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SUCCESS-Icles
Articles
Written for YOUR SUCCESS
How
to Double Your Sales
with
"Punch Line" Headlines
The headline of your sales messages, whether on-line or in the local
newspaper, is responsible for 70% to 80% of the response from your
sales message. The success or failure of any marketing effort rests, to
a large degree, on the power of your headline.
David Ogilvy is one of the most respected modern day marketing
authorities. He revealed that, with the average headline, only 200
people out of 1000 will go on to read your ad. And that is where your
profit is sitting. Capture another 200 customers with a punch line
headline and you will double your sales. Lose 100 readers with a poor
headline and you lose half your sales.
Headlines are just that important. Even poorly written ads have been
very successful because of the overwhelming power of punch line
headlines.
Your prospects will decide whether to read your sales message in only
two or three seconds. That is all the time they will give you to scan
your headline. Really, you and I are no different. We do not READ a
newspaper, we SCAN the headlines - article headlines and ad headlines.
We are looking for only what interests us at the moment.
A headline comprises the first words at the top of a newspaper ad. It
is the title of your article, the subject line of an email, or the top
of your web page.
Here are four
critical tips for writing those "double your sales" punch line
headlines.
1. MAKE SURE YOUR
HEADLINE IS THE FIRST WORD GROUP YOUR PROSPECT SEES. I know this
may seem a "no-brainer" but I see this mistake time and again,
particularly in local newspaper advertising. And, even more amazing,
the ads the newspaper "experts" use to promote themselves seldom follow
this rule. Take a look through your newspaper. Notice how many
businesses start out their ad with their store name and location right
at the top. This is such a terrible waste of their prime "real estate".
It is an ego thing really, and can easily cost them 25% to 50% of their
potential sales. Always keep in mind - the public does not give a hoot
about you. If they are shopping for you, they will look in the yellow
pages. They are only interested in themselves and fulfilling their
current desires. Put your store name at the bottom. If the headline
draws them in to read your ad, and you convince them to want it, they
will find your business name, no matter how small.
2. MAKE SURE YOUR
HEADLINE DELIVERS THE PUNCH LINE. The "punch line" is the unique
and powerful part of your sales message. You aren't telling a joke
here. Do not save the best part of your offer until last. Determine the
most compelling part of your offer and put it right at the top of your
ad in big, bold print. Virtually shout it out. And make the wording
active, not passive. For example, "Save 50% on Recliners" is passive.
"Take Home A Recliner for 50 Cents on the Dollar" is an active
headline.
3. USE WORDS YOUR
PROSPECT IS SEARCHING FOR. Here is another costly mistake you
will see every day. Do not try to get everybody to read your ad by
being vague or cute. "Everybody" is not your potential customer. Your
prospects are only those who want today what you have for sale today.
By trying to capture everybody, you will actually lose many of your
most important prospects - the ones that want to give you money. Your
headline should sort out the buyers. Be specific. If you are selling
recliners, then say "recliners", not "furniture". Do not say "Storewide
Furniture Sale". Say "Dining Rooms, Living Rooms, Bedrooms - As Little
As 50 Cents On The Dollar". The more focused your headline, and your
sales message, the better the response.
4. LIKE ANY PUNCH
LINE, YOUR HEADLINE SHOULD BE SHORT AND SWEET. The headline
should be as few words as possible, yet long enough to tell them what
you are selling and why they should read your sales message. Usually
ten words or less is a good target. The consumer will read longer
headlines if the first four words grab their attention. If you need
more words, start with a large, short headline leading to a smaller
type, longer worded sub-headline.
Here are some
very easy and fun ways to find profitable headline ideas.
1. Look through your newspaper every day. Watch for headlines on
articles and ads that really grab your interest. Think about why those
headlines worked on you.
2. While waiting to check out at the supermarket, read the headlines on
the gossip tabloids. Those headlines are the main reason, if not the
only reason, millions of people buy them every week. Supermarket
tabloids have the high paid experts on staff who do nothing but write
compelling and extremely profitable headlines. And these headlines are
always good for a "laugh out loud" event.
3. Your junk mail is a virtual goldmine of great headlines and
sub-headlines. Save the ones you like for future use. Mix, match and
adapt these headlines to suit your business. If you see a headline used
over and over again, it's because it is making a lot of money for that
company. You do not have to re-invent the wheel. Somebody paid $1000's
to write that headline, and $1000's more to test it - and you get to
use it free.
4. Practice writing good headlines in the subject line of your emails.
It is fun practice and your recipients will enjoy it too. "RE: This
Weekend" is passive and boring. "RE: Let's Do It This Weekend" is
active and compelling.
5. Buy a good book on marketing. One excellent book, if still
available, is "Tested Advertising Methods" by the legendary expert John
Caples (with a foreword by David Ogilvy). John devoted four full
chapters just to the subject of headlines because he learned early on
how important they are.
If you follow these tips, you will become an expert in no time -
smarter than 90% of your competitors and 80% of newspaper advertising
consultants. And when you experience the flood of sales that your
headlines will create, others will want to know your secret to writing
profitable punch line headlines.
-Brad Ross
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This article may be distributed freely on your
website, as long as
this entire article, including links and this resource box are
unchanged.
Copyright 2006 Brad Ross All Rights Reserved.
MakeMagicMoney.com
http://www.MakeMagicMoney.com
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