6 posts tagged “headlines”
Over our long series of lessons on copywriting, we've discussed numerous techniques to keep you on track. To keep you organized. To streamline. You have a number of tools to take your basic sales message, and encapsulate it in a compelling headline. And techniques to multiply the response to that headline. Claude Hopkins, eighty years ago, called it salesmanship in print. And so it is.
If you haven't done any face to face sales or cold calling, you're at a disadvantage here. If you have sold in your industry, you already know what people respond to, and can almost get away with a verbatim transcription of your best pitch. With minor adaptation to print, and a bit of editing for the web. If you don't have this experience, get it. Practice selling everyone. Soon you'll learn who is your market, and what they respond to. It's not as bad as it sounds. Building rapport is key, so you can practice that aspect without even mentioning your product. Getting attention is extremely important, so practice. It can be a great game, the most likely outcome is that the people who like you will really like you; the people who don't will help generate buzz.
The above is valuable enough to let stand on its own, but we're here to talk about copywriting, and no more dancing around the main event. Look back over your bullets. Put your headline before you. Now start writing. Imagine your prospect sitting in front of his/her computer, drinking a diet coke. A bag of chips off to the side. Half asleep. You have to get his attention (headline). Get him interested, awake. Excited. Now sell!
We'll organize it later. We'll add to our already substantial bag of tricks. We'll discuss architecture and format. All the pieces. It's coming. But for now, get it on paper. Remember, she's looking for every opportunity to stop reading. To drop the letter in the trash. To click away from your page. Any reason not to buy. So lay on the big guns, every reason why. Just remember to ask for the sale at the end.
A copywriter is something like a multiplier. If he's a skilled marketer, if he knows what list you're using, he can make recommendations. If she really does her homework, she may change your product, your marketing, and even your business... at least as far as sales are concerned. But let's consider just what he can do with a sales letter. We are on the way to having a sales letter that will pull. If you are getting a response, the message to market match is there, and a copywriter should be able to radically increase the response you get.
This is why it is so important to know the process. Even if you hire the work out, you should know why something isn't working so you can adapt. You will be in a more powerful position when hiring. And you will be able to craft a profitable letter or ad without having to pay an agency, which is especially important in the early stages of your business.
One more word about today's exercise. Look it over. Do you notice how the first part, sometimes as much as two pages, is really more of a warm up? Sort of like clearing your throat. You may find a definite point where the sales letter really begins. Cut the warm up, and see how it follows from the headline. Did you ask for the sale? We'll start playing with this tomorrow.
To Your Copywriting Mastery,
P.S. Stay tuned for a short lesson, that guarantees you'll never face writer's block.
Hope you enjoyed the break we had from headlines in my last post. (Actually a clever ruse to get you warmed up for writing copy, which we begin tomorrow). Today is the final installment in our headline series. More fun stuff ahead.
We already have a good idea, actually a system of sorts, for how to create a winning headline. One that you can test. This also reduces the amount of time it will take you to write one. For those of you thinking of reducing copywriting time to zero (i.e. hiring a pro), this will help you judge the quality of a copywriter's work. And help you understand how to use it strategically.
Today I'll leave you with a few new techniques for modifying/reworking your headline to your bag of tricks. Let's get to it.
You'll recall in our last discussion on headlines, I stated that a simple statement of the claim (or big promise) would be a compelling headline in a market where mass desire was first becoming statistically significant. "Lose Weight". Soon, however, others noticicing your success imitate, and you must differentiate your offer. You can strengthen your claim by measuring. "Lose 27 Pounds in 6 Months". Here we measure both how much and how long.
You can craft a headline that states your claim as a case history. "Man Finally Finds His Soulmate–with the help of an Online Dating Coach!!!"
There's the classic before-and-after headline. "Before, My Closet was Full of Clothes that Failed to Flatter – Now, My Jealous Friends Want to Know Who's my Wardrobe Planning Expert".
Let's state the headline as a question. "Who Else Wants to Transform their Contractor Marketing into a Raging Cash Machine – While Spending more Time with their Family?" Notice I swiped 'raging cash machine' from the Ken McCarthy headline we saw the other day. He swiped it as well; I've seen it in print before.
