Even more than the words and phrases in the body of your advertising material, the headlines you create affect your sales success. A great headline can dramatically increase reader interest and response. Use the following checklist to improve your headlines—and your sales. Headlines need to offer:
A reason to buy. Readers don't care about your product or service—they want to know only what's in it for them. Your headline must state succinctly the biggest benefit buyers will receive.
Timeliness. Does your headline promise a much-desired benefit to readers who respond promptly? Be sure to give readers a reason to act now—a time limit, a limited quantity, anything that prompts readers to move on your offer.
Specifics. Skip the generalized benefits in favor of specific descriptions that boost your credibility. Instead of promising "results in only minutes," explain that readers will see results in "only 95 seconds."
Freebies. It's a tried-and-true method that breaks down readers' resistance. With a free offer, you remove the risk; if customers feel they have nothing to lose, they will be more open to your offer. Hint: Make your free offer a "limited" one.
Emphasis. Headlines with quotation marks tend to outperform those without quotes by 25% or more.
