Tags |
|
|
Links |
|
|
Suggest You - Advertising Headlines and How to Write Them
If you stay in business long enough you will witness the good side and the bad side of business life. It is an unfortunate fact of life that things never run smoothly all of the time, in fact they have a way of turning bad when least expected.One of the most difficult decisions a business owner can face, is deciding if their businesses worth recovering? To find the true answer to this question it is sometimes worth employing the opinion of an outside agency. This agency will carry out a complete audit and report their finding to you, the good thing about employing an outside agency is they are devoid of emotion towards the business and deal pu
8. Avoid “IF” headlines
Be declarative in your headlines. Avoid conditional phrases, such as IF YOU BUY THIS LAMP, YOU’LL SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ELECTRIC BILL, and IF YOU NEED A PLUMBER, CALL JOE’S PLUMBING. Conditional phrases drain the power from your headlines.
You are better off: (1) putting the prospect right into your headlines, (2) assuming that your prospect has the need that you are addressing and (3) speaking as though the prospect is already satisfied with your product. For example: WATCH YOUR ELECTRIC BILL SHRINK WITH THIS ELECTRIC LAMP, or “JOE’S PLUMBING SAVED MY HOUSE FROM
The goal of most businesses is to profit and give out the best products and services that they can offer to customers. For companies who manufacture sellable items, producing the end product is not the final step. You already know that your products will sell. The next thing that you need to do is deliver the products either to the stores or straight to your customer’s doorstep. This is where order fulfillment services come in. Companies, either big or small, usually obtain the services of a third-party order fulfillment company. This way, they can concentrate mainly on the manufacturing process and let the order fulfillment companies do their job. T
Use your headline as a flag to attract readers who are interested in your product. If you are selling a solution to premature hair loss, put PREMATURE HAIR LOSS in your headline. Your headline will catch the eye of everyone who suffers from this predicament. If you want teenagers to read your ad, put TEENAGERS in your ad. Be careful that you do not put anything in your ad that excludes prospects. For example, if you are selling a cellular phone that can be used by men and women alike, do not slant your headline toward men alone. That will only cause women to think that your ad does not apply to them.
2. Appeal to your reader’s self-interest with your headline
Make every headline you write appeal to the interests of your prospect and not those of the company that is selling the product. Instead of saying SPIRITOL WILL CURE YOUR HEADACHE, say GOT A HEADACHE? CURE IT WITH SPIRITOL. Begin your headlines with YOU rather than WE.
3. Sell your product in your headline
David Ogilvy, an advertising pioneer of the 1960s and 1970s says that, on average, five times as many people read your headline as read your copy. So it follows that unless your headline sells your product, you have wasted 90% of your money. So your headline should do some selling whenever possible.
4. Include your selling promise in your headline
The best headlines promise readers a benefit, such as fewer cavities, cheaper gas, whiter clothes. Your selling promise is simply the greatest benefit that you are advertising about your product, so include it in your headline. This often makes for headlines of at least 12 words. People read long headlines as long as they (1) promise a benefit, (2) complement an intriguing visual, and (3) are part of an attractive ad design. Don’t shy away from long headlines. A headline is too long only when it uses one word more than is needed to sell its message.
5. Name what you are advertising in your headline
If the headline is all that your prospects read, then at least tell them the name of what you are selling. If the name sticks, your ad will have at least made your readers familiar with your product. And that is a vital role in advertising — keeping your product’s name at the top of the consumer’s mind.
6. Avoid award-winning cleverness in your headlines
Puns and literary allusions may be clever (to you) but they don’t necessarily sell your product. In the average newspaper, your headline competes with 350 others for your reader’s attention. Readers skim fast through these headlines. And readers do not stop long to decipher obscure headlines. Clever headlines, while they may win awards at advertising galas, often serve to draw attention to themselves and away from the product. Don’t write clever headlines just for the sake of it.