You could employ metaphor. "Blow the Lid Off Your Sales Ceiling – Sales Training Guaranteed to Grow Your Bottom Line". You could also try coining Sales Ceiling as a way of naming the problem. Test with your targets before committing to print.
And one that always gets my attention. "If You've Already Overpaid for Your Mortgage, Don't Read This. You'll be Heartbroken." By talking to the people who can't benefit from your service, you'll invoke the law of scarcity. Everyone wants to know what he's missing out on.
With the discussion on hooks, this should get you started. In fact, you'll be ahead of most beginning copywriters. But there are plenty more things to know, just about headlines. You should always be adding to your bag of tricks. Just remember it's a process.
Next up, we'll look at some conceptual models for writing copy. In the context of long copy. Best to start there, because everything is so clearly laid out, and learn to condense to shorter space ads. Then we'll look at some specific pieces you'll want to have in your letter, and I'll through in some words and phrases that generate interest and excitement.
To Your Copywriting Mastery,
In my last post I gave a working definition of a hook, and some examples of there use in winning headlines. So by now you should have no difficulty recognizing them on your strolls past the newstand, and on sales pages online. Hooks or paradoxes are not the only way to capture your prospect's interest in a headline, but it is tried and true, and very useful in competitive markets.
For example, the weight loss industry. This industry is evergreen and sophisticated. Ads have been around for a long time. Countless strategies and tactics have been invented, tried and tested. The government has even outlawed some of them. Ask your lawyer about the phrase 'melts fat'. Ironically, there was a time when that industry couldn't even exist. As being 'overweight' became unattractive (and as people, with a cheap and copious supply of food, became increasingly obese), a desire to be thin and beautiful was born. On a mass scale.
This mass desire was great enough to interest some bright marketer as being commercial, and broad enough to ultimately welcome a myriad of successfully competing products, as well as a host of unsuccessful attempts. But to go back to a moment to that first weightloss headline, which do you think would have been more successful: "Lost Doctor Discovers Tibetan Weight Loss Miracle Herb – Guaranteed to Take Off 4 Inches in 6 Weeks, or Double Your Money Back", or "Lose Weight"? Well, of course the latter headline would be far more effective in a virgin market, where the former would garner only guffaws of disbelief. In today's market, however, "Lose Weight" would be lucky to even get a "so what?" response. With an added piece of human interest, a hook, or a new mechanism, however...
Still with me? Good. Hopefully, you are asking what all this has to do with you. Your headline must take into account all we've discussed together. From the mass desire to the features of the product, from the big promise to the hook. And you've got the tools now to find all of those, except the last.
You are looking for pieces of human interest. Details that stretch the limits of believability. Something that happens in an exotic place. Something with shock value. Something that couldn't be, or shouldn't. If you are working for someone else, you have to get them to tell stories. About how the product came into being. What the factory worker's nickname for the product is. Why their lawyer discouraged them from offering the product or service, or why their accoutant tried to reject the discount. Your job is to ask questions, and to listen.
If you are selling yourself, or your own product, the hook may be in your personality. Or it may be anything described above. The process is the same. You must ask yourself the questions, and filter them through your sales process to reveal that priceless bit of human interest. Try to step out of your business. Interview people who have been with you through the process. It's more art than science here, so don't censor.
As you practice, as you learn to look for hooks in headlines, you will begin to gain an intuitive feel for what makes a good hook. If you want some homework, consider your story, and all the improbable turns you took in life to get where you are now. You'll be amazed at all the 'hooks' you find.
To Your Copywriting Mastery
P.S. I keep talking about leveraging our work here. We'll take a break from headlines; that post on leveraging is up next.
We are interested in knowing what people say. About us, about things that affect our lives, etc. When you put something in quotation, readership will go up. I can't recommend using quotations in all your headlines, but if you find it appropriate for some of them, enjoy the slight edge it gives you in generating interest. In this case, I am actually quoting an old tabloid headline. In my last post I promised we'd look at hooks. You'll find none better than those used in "yellow journalism". (Caught your eye with the quotes, didn't I?)
