding an embryo headline lurking within it.

Why not give it a whirl? You may be agreeably surprised.

About The Author

Patrick Quinn is an award winning copywriter with 40 yearsก experience of the advertising business in London, Miami, Dublin and Edinburgh.

He publishes a FREE monthly newsletter, AdBriefing. Subscriptions are available at: http://www.adbriefing.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on October 18, 2004

by Patrick Quinn

The Unidentified Rule of Email Advertisements

The Unidentified Rule of Email Advertisements

by: Steven Boaze

Majority of the email messages we receive today either ends up in our saved messages folder or goes straight to the trash can. The more dominate and familiar messages are usually associated with past business or personal contacts is why we save so many emails in so many folders that it creates an email management nightmare.

Regardless of the excessive spam, the way our human mind picks through emails which are important, is by looking at the headline. If the headline does not appeal to our normal judgment of being a legitimate reason for contact, the email should either be trashed or saved for further reading. This is not to suggest using spam messages for all email contacts. It does, however restricts the use of commercial emails who did not optin and simply directs attention for those who have opted in to receive advertisements.

The problem with todayกs email messages are the bogus and hyped up headlines and the content does not match the headline, therefore is miss leading the purpose behind the product or service trying to be advertised. Now, all email messages are not presented in this fashion, but overwhelmingly 80% of what we receive daily in our inbox continues to never change.

The unidentified rule of the headline, is that it must sell the email message. Without a main theme mentioned in the headline itself telling of the product or service, then the purpose of the headline has now been shot down and eventually ends up in the trash. This means for those who are trying to sell by email, Must let the reader know what it is they are trying to sell in order to กGet The Clickก and gain their interest to open the email to start with. A fashionable trick luring the reader to open the message will only make things worse and the credibility of the sender is now in jeopardy.

The unidentified rule of the email message relates directly from the headline in presenting the product or service without false pretenses. The number one reason of failure for email ads with bogus content, is the email was written to sell the product or service straight from the content instead of directing the reader to a website which in turn should sell the wares.

There are three main unidentified rules:

The Subject Must sell the message

The message must sell the site

The site must be relevant to the subject and message

This rule is called ‘the Proper Email Message Structureก and it must be utilized in every email message that is in advertising nature. All other messages which are used for contact or follow up with customers, can be informal, however if there must be a selling message, this can be accomplished simply be using a signature file or by using a PS. which in turn should also retain from heavy selling, but should stick to benefits more than promotion.

Another down side towards reading messages which seem to scroll into the distance, the average attention grabbing moment is only going to last within 60 seconds. Anything longer in reading a message which does not focus the readers attention on, will get trashed immediately. This email packet we all have seen that never ends, most likely has good intentions and worth the time spent reading it, although research has carved a path stating that the time we spend going through emails daily, our productivity is decreased by 38% due to overly tricked email messages.

Comment

1200 email recipients were surveyed determining whether they would read short or long emails with advertisements in them, 64% confirmed the deletion of long email messages for only those which did not interest them.

Any email of greater length can be extremely effective when stressing the key points and most importantly the benefits keeping the readers attention throughout the entire message. This also applies to short emails using key points, but tells us the advantages of reading an email in shorter length and having straight forward facts, will be more effective than longer ones.

The most attractive way to present HTML email messages without กscreaming or yellingก is to use limited amount of graphics. This will minimize size and loading, plus it is easy on the eyes when reading the content and not trying to focus on heavy bright or conglomerate images. Seeing a great looking picture in our email with very little text, 94% of the time will be deleted, especially when it comes from anonymous senders. If the message should involve a graphic, so should the text to go with it. Period.

The unidentified rule of using advertisements in an HTML environment are to point out specific types of promotions, specials or events using Bold Titles, Headlines and Links. Use Italicizing for sub headlines and use bold and Italicizing for sub titles. This will present the email message so the reader can visually see key points or sections of the message and not be thrown off subject.

Keeping a positive attitude is a must when writing a selling email message, and also requires the email to be focused on the reader at all times and not hyping up the next special offer.

About The Author

Steven Boaze, Chairman, is The Owner of Boaze.com Corporate Web Solutions. Steven is the Author of two successful Books, thousands of articles featured in radio, magazines newspapers and trade journals. Steven has 25 years experience in journalism, copywriting, certified Web Developer. http://www.copywriteplus.com

Copyright © 19982005 Boaze.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on January 10

by Steven Boaze

5 Reasons Why Headlines Are Crucial To Your Websit

5 Reasons Why Headlines Are Crucial To Your Website’s Success

by: Robert Boduch

Without a powerful headline, your message stands little chance of being noticed in an increasingly competitive marketplace. If your headline doesn’t capture attention and pull prospects into your sales copy, than your marketing effort is a total waste of energy and resources.

