Headlines have to stand out!  For a headline to even be read by a potential customer, never mind converting a reader into a buyer with the marketing campaign beneath it. Also, it has to stand out from the crowd, make itself seen amongst all the other sales marketing competing for a potential customers attention.

It was thought that such headline creations were an art form. An ability or skill that was unable to be broken down.  However, years of testing copywriting, observing sales that work and studying the building blocks of all good marketing campaigns have taught us that, far from being an art form, headline copywriting is, in fact, a science.

By looking at what has gone into creating good headlines we are able to establish what is needed to do the same for other headlines. It will also ensure that marketing campaigns have the best chance of success.  After all, a good headline is what brings your readers in, without this you are sunk.

So what does create a good headline?

A great headline clearly states what’s in it for the customer

Every potential customer needs to know why it is worth them reading any copywriting that you may have done.  It is the headline that tells them this, that lets them know the answer to the question what’s in it for me’.

The best headlines make a promise 

Not only do the best headlines state what’s in it for the customer, they promise to deliver something of real value in the rest of the sales copy beneath it, giving potential customers a real incentive to read on.

The idea of this promise is to lead the customer into the copy.

But how does one make a promise that will intrigue and entice a customer?  With careful word use within the headline.

Start headlines with ‘How to’ 

First of all, one of the most powerful copywriting tips out there, potential customers love reading about how to do new things.  Such a headline makes a promise that it will show a reader how to do something they may not otherwise have known… keeping them interested to the bottom of the copy and enthused for the call to action.

Create a list 

And let readers know about it in your headline.  ‘8 Brand New Ways to Lose Weight’ or ’15 Money Saving Tips from the Experts’ are wonderful examples.  It will entice readers in as customers love easy to read lists. Additionally, they will also be intrigued to see what has and hasn’t been included.

Ask your readers a question 

Such headlines actually almost always promise to give an answer in the sales marketing underneath.  Also, assuming your question is interesting enough then you will find a large number of potential customers drawn to your copywriting to see just what the answer to the question is.

Use key trigger words 

We all know that words like ‘New’, ‘Improved’ and ‘More’ etc are used in marketing campaigns as we see them in TV adverts all the time.  The reason is they work.  Such trigger words are great for getting potential customers interested in seeing just what is new. Or what is improved about the product.

Now you know the copywriting tips for headline writing. Remember that you have to deliver on your headlines promise in the marketing campaigns that go alongside the headline.  Also, a headline can get them intrigued in the sales marketing. Furthermore, by following these tips they will be intrigued. But, you have to deliver with your sales copy below the headline.