7. Say things in the positive in headlines
Avoid negatives in your headlines for two reasons. First of all, negative statements leave a negative impression, while positive statements leave a positive impression. SPRINTAB CURES YOUR HEADACHE is a positive way of saying SPRINTAB WILL NOT LET YOUR HEADACHE STAY FOR LONG. Stick with the positive.
Secondly, statements phrased in a negative way often mislead readers. They think your negative way of phrasing a positive thing says the opposite of what it actually says. Thus, some readers will see the headline OUR BEEF CONTAINS NO ADDITIVES, but will mistake it to have said OUR BEEF CONTAINS ADDITIVES. This headline is better re-written as OUR BEEF IS 100% PURE.
8. Avoid “IF” headlines
Be declarative in your headlines. Avoid conditional phrases, such as IF YOU BUY THIS LAMP, YOU’LL SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ELECTRIC BILL, and IF YOU NEED A PLUMBER, CALL JOE’S PLUMBING. Conditional phrases drain the power from your headlines.
You are better off: (1) putting the prospect right into your headlines, (2) assuming that your prospect has the need that you are addressing and (3) speaking as though the prospect is already satisfied with your product. For example: WATCH YOUR ELECTRIC BILL SHRINK WITH THIS ELECTRIC LAMP, or “JOE’S PLUMBING SAVED MY HOUSE FROM F
Business Brokers often double as business appraisers. I see a real problem with business brokers and their valuations teams it seems like a huge conflict of interest to me. Many times the business broker sales person is also a licensed business evaluator. But the job should be done by a CPA or a non-involved “Certified Business Appraiser” and not the same Business Broker making the listing for the sale of that business.See: http://www.cpa2biz.comOther books on this subject I found relevant are:“A CPAs Guide to Valuing a Closely Held Business” by Gary Trugman.“The Value Reporting Revolution: Moving Beyond the Earnings Game
3. Sell your product in your headline
David Ogilvy, an advertising pioneer of the 1960s and 1970s says that, on average, five times as many people read your headline as read your copy. So it follows that unless your headline sells your product, you have wasted 90% of your money. So your headline should do some selling whenever possible.
4. Include your selling promise in your headline
The best headlines promise readers a benefit, such as fewer cavities, cheaper gas, whiter clothes. Your selling promise is simply the greatest benefit that you are advertising about your product, so include it in your headline. This often makes for headlines of at least 12 words. People read long headlines as long as they (1) promise a benefit, (2) complement an intriguing visual, and (3) are part of an attractive ad design. Don’t shy away from long headlines. A headline is too long only when it uses one word more than is needed to sell its message.
5. Name what you are advertising in your headline
If the headline is all that your prospects read, then at least tell them the name of what you are selling. If the name sticks, your ad will have at least made your readers familiar with your product. And that is a vital role in advertising — keeping your product’s name at the top of the consumer’s mind.
6. Avoid award-winning cleverness in your headlines
Puns and literary allusions may be clever (to you) but they don’t necessarily sell your product. In the average newspaper, your headline competes with 350 others for your reader’s attention. Readers skim fast through these headlines. And readers do not stop long to decipher obscure headlines. Clever headlines, while they may win awards at advertising galas, often serve to draw attention to themselves and away from the product. Don’t write clever headlines just for the sake of it.
7. Say things in the positive in headlines
Avoid negatives in your headlines for two reasons. First of all, negative statements leave a negative impression, while positive statements leave a positive impression. SPRINTAB CURES YOUR HEADACHE is a positive way of saying SPRINTAB WILL NOT LET YOUR HEADACHE STAY FOR LONG. Stick with the positive.
Secondly, statements phrased in a negative way often mislead readers. They think your negative way of phrasing a positive thing says the opposite of what it actually says. Thus, some readers will see the headline OUR BEEF CONTAINS NO ADDITIVES, but will mistake it to have said OUR BEEF CONTAINS ADDITIVES. This headline is better re-written as OUR BEEF IS 100% PURE.
