Quick tips on writing headlines that can stop the right people to engage with your adverts
Copy for headlines
This is a quick insight, a particle of knowledge, that has been produced in response to a number of questions that we are getting around writing articles, headlines, and various advice around writing copy. So we’re looking at a question that some of you sent in to get advice around writing effective headlines.
We’re going to go through this mind map here with author, Chris Kent. This is a comprehensive topic which we would advise you to research more thoroughly as we are only touching the surface here with a handful of tips.
The mind map contains some links on the left-hand side, which you can click on and follow-through, have a look at a couple of articles that we recommend that you read around writing effective headlines.
Let’s go over to Chris Kent to get some insights and his views on how to structure a powerful headline.
Some keywords combined
Let’s have a look at some of the keywords around forming powerful headlines.
“Do you have these problems with your English?”
And that was a classic headline for selling, an English grammar course for, for writers, for business people from many years ago. That form of headline works really, really well because you’re asking me a question and then you’re talking to me. So what’s in it for me that gets answered in that situation by, “do you have these problems?”
Response to the headline in the readers mind is either – Yes or no?
Well, if it is no, then I am not going to read the rest. They are not your target audience.
If Yes, you know, because you’re talking to me, I’m going to continue reading. So the words you use here is very powerful in a headline.
Generally, people like to know, like to be a party to secrets. So “revealed!” is another keyword that we’ve used that has been effective or, “new” combined with “amazing” is another starting point.
Moving onto from that, why is it amazing? How does it relate to your audience, which then goes on into the main copy, but the point of a headline is to grab attention and you have to stop them in their tracks.
If you say, hey, we’ve got a new widget, so what, if it is of no relevance at all. However, if you say amazing new widget that solves problem x, you’re starting to form the type of headline that may stop you in your tracks.
Where is your audience in the customer journey?
On the flip side, you don’t want to say – hey, brand new, if you are attracting or talking to your target audience who already have this brand new widget (or something similar), because it’s not brand new to them.
So you need a different headline that maybe something like five other ways you can get benefit from the product x you’ve already bought. You have to know your audience and know the stage in the customer journey with your business, for that headline to make sense in that point in time.
The AIDA model is a very good one to consider which goes back to the dawn of time.
AIDA = Awareness, Interest, Desire and Action.
If I am in the awareness zone, I don’t really know much about you. You’re going to interrupt me with an awareness message. So the headline should reflect the awareness message and an example is, “Do you make these mistakes in English?”