Nothing is more important to getting your message noticed than your headlines. If you’re not allocating a sizable percentage of your time and creative effort to the headline used on each page of your website, you could be losing out on a large chunk of business.

Top copywriters understand this concept well. They know how essential it is to capture attention by literally stopping preoccupied prospects in their tracks.

Here are five good reasons why your site headlines deserve greater emphasis and attention:

1) Headlines Are Natural Attention Getters. The majority of online prospects are quick scanners. No one reads the body copy of a page without first reading and being pulled in by the headline. Headlines are the first thing your visitors see. They jump out visually and command attention. Headlines are leads set distinctly above the rest of the text. Often the typeface, size, and style used for headlines contrasts with that uses in the body copy. It’s a proven approach that naturally attracts eyeballs, virtually forcing interested prospects to grasp the message of the headline and to read on.

According to advertising legend David Ogilvy, 5 times more people read headlines than body copy. Although Ogilvy was talking about print advertising in general, the observation is certainly applicable to websites as well.

With 5 times the readership, headlines have the power and capability to make any message many times more successful.

2) Site Headlines Serve As Valuable Guides To The Busy Surfer. Headlines reveal key details. They tip off readers as to what follows. They provide clear signals to help readers decide whether they should stick around for the full message, or dash off to something else – something better suited to their own special needs and interests.

As a quick summary of the entire piece, headlines either attract continued interest and readership, or they repel it. Without a headline, the reader is forced to wade through a portion of the text to understand the meaning. Forcing readers to do this is to risk losing them altogether. It’s sales suicide. In effect, having no headline will cost you at least 80% of your potential audience.

3) Headlines Prepare The Reader For What Is To Come. Headlines stimulate interest. They captivate, arouse curiosity and stimulate the desire for more. It’s the headline that starts the reader’s motor running. A good headline sets up a feeling of expectation as the reader anticipates discovering more and can’t wait to get it!

Successful headlines address specific audiences. They open prospects minds to new possibilities and expand their level of enthusiasm and interest. The best headlines involve prospects, virtually guaranteeing their sustained attention for the time being.

4) Headlines Simplify The Learning Curve. Every headline serves to introduce whatever follows. As an opening or leadin, the role of the headline is to succinctly communicate the essence of the message it precedes in a n interesting and compelling way.

Effective headlines and subheadings reveal key bits of information often with the added power of emotion. A review of the various headings alone can often provide one with the gist of a given message. This makes it faster and easier to understand, remember, and review.

Use your headings to generate emotional involvement and you increase the chances prospects will go back and read more of your copy. When you make it easier to read and comprehend your messages, you increase the chances of making the sale.

5) Headlines Allow You To Deliver Your Biggest Bang Right UpFront. Capture attention and interest at the outset, by using your most appealing selling point. If your strongest, most desirable product attribute (benefit) fails to pull prospects in, surely nothing else you could ever say would do the trick, either.

The stronger and more compelling your headline, the more readers are likely to read on and spend more time at your website. Create every headline to grab attention and inspire interest. The more alluring and irresistible you can make it, the more genuine prospects you’ll attract and ultimately, the more sales you’ll record. Headlines are powerful marketing tools when used effectively. Take a good look at your site headline. Could you add more intrigue, curiosity, or interest?

Test different headlines by trying various appeals and offer combinations. Keep an eye out for additional headline opportunities throughout your sales letters, as well as on other pages on your site. Make your headlines impossible to miss and difficult to ignore… then, watch your results soar!

About The Author

Robert Boduch is the author of Great Headlines Instantly! How To Write Powerful, AttentionGrabbing Headlines That Pull In More Prospects, More Customers And More Profits, NOW! This fulllength manual features hundreds of helpful tips, techniques, strategies and handson formulas for writing successful headlines of every kind.

Visit the author’s site at: http://www.headlinesecrets.com

Or email him at: [email protected]

This article was posted on May 25, 2002

by Robert Boduch

Test Your Headlines for Maximum Profits

Test Your Headlines for Maximum Profits

by: George Dodge

Professional copywriters do not simply write or select one headline and then hope for the best. They create a number of different headlines; often times as many as a hundred before selecting the headline they think will perform the best.

But they don’t stop there! Professional copywriters know that their choice will often not be the choice of the public and therefore they test their headlines in the market place.

Believe it or not, even professional copywriters find that half or more of their ads, sales letters, or campaigns fail to become winners. But, by testing, they are able to cut their losses early and maximize their successes.

The method of testing most commonly used is known as split testing. With headlines, split testing involves the exposing of two different alternating headlines to prospects. This can be done both online and offline, but online is much easier and the testing process is quicker.