8. Avoid “IF” headlines
Be declarative in your headlines. Avoid conditional phrases, such as IF YOU BUY THIS LAMP, YOU’LL SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ELECTRIC BILL, and IF YOU NEED A PLUMBER, CALL JOE’S PLUMBING. Conditional phrases drain the power from your headlines.
You are better off: (1) putting the prospect right into your headlines, (2) assuming that your prospect has the need that you are addressing and (3) speaking as though the prospect is already satisfied with your product. For example: WATCH YOUR ELECTRIC BILL SHRINK WITH THIS ELECTRIC LAMP, or “JOE’S PLUMBING SAVED MY HOUSE FROM
Doctors and professionals that bill insurance, HMO’s or Medicare/Medicaid know how the payment cycle of the industry works. Basically, hurry up and wait, is the call of the day. It is not uncommon for a medical professional to send a bill to an insurance company and have to wait 30, 90 or even 120 days before they get paid. In the meantime, the office needs to pay employees and suppliers.Unless the medical office has a large cash reserve, it is likely to run into problems. Sooner or later, it may run out of cash. One alternative is to go to the bank to obtain a business loan or similar product. That works, sometimes. But banks can be hard to w
5. Name what you are advertising in your headline
If the headline is all that your prospects read, then at least tell them the name of what you are selling. If the name sticks, your ad will have at least made your readers familiar with your product. And that is a vital role in advertising — keeping your product’s name at the top of the consumer’s mind.
6. Avoid award-winning cleverness in your headlines
Puns and literary allusions may be clever (to you) but they don’t necessarily sell your product. In the average newspaper, your headline competes with 350 others for your reader’s attention. Readers skim fast through these headlines. And readers do not stop long to decipher obscure headlines. Clever headlines, while they may win awards at advertising galas, often serve to draw attention to themselves and away from the product. Don’t write clever headlines just for the sake of it.
7. Say things in the positive in headlines
Avoid negatives in your headlines for two reasons. First of all, negative statements leave a negative impression, while positive statements leave a positive impression. SPRINTAB CURES YOUR HEADACHE is a positive way of saying SPRINTAB WILL NOT LET YOUR HEADACHE STAY FOR LONG. Stick with the positive.
Secondly, statements phrased in a negative way often mislead readers. They think your negative way of phrasing a positive thing says the opposite of what it actually says. Thus, some readers will see the headline OUR BEEF CONTAINS NO ADDITIVES, but will mistake it to have said OUR BEEF CONTAINS ADDITIVES. This headline is better re-written as OUR BEEF IS 100% PURE.
8. Avoid “IF” headlines
Be declarative in your headlines. Avoid conditional phrases, such as IF YOU BUY THIS LAMP, YOU’LL SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ELECTRIC BILL, and IF YOU NEED A PLUMBER, CALL JOE’S PLUMBING. Conditional phrases drain the power from your headlines.
You are better off: (1) putting the prospect right into your headlines, (2) assuming that your prospect has the need that you are addressing and (3) speaking as though the prospect is already satisfied with your product. For example: WATCH YOUR ELECTRIC BILL SHRINK WITH THIS ELECTRIC LAMP, or “JOE’S PLUMBING SAVED MY HOUSE FROM
What evidence is there of your agreement to deliver goods/services and your client's agreement to pay?When your client's account becomes past due and they suddenly develop amnesia relating to your agreement, what would you have to support your case? You may have anything from a 5 page signed agreement that would make any attorney feel they'd earned their fee, to an invoice noting payment terms, to a sequence of emails, to a phone conversation. Whatever the documentation you have carries some level of risk. The phone conversation entails a high degree of risk compared to a 5 page signed document which carries a very low level of risk.
