There are twelve proven formulas for writing captivating headlines. Formulas, you say, but isn’t great marketing all about creativity?
NO, let me repeat that, NO!
Sure creativity helps but very often in an effort to be creative, people ignore the basics of human nature. And the end result of their efforts is a campaign that is called cute, funny, or creative, and might even win an award, but BOMBS where it counts, in actually increasing YOUR RESPONSE!
Great movies are the result of great scripts, very often formula scripts. So too, are most bestselling books and great sales letters, letters which ALL start with great headlines.
You can very often borrow winning headlines from other industries and adapt them to your needs. Some of the world’s best headlines still pull responses 50 years or more after their creation. They can do this because while the world changes quickly, people do not. People today have the same basic vanities, desires, motivations, fears, and hopes as their parent’s and their parent’s’ parents, albeit with more money to satisfy them!
In writing headlines, never forget that people are emotional, irrational beings that who respond to their wants and needs, not yours!
The Twelve Proven Ways to Write Legendary Headlines are:
- The Benefit Headline – Be Slim: Lose 20 lbs in Two Weeks
- The Offer Headline – Buy Now, Get One Free
- The Discount Headline — Save 40%
- The News Style Headline – New Homes Selling Fast!
- The Bonus Headline – Free Shipping
- The Testimonial Headline — This Product Works I Love it!
- The How to Headline – How to Get a Date Tonight
- The Secrets Headline — 7 Secrets to Growing Flowers
- The Guarantee Headline – Money Back iIf Not Happy!
- The Question Headline – What Happens iIf You Die?
- The Shocking Headline — Man Makes Millions in Bed!
- Headlines with Free in Them! – Free Beer Until 8pm!
Just like movies scripts, books, and comedian’s’ gags, certain formulas for headlines work; use them!
 Andrew Wood is the world’s leading expert on golf, resort and real estate marketing, although his successes reach far beyond those industries. He is the author of over 20 books on sales and marketing including, Cunningly Clever Marketing and The Golf Marketing Bible. Andrew speaks worldwide on sales and marketing topics and is in high demand as a copywriter and marketing consultant, He owns Marketing Commander software, an advertising agency, Legendary Marketing and Legendary Golf & Resort Management. He can be reached directly at (352) 266-2099 or andrew@LegendaryMarketing.com |
Syndication Rights
This article may be reproduced or republished provided the main body of text is reproduced as is, without
additional permission, with proper credit to the author and provided that the above resource box remains
intact with the article. Permission to re-publish is herby granted until Dec. 31st, 2012. Author retains all copyrights.
Loads of companies are spending loads of money on search and many get more traffic but then fail to keep that traffic. Why? The don’t use any of the headline formats above and, worse, the copy is poor and not written to produce a result.
If you’re going to spend money on search, spend money on direct response copy.
What is an iIf ?
as in
The Guarantee Headline – Money Back iIf Not Happy!
The Question Headline – What Happens iIf You Die?