An effective hook is made by pairing conflicting elements. That is, we all have schema for viewing the world. Every input is interpreted within a context. When two elements not found in the same context are juxtaposed, it gives pause and arouses curiosity. Often, this is the basis of a joke. (See, you weren't wasting time watching Comedy Central. You were developing your copywriting skills!) It can also provide your headline the twist it needs to stand out from your competition.
Today's headline uses all the tricks described above. A few posts back we discussed the value of studying headlines on the newsrack. Cosmo and its ilk, financial, Good Houskeeping, and especially old Readers Digest. But none of these come close to The National Enquirer in its prime. It is the source of today's headline – so the quotes are actually appropriate. Of course, that could never happen – a boy eating his own head... right?
"A Little Mistake that Cost a Farmer $3,000 a Year". Another classic direct mail headline. A small cause set against a large consequence. For the market, farmers, who are as a rule diametrically opposed to waste, this hooks them right at the point of greatest mass desire.
"Liars! Liars! Liars!" This one from Gary Bencivenga. It is for a financial newsletter, and manages to hook with a single word, repeated. The financial newsletter industry is beset with offers that overpromise, and brokerage houses are notorious for giving bad advice. My father once lost a great deal of money when a young broker sold his position in one stock and bought a "hot" stock that my father told him explicitly not to buy. Do you think he would notice this headline? Of course, you can see what it is – an offer for more financial advice, and the sub head clarifies everything. How unexpected to see what's really on your mind when looking at these sort of offers. It is a very powerful hook, a bold move. I leave you to contemplate.
"How I Made a Fortune with a 'Fool Idea'". Everyone knows you have to be some kind of genius to get rich. Right? This headline promises instant gratification for something that we all believe should be very difficult. It doesn't fit. We are skeptical. But we want to believe...
Time for one more? "Burn Disease Out of Your Body". This one by Gene Schwartz. By now you should have it burned into your brain: message must match the market. As this post has hinted, the hook must be backed up by the copy. Just as we learned that the headline as a whole must be supported by the copy. Burning disease out is not how we usually think of healing. That is, burning is not often used in the context of healing. Also note, no words are wasted in the headline itself. The big promise, the one with mass appeal, related through a hook. All in six words. And it is fully explained in and directly supported by the copy that follows.
Finally, let's take a look at a 'working' headline. "Who else wants a proven 'SYSTEM' that turns raw ideas into solid businesses and solid businesses into raging cash machines in days and weeks instead of years". The quotes are part of the headline, the period is mine. This is by Ken McCarthy, a great copywriter, and well worth your study. This is for The System internet marketing seminar he's held since 1995 or so. Here's the link. Get on his mailing list there to catch the end of his email marketing campaign. Study his style, his email subjects, etc. It's a great resource for learning to write copy that connects.
This is a powerful headline, and yet manages to just avoid coming across as hype. 'Proven' is for all of us who have spent money on seminars or info-products that didn't deliever. 'System' refers to the name of the seminar, and works for the market that is a little more serious than the weekend get-rich-quick schemers. It helps qualify. 'Raw ideas' is a great phrase I intend to swipe, and starts a train of thought – quasi poetic – that tips my better judgement away from skepticism over toward my gullibility. A proven system to get me a raging cash machine? I'm hooked.
Best,
P.S. If you're having trouble finding your own hook, don't worry. Help is on the way tomorrow. Then we'll look at a few different types of headlines to have a few templates in our toolkit. And a bonus on how to leverage some of the writing skills I've given you (to give you more time). Writing the body copy is just around the corner!
P.P.S. Curious about the Bencivenga letter? It's copyright protected, so I can't send you a copy, but an updated version of the same letter is live online. Edited to keep up with current events. And with a new headline. See what you think... here.
*My previous post was densely written. If these concepts are new to you, you may want to review. That way you'll get full value out of this post. Also, catch the P.S. here for a hidden lesson.