Here is the way headline split testing works online. Visitor A comes to your website and sees headline #1 while visitor B comes to your website and sees headline # 2. When visitor C comes to your website, headline # 1 is shown again and the alternating process continues for the length of the test.

After a number of actions have been recorded for each headline, such as clicking through to the order page, the results are compared to determine which headline resulted in the largest number of desired responses (the click through to the order page, in this example).

The larger the number of total responses recorded, the greater the accuracy of the test to determine the headline winner. Once a winner is chosen, that headline becomes the new control. A control is the current best performing item being tested, in this case, a headline.

Now that a control has been established, a new headline is tested against the control to see if the response can be improved. This process continues on until a given headline has been the control for a large number of tests.

Initially the two headlines that are being tested can be quite different. What you are looking for in the early test is what general kind of headline seems to work for the target market. Once a general kind of headline appears to be a winner over competing types of headlines, then you begin to tweak and split variations of the winning headline itself.

Letกs take a look at an example.

This headline example comes from Jimmy D. Brown, a very successful Internet marketer. The following two headlines were split tested to determine a winner.

Headline # 1: ‘the Power of Viral eBooksก

Headline # 2: กHow to Create Automated Profit Generatorsก

The Result? Headline # 2 out pulled headline # 1 by multiple times.

Now to simplify this process, letกs assume for the sake of this example that Headline # 2 proved to be the winner, not only of this test, but a number of follow on test against a number of other headlines. So, you have determined the type of headline that seems to work well for your particular target market. Now, it is time to tweak the headline by split testing variations of this particular headline.

When you split test variations of a headline, you want to only change one thing at a time. Perhaps you will change only one word in the headline, or the color of the headline, or the using of quote marks around the headline, etc. But you only test one item at a time. Each item you test is called a variable; it is the thing that varies between the headlines in the test.

Everything in the headline can make a difference in the headline response rate. Things that make a difference in response are called response modifiers. In addition to the items mentioned above, other response modifiers in a headline might include the font used, the size of the font, the capitalization of the first letters of each word, etc. Everything in your headline can and should be tested.

For an example of how a very minor change can make a difference in your headline response, take a look at these two headlines:

Headline # 1: กPut Music In Your Lifeก

Headline # 2: กPuts Music In Your Lifeก

The only difference between the headlines is the addition of the letter กsก to the first word. Again the second headline greatly out pulled the first headline. Some copywriters assume that this is because the first headline implies some work on the part of the reader, while the second headline implies that something or someone else does the work. But the reason is not important, only the results matter.

Each tweak of your headline that results in a new control improves the desired response rate of your headline leading to a maximization of profits, if your headline involves the selling of a product or service.

You can never know for sure why one headline out pulls another, but while you can guess, the reason is not important. What is important is the results, no matter what the reason.

Jim and Audri Lanford of www.netrageous.com, now www.scambusters.org, once made a change of color to a sub headline on one of their online sales pages and orders almost dropped to zero. When they changed the headline color back, their normal order rate returned. They guessed that this was because the color change may have caused the headline to look more like hype, but as noted above, the reason is not important. What are important are the results.

Are you testing your headlines? If not, you should be. Every little positive change continues to increase your profits and it all adds up in the end. While some changes may only increase your desired response by a fraction of one percent, some people have seen changes of as much as 1,500% with a single headline change while the rest of their copy remained the same.

How would you like to see either a single or cumulative improvement over time of 1,500% in your desired response rate? I thought so! Then go forth and test, test, and test some more!

About The Author

George Dodge is owner of the Headline Creator Pro Website at http://www.HeadlineCreatorPro.com where you can download software that saves you time and effort by allowing you to quickly and easily create headlines with push button ease.

This article was posted on September 12

by George Dodge

Five Tests Every Press Release Must Pass

Five Tests Every Press Release Must Pass

by: George McKenzie

Youกve heard ‘themก say it, haven’t you?

By ‘themก I mean the experts. The teachers. Even some people from advertising & PR agencies.

Theyกll tell you thereกs only one way to do a press release กright.ก

Single page, double spaced, 12 point type.

Bull…

Iกve been working in radio and TV full time or part time since 1972, and that means Iกve seen thousands of press releases.

I never threw one away because it didn’t fit the กclassicก or กstandardก format you hear about so often.

A journalist especially a journalist working on deadline doesn’t care about that stuff…

There are, however, five things that *are* important, and if your press release doesn’t have them, it will probably wind up in the trash in seconds.

In my Instant Press Release Toolkit program at http://www.pressreleasetoolkit.com, I call them ‘the Five Tests Every Press Release Must Pass.ก

1) The Instant Eyeball Test

The person reading the release takes a quick glance at the overall appearance.

Does it have a catchy headline, or is the top of the page crowded with unnecessary information or big graphics (like PR agency/company logos)?

