How A Good Headline Can Skyrocket Your Marketing
The headline is unequivocally, unquestionably, intafaticably the MOST important element in all forms of advertising.
It is the singular most important element of any selling message live or recorded, in person or by phone, audio or video, your company will ever use.
Moreover, it is the opening sentence to your sales letters, your posters, highway billboards and banners.
It is the subject line of your emails to staff, suppliers and prospects.
It is the first words you or your sales people (including store clerks, receptionists, order departments and telephone marketers) utter, when they engage anyone in a sales presentation or one-to-one discussion.
The headline (or its equivalent) is the first phrase you begin your conversation with when a customer or prospect comes through your doors or calls in.
It is the first paragraph you state in your commercial, meetings and trade show booth displays.
It is the FIRST line of communication and the only chance you have at grabbing and holding people’s attention
Zero-in Your Marketing
You do this by being specific. For example, when speaking to homeowners, say the word “homeowners” in your headline.
The headline should be able to standalone as its own advertisement. It should tell the reader clearly and immediately, in essence, what to expect if they were to continue consuming your ad.
The headline should give the read a Big Benefit or a Big Promise.
“How To End The Crippling Effects Of Burnout” “How To Get A Tsunami Of Prospects With One Simple Trick”
Create a headline that tells the right people exactly what benefit you’re offering them.
Elements Of A Solid Headline
Every opening statement should appeal to the prospects self-interest. It should promise them a desirable, powerful and appealing benefit.
If possible, try to inject “news” value or “educational” value into the headline also.
Always incorporate your selling promise into your headline. And make sure that the promise is specific, desirable, and advantageous to the prospect.
This may require longer or detailed news, educational, or informational worth statements.
As a side note: Research shows that most negative headlines do not work — unless you use negativity to underscore any undesirable result the prospect can expect eliminate or avoid.
People are looking to gain an advantage in results, benefits, and pleasure in their lives with their health, jobs and definitely from their relationships.
They want to avoid pain, dissatisfaction, frustration, mediocrity and unpleasantries from their lives.
The Major Marketing Pitfall To Avoid
Avoid blind headlines — the kind that doesn’t mean anything unless the reader continues reading.
“In for a dollar” “Meet our lead carpenter” “Our finished job at Marlboro”
If you don’t gain the reader’s or listener’s attention right from the start, they WILL NOT continue consuming.
You will lose them right away, as you should.
There are multiple things gnawing at your prospects attention… other ads, their cat videos, their family, kids and their dog.
You’ve got to get them hooked from the start.
So, How Effective Is A Good Headline?
When your write or decide upon your headline, or its opening equivalent, you’ve just spent at least 80 cents out of your advertising dollar.
Phrased differently, 80% of your outcome — four-fifths of your result… all but 20% of the success of your selling efforts is effected positivity or negativity by what you communicate at the very beginning.
It is the difference between and highly successful marketing campaign or a total stinker.
As a matter of fact, a change in headline can yield 20x improvement in response rate, clicks or acceptance by your prospects of your proposition.
You can do everything wrong, but having a good headline will get you sales.
Do everything right, but fail to grab their attention at the beginning… you’re dead in the water.
And deservingly so.
Happy hunting,
-Jason Anderson