I stated in my last post that the headline's critical purpose is to get your prospect to read the next sentence. Make sure you're clear on that now. This is where your product meets the mass desire, to borrow a phrase from Gene Schwartz. That is the overriding desire of the largest group of people that make up the market you're trying to serve. (Serve, not rape and pillage.) We, as copywriters, cannot control this desire, nor can we create it. You may well have a life-changing, mind-blowing product or service, but if you aren't able to link it to a desire shared by a statistically significant group of people, you must acknowledge that the time is not right, and enjoy your work yourself. There is no marketing budget that can overcome the inability to link the two.
Since we have, in previous posts, researched our market so well, asked questions of our market, listened, with any luck we have uncovered a few dominant desires. If you'll recall, we found that the supplement market wants the next miracle, lawyers lose sleep over deadlines. Pick one. Only one. Your letter will be an order of magnitude more successful for your trouble. Or, if it fails, you will know why. This step is more crucial than all the headline 'tricks' in the business.
And here is where we get to the magic of copywriting. And what separates the top copywriters from everyone else. Simply link the big promise (based on the big idea we discussed several posts ago) to this mass desire . What is the great promise you can deliver your prospects' great desire? This is the root of features vs. benefits.
Despite never mentioning body copy, despite never discussing layout, testimonials, offers, graphics, or much of anything usually considered the basic components of a sales letter... You will come to understand that your letter is almost written! As we continue our discussion, this will become clear.
If you get this right, your prospects will want to hear what you have to say. And they'll read your next sentence, and the next...
Next post, finding the hook, with some examples to bring these concepts closer to home.
Best,
Sheridan
www.recession-proofmarketing.com
P.S. A word about the post's headline. Substitute 'child' for 'headline', and you'll have a classic headline. So it should work if I just change out one word to make it relevant, right? Wrong. The best headlines often do embarrass the business owner (though copywriters may delight in shamelessly flaunting our bad taste!). So I could be speaking to a real fear of my market. However, if I actually hit on a pressing concern – one strong enough that you would be willing to get off your couch, take out your wallet, and enter ordering info – you would probably feel cheated that the headline apparently has nothing to do with what follows. (Did you feel that? Let me know.) Beware of copying form without understanding substance. Just my way of adding a practical tip to a conceptual post.
Our last post gave some basic ideas on how to prepare conceptually for writing your next headline, and offered intimations of the importance and difficulty of the task. One quick note about the postscript: Reviewing tabloids and magazines is a great way to guage what fascinates the mass public. And to see how those publications trigger that fascination. The reason you should check the newstands is that their Cosmo will have racier headlines than the one you would get by subscription. They write two sets of headlines: one to make the sale in the store, the other to save embarrassment on your coffee table.
Moving forward, you'll be relieved to know that this post will simplify the arduous process of writing winning headlines for you. After all, this blog is titled "Copywriting Made Simple". The pain of this challenge becomes tolerable (though still challenging!) if you keep in mind the one simple job of the headline.
Are you ready for relief?
Here it is. The only job of your headline... is to get your prospect to read the next sentence.
I still recommend you write dozens of headlines. I even enjoy this approach. Go ahead and plug in all the stock formulas you've saved in your swipe files (as I did for the headline of this post). See how they match the overriding desire of your market. How they capture the promise of your product (if that's how you get them to read the letter).
Here's a big mistake: writers try to make the sale with just the headline. A corollary is trying to make the strongest headline possible, ignoring the larger sales strategy. Here's a bigger one: they base the headline on what the seller's ego thinks...as if their prospect cares.
Can you imagine the agony of trying to fit the whole sales process into 10-17 or so words? For certain space ads for a minority of products, it can work. But if you can construct a full sales letter, spare yourself the challenge. And what I'll tell you next will allow you to avoid the other mistakes as well.
At the most basic level, your headline need only name the primary (according to your market) desire your product satisfies. There are many tricks, and many nuances. You can dress a headline in many colors. But if you understand this concept, you'll save a lot of time writing.
In the coming posts we'll see just how to make this basic headline more complling. Both by plugging it into tested headlines, and by beginning a more advanced exploration of different types of headlines. And a few tricks, like how to develop a hook, as well.
In the mean time, go ahead and check out some headlines, new and old, and see how you can modify them for your industry.
To Your Higher Response,
Sheridan