Is it readable? Does it look cramped, with block paragraphs that suck up most of the white space? Will the screener have to search through a lot of print on the page to figure out what’s newsworthy?

Is there any bold print emphasizing important points?

And maybe the biggest factor of all: can he/she figure out in five seconds or less what this release is about, and what action the writer would like the news operation to take in response?

Flunking the Instant Eyeball Test doesn’t mean the release will immediately drop into the trash can. But if your release is poorly formatted and visually unappealing, it’s definitely a strike against you.

2) The Headline Test

Even if you’ve just flunked the Instant Eyeball Test, you’ll probably still get a chance to redeem yourself by offering a great headline.

In my opinion, this is the most important part of the release.

Give the reader a catchy, attentiongrabbing, interest provoking headline, and the battle is half won.

For a quick primer on headlines that motivate journalists to กbite,ก see http://www.publicitypro.com/articles/headlinespublicity.htm

3) The Hot Button Test

The next question in the screener’s mind relates to the subject of the release. Actually, there are probably several questions running through the screener’s mind simultaneously:

* Is it information people need to know, or would like to know?

* How much of a potential audience is there for this information?

In other words, how newsworthy is it?

There are certain universal themes, story lines, and angles that make something newsworthy. I call them news กHot Buttons,ก and they’re the subject of a Special Report Iกve written, available free at http://www.publicitypro.com/hotbuttons.htm

4) The กMedium Matchingก Test

The first question you should ask yourself is กWho’s going to be reading this, and what do they need to know from me?ก

Very few people take the time to tailor a release to the medium they’re pitching, but those who do tend to be more successful.

The decisionmaker looks for opportunities that are characteristic of their medium.

TV news wants visuals of people doing something.

TV/radio talk or กmagazineก shows look for engaging guests to interview or topics to discuss at some length.

Newspapers and magazines look for depth.

5) The กPerspectiveก Test

กPerspectiveก answers the question กWhat is this news release *really* all about?ก

Sometimes it’s obviously written from the perspective of someone who wants to sell a product. They talk mainly about that product or their company, and they offer little or no กnews value.ก (see the กHot Button Testก for more on the meaning of กnews valueก)

Remember, a news release is supposed to be about news. It reads like an announcement or a newspaper article, not a promotional flyer or sales copy.

Sometimes a news release is written from the perspective of someone who wants to pat themselves on the back. It’s the kind of selfglorification that you see in annual reports.

These news releases come off as boastful and selfserving, and usually offer little of interest to journalists.

The best news releases are those written with the media’s audience in mind.

They say to the decisionmaker, กHere’s something you can offer your viewers that will keep them from reaching for the remote…ก or

กHereกs something you can give your listeners to keep their fingers away from the pushbuttons on their radio…ก or

กHereกs something that will compel your readers to look at the page long enough to notice the deodorant ad to the left of the column.ก

In other words, news organizations don’t want you to ‘touch that dialก and switch your attention elsewhere.

Give them information that keeps their audiences tuned in, and youกve got a winner.

News releases written from that perspective are the ones that get attention and coverage.

To see a linebyline critique of two press releases I think are excellent, go to http://www.publicitypro.com/pressrelease1.htm

Both these release announce product rollouts, and both pass the ก5 Critical Testsก with an A+ grade.

About The Author

George McKenzie

Award winning TV anchor George McKenzie offers a

free 7part email กPublicity Crash Course,ก which

shows you how to turn the mass media into your

personal publicity machine. Register now

at http://www.publicitypro.com.

[email protected]

This article was posted on September 02

by George McKenzie

How To Get People To Read Your Ads

How To Get People To Read Your Ads

by: David Bell

Rule One: The Headline

The headline should summarise the whole offer. It should grab the eye, and make you want to read the subheading. The headline should intrigue and captivate the reader. Itกs sole aim is to make the reader continue on to read the body text. You should take great time and trouble over the headline. Lets say we’re selling a book on home security, yes, I know, boring and you might start with something like this:

กCRIME FIGURES UPก

This is very bad, but typical of an amateur. People don’t care about กcrime statisticsก. Thatกs boring, they only care about their own house or car being broken into. OK, how about this:

IS YOUR HOME AT RISK?

A bit better, but not brilliant. it does personalise it and does play on peoples fear. Itกs still pretty weak though. What we need is a headline that will grab you by the throat and force you to read on. How about this:

HOW TO BURGLE YOUR OWN HOUSE AND STEAL YOUR OWN CAR

Now thatกs what I call a กkillerก headline. Youกve just got to read on, haven’t you? Always think very carefully about your headline. Make it extremely intriguing, interesting or exciting. If you’re selling a กstraightก product, then use a slightly different approach, the headline should state what the product is, with a few adjectives in front. Say for a Tea Trolley, your headline would be:

New, Italian, Foldaway TEA TROLLEY

There should also be a picture of the product. the picture and the headline simply act to grab the eye of anyone who is remotely interested in purchasing this type of product.

