ComputerHunter.org |
|
|
|||
|
 |
Its the Headline, Stupid! - Writing Powerful Headlines
"It's the headline, stupid," is the sign that hangs over my computer screen. It reminds me that to write effective articles, press releases, sales letters--whatever I want people to read--I need a powerful, grabber headline or title. You are competing with a lot of others to get the attention of potential readers and customers, and you have only a few seconds to grab them. By using the tips and techniques here, you can stand out from the crowd with dynamite headlines. Use alliteration. That means using words that begin with the same sound, such as "Peter's Perfect Plan." Take a familiar saying and turn it around. Take a cliche and put a new spin on it. What does the early bird get (instead of the worm) in your headline? Be timely. Reference something in the news, a holiday, or other happening that is on readers' minds. Use numbers. "7 Things You Need to Know Before You (Go to the Hospital, Buy a House, Use Your Credit Card, Get Married, whatever)" will get attention, because anyone contemplating the action will want the information. Use "hot" words. Some words are powerful, and can be used effectively in headlines and titles. "Free," "Secrets," "Insider," "New," etc. are grabbers. Be controversial. Make a statement that goes against the prevailing wisdom. Use a question. Get readers' interest by asking a question in your headline, then satisfy their curiosity by answering it within the text. Keep it short. Long Headlines can work, but short ones are better. Don't make readers work that hard. Pique their curiosity. For a press release on mystery shopping, I used the headline, "Local Woman Spies on Businesses for Fun and Profit." Why does she spy on businesses? What is she looking for? Who hires her to do this? Promise a benefit. Everyone wants to know WIIFM.(What's In It For Me?) Tell them right up front with a headline that promises a great benefit, then be sure you deliver the benefit. Follow these tips and you'll write better press releases, articles, and sales letters. They'll be read by more people, and that means more success for you! Copyright Cathy Stucker. As the Idea Lady, Cathy Stucker can help you attract customers and make yourself famous with inexpensive and free marketing ideas. Get free tips, articles and more at http://www.IdeaLady.com/.
Google News - Top Stories
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Sales Headline Copywriting ? Two Quick Steps to Success Get a Good Start for Sales Success Power Words And Phrases I like to use power phrases when writing sales material. These power phrases add punch to a line or a paragraph and I usually use them to start off a sentence. How to Write a Direct Mail Fundraising Letter (Four Tips for Fund Raising Success) 1. Address your reader as a friend, not as "Friend." Freelance Business Writers - How To Get The Best From Your Writer At times, it can be frustrating to find freelance business writers that are of good quality, dependable, and within your budget. The good news is that there are many people who can perform at the level you need. The question is, though, how do you find the best freelance business writers? To answer this, we need to learn what good expectations are for them first. Do You Make These 5 Mistakes When Writing Sales Copy? Writing copy has sometimes been compared to an "art." While it does take creative skill to write great copy that generates results, there are some mistakes that you should avoid to make sure that your copy is read and acted upon. How To Write An Effective Ad A letter or postcard allows you to "talk" one-on-one to your prospect. That means you should use "I" and "me" and "you" in your sales letter. Don't use the corporate sounding "we". Can 97% of Netpreneurs be Wrong? Why Some People's Ads Almost Always Make Money Is Freelance Hiring Right For You? Assume you were faced with the task of hiring a new group of talented individuals to handle a huge account you just landed. Are you up for the task? Or perhaps you have a small job that needs completing but no one on staff can handle the project. When you consider the process of linking a project with talented professionals it can be quite daunting, leaving a business owner or manager with a major challenge. But in today's marketplace it's becoming more common to use freelancers in every capacity and field of endeavor. Copywriting Makeover: Making An Emotional Connection - Part 1 of 2 One statistic shows that over 80% of all buying decisions are emotional. That means your copywriting should be, too. This is something I firmly believe in and have preached for most of my copywriting career. However, all too often, I find people skipping the vital step of making an emotional connection with their customers. That can be a tragic, and costly, mistake. Better Copy: The Interview is the Key Most of us spend our days persuading others to buy our service, product or idea. Here is how to create powerful marketing copy to make your job easier: INTERVIEW YOURSELF. 19 Secrets to Making Your Ad Copy More Effective The sales letter is the key; the sales letter is the key - echoes through the Internet marketing mountains. Designing for a Non-English Audience Having worked as a digital publishing specialist at a large corporation at my previous job, I did not think being in charge of foreign language typesetting would be too difficult. After all, the layout and the images are already prepared and I only need to flow in the text - how hard could that be? I was sure that a simple Copy and Paste, or text importation, would do everything. This was my point of view when I initially began managing DTP projects in different languages. Super Verbs Really Move Your Copy Run or hustle? Eat or devour? Move or scurry? You can boost the power of your copy by boosting the quality of verbs you use. Verbs show action, and the way you describe that action can have a dramatic bearing on your readers. Why would you want to fill your copy with complacent words when you can conjure emotions and visual imagery in the hearts and minds of your readers? Sure, "run" and "hustle" both indicate that someone is moving fast. But "run" is a dull, ordinary verb while "hustle" evokes definite images in your reader's mind. Custom Writing Services: Market Overview Market identification Custom writing services market is a sector of the e-commerce industry. Custom writing services are fee-based. Writing For Sex Markets Many professional freelancers will go their entire career without ever once writing a story about sex. Oh, they may craft a racy scene or two in the course of writing the next Great American Novel, or they might someday write an article about the latest in sexual research, but that's about as far as many writers will ever take the concept. Making Your Purpose Your Business Step #4 - Organizing & Developing Online Content If you have done your homework then you are ready to organize and develop what will be your online content. Your content is very important as it will be used for promoting you, your work, and your website. Content serves a variety of purposes; it displays public relations, target marketing, and general information to build a platform for your product (your purpose). The One Word Every Prospect Craves It's arguably the most important word in the copywriter's arsenal. It ranks right at the top with words like "free," "new" and "savings." Its Not What You Say But How You Say It Copy is all about words. Or is it? Grammatical Mistakes DONT Sell When you receive a sales letter with typos or grammar mistakes in it, do you take it seriously? Probably not. As soon as I see a few eighth-grade English blunders in any marketing effort, I quickly decide the author's product or service is not deserving of my time. Write Benefits in Your Headlines to Deliver the Dream! When you create headlines, do you put benefits into your headlines to deliver the dream? Do you create headlines that draw your reader deeper into the rest of copy?
|
|
|
|
|
