By HOW TO WRITE MAGNETIC HEADLINES
On average, 8 out of 10 people will read your headline copy, but only 2 out of10 will read the rest.
Your headlines must:
- Be USEFUL to the reader,
- Provide him with a sense of URGENCY,
- Convey the idea that the main benefit is somehow UNIQUE; and
How to Win Friends and Influence People
The headline structure is powerful. You’ve got benefit number one right after “How to,” with another benefit following the word “and.” Simple, right?
- Save Time and Get Things Done (Time Management Coach)
- How to Get a Better Job and Make More Money (Recruiter)
- To Save Money and Retire Rich (Financial Planner)
How to [Mundane Task] That [Rewarding Benefit]
- Get a Mortgage That Saves You Money
- How to Get a Mortgage That Cuts your Monthly Payment in Half
- How to Get a Mortgage That Gets You in Your Dream Home While Saving You $937 a Month
- Leaving Out the “To” Works, Too Want to increase the curiosity factor of your headline, while just about guaranteeing that you’ll nail the primary benefit of your tutorial? Start with “How” but leave out the “to.” You’ll still be making a beneficial promise to your reader that will be fulfilled in the content, but the intrigue factor will be higher and your results perhaps even better. Let’s look at these famous headlines:
- How I Improved My Memory in One Evening
- I Made a Fortune With a “Fool Idea”
- A New Kind of Clay Improved My Complexion in 30 Minutes
In Summary
- The more you focus on the benefits to the reader in your headline, the more readers you’ll have. And by touching on the beneficial aspects while laying out the procedural content, you’ll have more happy readers at the conclusion of the piece.
FEW MORE EXAMPLES-
- Do You Recognize the 7 Early Warning Signs of High Blood Pressure?
- Use this type of headline to demonstrate the expertise that only comes from really knowing your business or niche. People love to get a “heads up” on potential problems.
- 10 Ways to Beat the High Cost of Living
- A classic that can only flop if you fail to deliver. Concentrate on writing content that sparkles, and people will acknowledge that you not only know what you’re talking about, but you also communicate it well.
- Five Familiar Skin Troubles
- Commiserate with your readers by setting forth problems you know they are having, and they just might determine that you are the right solution.
- Six Types of Investor — Which Group Are You In?
- Let the readers self-identify themselves by providing categories into which they will likely fall into. You know about the power of using the word “you” when addressing readers, but people love it even more when they can focus on themselves.
- How to Give Your Children Extra Iron — These 3 Delicious Ways
- A “how to” headline mixed in with a list — it’s almost not fair. Note that the word “these” plus the number of items, followed by “(adjective) ways,” is an extremely specific and powerful use of 4 simple words.
- Free Book Tells You 12 Secrets of Better Lawn Care
- Use this style of headline and content structure with a free report or tutorial that you are promoting, and you should get wider circulation.
- 76 Reasons Why It Would Have Paid You to Answer Our Ad a Few Months Ago
- An especially bold headline that worked wonders for a popular news magazine. The number of reasons given is so large it’s almost absurd, and that’s good from a value standpoint with free content. Plus, by referring back to previous ads, the piece points out the peril of not paying attention earlier.