Rule Two: The Subheading

The subheading should expand upon the story hinted in the main heading, and draw the reader inexorably into reading the body text. Subheadings for straight products should outline the main features and benefits of the product. Again, boring, but this is what works, A subheading for the Tea Trolley would be:

กNew from Italy, Lightweight, Foldaway Trolley is available in your choice of three colours.ก

As I say, boring, but this is what works, so don’t try and get clever or กartyก.

Hereกs the subheading for the security book:

กIกve nicked hundreds of cars and done over fifty burglaries. Would you like to know what Iกve got in mind for YOUR place?ก

Brilliant, or what??!! Youกve just got to read into the body text, haven’t you?

Remember this is the MAIN function of the heading and subheading. Notice the quotes, it seems as though the guy was talking to YOU, the reader of the advert, but the quotes imply that it is just something that this burglar said, some time ago, to whoever it was he was speaking to.

Rule Three: The Copy

Always overstate the product, but within the bounds of truth and reasonableness!

For some reason long copy, sell books. People will actually read an entire page of text if the story is strong enough. for straight products, the body of the text really just gives the feature and benefits, together with a slight allusion to an improvement in lifestyle.

A classic piece of rubbish for the security book would be:

กWe at ACME security have been leaders in the field of home security for over seventy years, winning the Queens award for industry on at least five occasions.ก

So what? Who cares? Whatกs that got to do with ME?

Hereกs an important little technique which can be used to fascinate your readers. itกs the ‘reverseก technique. In this technique, you take what is considered an obvious and well know fact about your subject, and then state the exact opposite in your advert.

We all know that in order to keep burglars out, we have to lock doors. Right? I mean, thatกs obvious. OK we’re going to take this obvious fact and simply state the exact opposite. like this:

Why leaving doors UNLOCKED can sometimes be better than locking them.

กHow can this be?ก you ask yourself.

Why fitting a car alarm can sometimes result in car thieves flocking to break into your car.

กWhatกs that?!! surely with an alarm fitted, theyกll give your car a miss?ก Well it depends. There are several reasons why sometimes (which is all I said) the opposite might be true. For example, if you have a car alarm then that means you have something worth stealing. also car thieves are full of machismo and they like stealing difficult cars, they stay clear of the easy ones because thereกs not enough danger and excitement. Most car alarms can be bypassed. Get the idea?

I hope this helps in your future marketing decisions.

About The Author

David Bell

http://www.wspromotion.com/

Advertising research and development center

This article was posted on April 14

by David Bell

The Man With The กGrasshopper Mindก

The Man With The กGrasshopper Mindก

by: Dean Phillips

The title of this article also happens to be one of the ก20 Greatest Headlines Ever Written.ก

Did you know, just changing the headline has been known to dramatically improve the effectiveness of an ad or sales letter by up to 1700 percent? Yes, headlines are that powerfuland that important!

However, over the last few years, Iกve noticed a proliferation of badly writtenor just plain weak headlinesboth online and off!

Particularly disturbing is the copycat syndrome. I can’t even begin to tell you how many variations Iกve seen of the กWho Elseก headline. For example:

กWho Else Wants To Write Great Headlines?ก

By the way, the กWho Elseก headline isn’t new. It goes back many decades.

Hereกs the problem with copying a popular headline. When you have so many individuals copying a headline, it loses its effectiveness, appeal and uniqueness very quicklyespecially on the Internet!

I have a much better alternative. Instead of copying someone elseกs headline, put in the hard work thatกs required and come up with your own classic headline.

Headlines that evoke some type of emotional response are the most effective and generally make more sales. Emotions motivate people into action. The stronger the emotion, the quicker the action. Therefore, headlines that make the reader excited about gaining somethingor even more effectiveafraid of losing something, will invariably produce the best results.

Using the proper words and phrases is critical. Below Iกve listed just a few of the words and phrases that, over the years, have proven to be very effective at grabbing the readers attention:

Save… Amazing… Finally… Love… Secrets Of… Announcing… Free… Luxury… Security… At Last… New… Bargains… Obsession… Breakthrough… Protect… The Truth About… Discover… How To… Rewards… Yes… Sale… You… Are You… Sex… Win… Improve… Do You…

After grabbing your readers attention, this is where you want to answer the question, กWhatกs in it for me?ก To do this, you have to know a little about your target audience. What are they interested in? What are their priorities? What makes them respond?

Craft your headlines to use words and phrases that will pique your potential buyers interest. If you are targeting people interested in starting their own home business, try phrases such as กStay Home And Make Moneyก or กKiss Your Job Goodbye Foreverก. If your product happens to be diet pills, try กLose 10 Pounds In 10 Daysก.

