How to Write a KILLER HEADLINE

Introduction

The headline is the very first thing that your visitor sees when they arrive at your website. Get it right and your site is transformed into a money making machine, get it wrong and your visitor will be 'back to Google' in a flash.

The quality of your headline can make or break your business. This short guide will get you started on the path to writing killer attention grabbing headlines... and at the end, you'll find a handy list of 'fill in the blank' headlines to get you off to a flying start.

Headlines that appeal to the readers self-interest, are newsy, offer new twists on familiar sayings, or evoke curiosity are great ways to lead your reader into your sales message.

David Ogilvy says, "Copywriting means writing to sell. And up to 80 percent of your selling is done by the headline. You must find a way to get your reader's attention by writing a great headline.".

You must let the reader know, right from the start, what's in it for them. You must let them know that your website can solve their problem, FAST!

Who is your target audience?

You need to be aware of the person you want to talk to. Readers want to know: what's in it for me? A headline should tell the reader: "Hey, stop a minute! This is something you want!"

You have to say something meaningful to the person or group of people. Let them know right from the start that they are your target audience and that your product is what they are looking for.

Grab your readers attention

Catch your readers interest. How? Evoke curiosity that makes them want to read further.

A classic headline that does this incredibly well is 'Are you making these 5 common mistakes in English?'

As soon as a person reads this they instantly want to know what the 5 common mistakes are, and if they are making them. It's so difficult for anybody to pass up on reading further.

Think of how this headline can be adapted to suit your business. Classic headlines such as this one are proven winners and can be adapted quickly and easily to suit almost any business or service. For example...

Are you making this one killer mistake on your website that is proven to reduce sales?

Are you making these common mistakes when approaching a girl that gets you 'friend-zoned' before the first kiss?

These headlines have another common factor that is really powerful. They talk about avoiding a pain (instead of moving towards a pleasure). You can motivate people in two directions. You can offer them something they want and encourage them to move towards it, or you can scare them with something they don't want and they'll take action to avoid it.

I've always found that 'away motivation' will get a person to take action much more often than 'towards' motivation. Think of it this way.... You can motivate a donkey to move with a carrot or a stick, but the carrot only works if the donkey is hungry.

Use Specific Numbers

Using very specific numbers is a classic way to grab peoples attention. It promotes sincerity and makes your headline appear much more believable.

A very famous example of this was during the 1990's for Whiskers cat food in the UK. The slogan became so famous that it's now been adapted into the name of the TV show '8 out of 10 cats'.

Another really interesting play on the use of numbers was for an advert promoting a Malayala Newspaper. The headline was alongside a picture of the Eiffel Tower. It stated that they sold a record breaking 1 million copies daily, and stacked up on top of each other that would be 10 times as high as the Eiffel Tower.

That's a really powerful image which communicates that the newspaper is obviously very popular. This encourages the reader to ask themselves why so many people already buy it. Then subconsciously conclude that if so many other people like it, they probably will too.

Using Testimonials

A genuine testimonial headline can have a fantastic impact on sales. It really speaks directly to the reader and it tells them that your product has worked for somebody else just like them.

It's also a really easy and powerful way to make yourself look good without 'blowing your own trumpet'. Everybody will be more impressed if somebody other than you is saying that you're great.

A clever twist on the testimonial headline is to use a quote about your business, such as, "Providing quality hand built furniture since 1875."

Speak directly to your target market

A great way to let people know that they are in the right place is to begin your headline with an attention grabber that targets your specific market.

This can be as simple as saying 'Moms Look!' or 'Only for people that are serious about starting a business from home.'

By doing this you can instantly communicate to your reader that the content of your page is relevant to them and you are not going to be wasting their time.

Practise is key

The way to get really good is to write LOTS of headlines. The sooner you get that done, the sooner you'll become great at writing headlines.

Whenever I am writing a headline I write out at least 50 before I even consider a winner. I don't hold back at all, some of them are ridiculous but they open up my mind to think in new ways. Usually, by the time I get to about headline number 30 I hit on a killer that ends up being my winning choice. But without first exploring other possibilities I'd never get there. It's very rare that your first headline is the best one... or even the first 10 or 20!

Just grab a pen and write... don't worry about how bad they are just write. Your creative juices will soon begin flowing. And if you get stuck, then just look at other peoples headlines and ask yourself how you can adapt them to suit your business. Most headlines can be tweaked to suit any product so it's very easy to look at what is already working and copy that. You don't have to reinvent the wheel.

Fill in the blank headline templates

• Replace the CAPITALISED TEXT in these classic proven headlines to create your own.
• Your DOCTOR doesn't want you to know this secret
• Who else wants to know HOW TO MAKE MONEY FROM HOME
• Why lazy SOB's succeed in BUSINESS and nice guys fail
• Why are we giving this $197 COURSE for only $2 - This is not a misprint!
• Who else wants a "TO DIE FOR" FIGURE?
• Which one of these SKIN PROBLEMS do you want to get rid of?
• This secret that the TRAVEL AGENT won't tell you can save you 50% - 70% on your NEXT CRUISE
• What every beginner must know about the STOCK AND BONDS business
• We are looking for 7 DEDICATED PEOPLE that want to MAKE MONEY FROM THEIR OWN BUSINESS FROM HOME
• Warning: Do not try another WEIGHT LOSS, DIET OR SLIMMING SUPPLEMENT until you get this free report
• To people that want to WRITE but can't get started
• Tired of WORKING FOR SOMEONE ELSE?
• This new BUSINESS IN A BOX can EARN YOU THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS while it RUNS ON FULL AUTO-PILOT!
• This is the INFORMATION your GOVERNMENT doesn't want you to know about
• They laughed when I SAT DOWN AT THE PIANO but when I STARTED TO PLAY...
• These must be some of the best kept HEALING secrets in the world
• The ugly truth about your beautiful NEW CAR
• The secret to BECOMING A MILLIONAIRE is simply USING THE RIGHT WORDS
• The secret of PERFECT PUTTING
• The revolutionary new TRAINING METHOD the worlds TOUGHEST STREET COPS use
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• The people that READ THIS BOOK will end up with your MONEY
• The only two ways to SUPER WEALTH and how you can join the WEALTHY elite
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