7. Say things in the positive in headlines
Avoid negatives in your headlines for two reasons. First of all, negative statements leave a negative impression, while positive statements leave a positive impression. SPRINTAB CURES YOUR HEADACHE is a positive way of saying SPRINTAB WILL NOT LET YOUR HEADACHE STAY FOR LONG. Stick with the positive.
Secondly, statements phrased in a negative way often mislead readers. They think your negative way of phrasing a positive thing says the opposite of what it actually says. Thus, some readers will see the headline OUR BEEF CONTAINS NO ADDITIVES, but will mistake it to have said OUR BEEF CONTAINS ADDITIVES. This headline is better re-written as OUR BEEF IS 100% PURE.
8. Avoid “IF” headlines
Be declarative in your headlines. Avoid conditional phrases, such as IF YOU BUY THIS LAMP, YOU’LL SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ELECTRIC BILL, and IF YOU NEED A PLUMBER, CALL JOE’S PLUMBING. Conditional phrases drain the power from your headlines.
You are better off: (1) putting the prospect right into your headlines, (2) assuming that your prospect has the need that you are addressing and (3) speaking as though the prospect is already satisfied with your product. For example: WATCH YOUR ELECTRIC BILL SHRINK WITH THIS ELECTRIC LAMP, or “JOE’S PLUMBING SAVED MY HOUSE FROM
Have you ever wondered how you can influence customer referrals?Today I will show you can get your customers to bring more customers to you like a magnet.A few years ago I was invited to a dinner and dance launch party of a new car (the company name will remain anonymous) I already had the previous model of this car, which I was happy with. I learnt that the company exclusively invited all their car owners in their database.It was a black tie affair, champagne, comedians, cocktails, exotic foods etc. It really was a nice setting. To cut a long story short, there was this massive build up before they unveiled this new model of car
8. Avoid “IF” headlines
Be declarative in your headlines. Avoid conditional phrases, such as IF YOU BUY THIS LAMP, YOU’LL SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ELECTRIC BILL, and IF YOU NEED A PLUMBER, CALL JOE’S PLUMBING. Conditional phrases drain the power from your headlines.
You are better off: (1) putting the prospect right into your headlines, (2) assuming that your prospect has the need that you are addressing and (3) speaking as though the prospect is already satisfied with your product. For example: WATCH YOUR ELECTRIC BILL SHRINK WITH THIS ELECTRIC LAMP, or “JOE’S PLUMBING SAVED MY HOUSE FROM FLOODING.”
9. Say things in the present tense in your headlines
Put vigour and drama into your headlines by saying things in the present tense instead of in the past or future tense. The present tense is stronger and more immediate than the past tense: “I SAVED $1,000 WITH MY MIDLAND BANK MORTGAGE” is weaker than “I AM SAVING $1,000 WITH MY MIDLAND BANK MORTGAGE.”
The present tense is stronger than the future tense: T.E.S.T. COMPUTERS WILL MAKE YOU MORE PRODUCTIVE is weaker than T.E.S.T. COMPUTERS MAKE YOU MORE PRODUCTIVE.
10. Make headlines work with the visual, not the body copy
Make your headline tell one part of the story and have your visual tell the other part. Don’t use a headline to repeat what the visual is saying. And don’t simply illustrate the headline. Let the headline and the visual work together. Avoid blind headlines that make no sense unless the reader reads the body copy underneath them. The majority of readers only read headlines, so you must write headlines that are complete in themselves.
HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
<a href="http://www.suggestyou.com/article/7205/suggestyou-Advertising-Headlines-and-How-to-Write-Them.html">Advertising Headlines and How to Write Them</a>
BB link (for phorums):
[url=http://www.suggestyou.com/article/7205/suggestyou-Advertising-Headlines-and-How-to-Write-Them.html]Advertising Headlines and How to Write Them[/url]
Related Articles:
Young Beef Cattle Bull Notes and Reminders
The Etiquette of Advertising Business Gifts
Bookmark it:
|