A word of caution: There is a point where headlines tend to get unbelievable. Make sure that your claims are truthful and that your copy supports their truthfulness.

Once you have a firm grasp of the aforementioned basics, look around your house and select several different products, and write as many headlines as you can think of for each product.

Write variations of the same headline until you have exhausted all the ideas you can think of. This will be both frustrating and difficult at first, but it will become easier with practice. Remember, nothing worthwhile ever comes easy.

After you have your list of headlines, make sure each one passes the test for the following criteria for a good headline. 1. Does it grab the readers attention? 2. Does it answer the question, กWhatกs in it for me?ก 3. Is it truthful? If a potential headline does not meet these three criteria, rewrite it or eliminate it from your list altogether.

Continue using the process of elimination, one headline at a time, until you’re left with what you feel are the three best and strongest headlines, based on the criteria presented in this article.

How will you know which headline is the best one overall?

Unfortunately, thereกs no way to know for sure until you test them against each other. The headline that pulls the most sales or responses is your winner!

To help you get the creative juices flowing, Iกve listed below my version of ‘the 20 Greatest Headlines Ever Written,ก. Iกve listed them in my own personal order of preference. Study them, dissect them, figure out what makes them greatthen get to work writing your own. Enjoy!

‘the 20 Greatest Headlines Ever Writtenก

1. The Man With The กGrasshopper Mindก

2. They Laughed When I Sat Down At The PianoBut When I Started To Play!

3. To People Who Want To WriteBut Can’t Get Started

4. Does Your Child Ever Embarrass You?

5. The Secret Of Making People Like You

6. Advice To Wives Whose Husbands Don’t Save Money

7. The Child Who Won The Hearts Of All

8. How To Win Friends And Influence People

9. The Last Two Hours Are The LongestAnd Those Are The Two Hours You Save

10. Do You Make These Mistakes In English?

11. Why Some Foods กExplodeก In Your Stomach

12. You Can Laugh At Money WorriesIf You Follow This Simple Plan

13. When Doctors กFeel Rotten,ก This Is What They Do

14. How I Improved My Memory In One Evening

15. Discover The Fortune That Lies Hidden In Your Salary

16. How I Made A Fortune With A Fool Idea

17. Do You Do Any Of These Ten Embarrassing Things?

18. The Crimes We Commit Against Our Stomachs

19. How To Do Wonders With A little Land

20. Who Else Wants Lighter CakeIn Half The Mixing Time?

About The Author

Dean Phillips is an Internet marketing expert, writer, publisher and entrepreneur. Questions? Comments? Dean can be reached at mailto: [email protected].

Visit his website at: http://www.letsmakemoney.net

This article was posted on November 04, 2004

by Dean Phillips

How To Write SuperEffective Ads and Sales Letters

How To Write SuperEffective Ads and Sales Letters!

by: Dean Phillips

‘the more things change, the more they stay the sameก. That saying couldn’t be more true, especially when it comes to writing ads and sales letters.

The same things that worked fifty years ago, continue to work today. Yes, times and technology has changed, but people haven’t. At least, not the way we react to an effective advertisement.

When writing an ad or sales letter, there are two critical points you must NEVER, EVER forget:

1. Most people don’t make a buying decision based on logic. They make a buying decision based on their emotions.

2. People don’t want to feel like they’re being coerced or pushed into anything. They want to feel like they arrived at a buying decision completely of their own free will.

Go back and read point number two again. Thatกs a very fine line. But you MUST learn the distinction, if you want to master the art of writing effective sales material.

Actually, writing effective sales material is quite simple, really. In fact, Iกm going to teach you all of the basics in this article today. And if you consistently apply those basics, youกll see your income skyrocket!

Hereกs the key: You MUST write every single ad and sales letter using the following classic AIDA formula:

A=ATTENTION

I=INTEREST

D=DESIRE

A=ACTION

Letกs break down each letter, so that you can understand the full import of the formula:

A=ATTENTION: The very first thing your ad or sales letter must do is get your prospects attention. The very best way to do that is with an effective headline.

So, whatกs an effective headline? An effective headline is any headline that answers this question: กWhatกs in it for meก? Thatกs all your prospects really cares about. Whatกs in it for them? Hereกs an uptothesecond example of an effective headline: กHow To Write SuperEffective Ads and Sales Lettersก!

So, what makes the title of this article an effective headline? Two things: First of all, I answered the กWhatกs in it for meก question. Secondly, the headline made you read this article.

And that my friend is the whole point! You want prospects to read your sales material!

Now, we come to the second letter in the aforementioned AIDA formula: I=กINTERESTก. After you get your prospects attention, you want to get them กINTERESTEDก in your product or service. You do that by immediately telling them what your headline promises. You don’t waste their time with a bunch of fluff and garbage that nobody but you cares about.

Tell them what they want to know, starting with the very first paragraph, and continue to tell them, right through to the very last paragraph. If you keep them interested, theyกll keep reading, right to the very end.

Next comes the third letter letter in the formula: D=กDESIREก. You have to make your prospects กDESIREก your product or service. And the way to do that is with benefits, benefits and more benefits!

Remember, just keep telling them what your headline promised. Also, tell them what they stands to gain by purchasing your product or service. More importantly, tell them what they stand to lose, if they doesn’t purchase.

Push their emotional กhot buttonsก, by using magic selling words like, new, save, amazing, free, guaranteed, security, norisk, look younger, feel better, etc!

Now we come to the last letter in the formula, but certainly not the least: A=กACTIONก. You want to close your ad or sales letter with a call to action! In other words, ask them for the order. Itกs important to ask for the order at least three times, preferably six or more.

Here are a few examples of effective closes:

1. กJust click on the button below to order NOW, RiskFreeก!

2. ‘to get your FREE website, Order NOWก!

3. กDon’t waste another minute! Order NOWก!

Something else thatกs very effective is to include a post script (P.S.) at the end of your ad or sales letter. Your postscript should include an enticement of some sort, to get your prospects to order NOW. You should also use the postscript as a final call to กACTIONก!

Hereกs an example of an effective postscript:

P.S. กDon’t forget, if your order within the next ten days, youกll also receive a personalized calculator mouse pad FREE, with your companyกs name embossed in gold lettering! Order NOWก!

You can also use a post script to tie everything together, by summarizing your most important benefits.

Another reason that you should use a postscript is strictly elementary. Studies have shown that most people, when reading an ad or sales letter will read the headline and then immediately zoom right down to the bottom of the page to check out the price and see if your offer is anything that theyกd be interested in.

Anyway, thatกs it. Thatกs กHow To Write SuperEffective Ads and Sales Lettersก!

Follow the formula faithfully and it will rarely let you down.

And remember, when writing your ads and sales letters, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS keep in mind that one question we all want to know: กWhatกs in it for meก?

About The Author

Dean Phillips is an Internet marketing expert, writer, publisher and entrepreneur. Questions? Comments? Dean can be reached at mailto: [email protected].

Make Money Online! Internet marketing expert, Dean Phillips will help you make money online, starting today…Guaranteed! For details just visit my website.

Website: http://www.letsmakemoney.net

This article was posted on September 30, 2004

by Dean Phillips

Don’t be Anonymous Anymore: 7 Ways to use Orange S

Don’t be Anonymous Anymore: 7 Ways to use Orange Snowflakes to Increase Traffic and Internet Profits

by: Johannes Garrido

Out of the over 1 billion web pages on the net, exactly HOW do you plan to get your site noticed?
The Answer Orange Snowflakes.
Out of the myriad of marketing techniques and approaches, do you KNOW whatกs the #1 source for internet profits today?
The Answer Again, itกs Orange Snowflakes.
And just what are Orange Snowflakes? Orange Snowflakes are classified ads that compel your prospect to stand up and take notice to your unique offer. Whether itกs ezine advertising, email advertising, direct mail, ebooks, discussion groups, affiliate programs, or even search engines…
…classified ad copy either makes people respond to your offers…
…or, it doesn’t.
Your ability to create Orange Snowflakes will, to a great extent, determine your success on the internet. Here are 7 ways to create Orange Snowflakes that gets more qualified prospects to take notice to your offer, visit your site, and purchase your product.

DO YOUR HOME WORK

Start by gathering all the relevant and important information regarding your topic. Analyze your market, your marketกs deepest desires, and the benefits you can offer to this market. Then, isolate your most impressive and unique competitive advantage. In other words, single out your MAIN BENEFIT. Try and encapsulate this main benefit into your headline and classified ad.
CREATE A "Must Get More Information" HEADLINE.

If your prospects are anything like the average web surfer, then youกll have just a few seconds to capture their attention to get them to read on. Your headline MUST draw the reader in to want more. Amazingly, bi polar headlines (headlines that start off negative but ends positive) work best. Example: Don’t Waste Another Dollar Discover How to Increase Your Sales by 1700% with Killer Classified Ads. This headline will draw anyone who is struggling to make sales with classified ads to want to read on. Itกs a negative headline that promises a positive result…
CREATE OVER 50 HEADLINES

This may seem redundant, but itกs vitally important step. Your first headline probably won’t be your best work. But as you continue writing, youกll discover better ways to express your thoughts in a more compelling and provocative fashion. Experiment with several different styles of expression from questions to combinationstyle headlines. Don’t worry about perfect spelling or presentation just let your ideas flow. After youกve created about 50 possible headlines, choose your top 3 to 5 headlines and test to see which gets the best results.
PAY STRICT ATTENTION TO THE LITTLE THINGS

You might find it hard to believe, but one capitalized letter in your ad may mean the difference between 50 people responding or 100. Stay away from using CAPS or BOLD CAPS… if possible. Instead Capitalize the action or key words in your sentence. Also, use bold to emphasize and underlined to really emphasize your points.
IMITATE FOR PROFITS

Save all the good classified ads and sales letters you come across and throw away those don’t capture your attention. A good place to start are the ones that got YOU to purchase a product. Take notice of the elements that got you to bite on their offer. Next, copy the structure of the ad and change the wording to reflect your offer. Get in the habit of doing this and eventually… youกll have some great copy! Remember, don’t copy word for word… you might get into legal problems with copyright infringement. Just imitate the structure and format.
THINK "Connect the Dots"

Write your copy so that each point flows smoothly to the next. This is very important otherwise youกll lose your reader. You want your first sentence, usually your headline, to flow smoothly to the next sentence. Think of it this way. The purpose of the first sentence is to get your prospect to read the second sentence. The purpose of the second is the get them to read the third… and so on until they read your final offer and click to your order page. A good test after you write each sentence, ask yourself "Does this make me want to read the next sentence?"
TEST EVERYTHING

When I first started out on the net, I placed a number of ads, submitted to search engines, wrote articles, posted to classifieds, etc.. And as a result of all my hard work, I made a few sales. BUT, and this a big BUT, I had absolutely no idea where the sales originated from. Without knowing which advertising methods were working and which weren’t, I continued down this path: working hard and making a few sales. It was only when I decided to test and track my hits and sales ratio that my sales กGREATLYก improved. Moral of the story understand where your hits and sales are coming from. Drop the advertising that produces little to no results and cultivate the ones that create the most sales for you.

I can’t stress it enough Your ability to create "Orange Snowflakes" will make or break your career on the net. Learning how to create killer classified ads is a fundamental practice that you have to master in order to truly succeed on the net. So, take the seven recommendations listed above and start implementing them into your own classified ad copy. The impact it can make on your business can dramtic and immediately profitable.

About The Author

Johannes Garrido is creator of the กKiller Classified Ads Magic Systemก http://www.roibot.com/w.cgi?R351_Article1. "STOP Wasting Your Precious Time and Money Discover How to Increase Your Sales by 1700% with Killer Classified Ads. 100% Guaranteed." http://www.roibot.com/w.cgi?R351_Article1

This article was posted on January 16, 2002

by Johannes Garrido

The Ugly Side Of Internet Marketing, What The Guru

The Ugly Side Of Internet Marketing, What The Gurus Won’t Tell You!

by: Al Martinovic

Did that headline grab your attention?

I have experimented with many different headlines on my sites and found that you can take the same sales letter yet your sales will increase or decrease depending on the headline you are using.

Thatกs nothing to sneeze at! Your headline can literally make or break your advertising campaign.

The headline is the most important part of any sales letter. It has to grab your prospects attention by dangling the proverbial carrot in front of them to suck them into your main sales copy. It literally is like an ad for your main ad.

The key to writing headlines for a particular sales letter is to write down as many as you can. Try different variations and combinations until you find the one you like best.

Then test, test and test some more! Just the addition of one or two more words in a headline can literally skyrocket your sales. Keep testing until youกve created a headline more powerful than a vacuum cleaner!

What I also like to do is to keep a swap file of the headlines I like. I pay attention to headlines in newspapers, magazines and especially the tabloids and when I find one I like I put it in my swap file.

I don’t copy the headline word for word but instead I create a fill in the blank approach for future use.

For example I came across a headline that read:

The ugly side of beef, what health officials won’t tell you!

That headline really caught my attention. So I put it in my swap file as:

The ugly side of ___, what ___ won’t tell you!

I can then fill in the blanks for whatever purpose that headline may suit me for future use, which then becomes the title of this article:

The Ugly Side Of Internet Marketing, What The Gurus Won’t Tell You!

Creating a swap file of good headlines can do wonders for your bottom line so start focusing on headline writing today!

You will find that headlines are important in almost every online endeavor you are embarking on…from websites, to emails, to classified ads, to article writing, to pay per click search listings and more…

Do not underestimate the power of a headline!

Get this article by autoresponder! Send a blank email to [email protected]

About The Author

Al Martinovic is the publisher of the Millenium Marketers Newsletter which helps ordinary people such as yourself achieve extraordinary things. Subscribe FR^E today and get 2 FR^E bonuses! http://www.milleniummarketers.com

This article was posted on May 04, 2003

by Al Martinovic