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How to Double Your Sales with "Punch Line"
Headlines
The headline of your sales
messages, whether on-line or in the local newspaper,
is responsible for 70% to 80% of the response from your
sales message. The success or failure of any marketing
effort rests, to a large degree, on the power of your
headline.
David Ogilvy is one of the most respected
modern day marketing authorities. He revealed that,
with the average headline, only 200 people out of 1000
will go on to read your ad. And that is where your profit
is sitting. Capture another 200 customers with a punch
line headline and you will double your sales. Lose 100
readers with a poor headline and you lose half your
sales.
Headlines are just that important. Even
poorly written ads have been very successful because
of the overwhelming power of punch line headlines.
Your prospects will decide whether to
read your sales message in only two or three seconds.
That is all the time they will give you to scan your
headline. Really, you and I are no different. We do
not READ a newspaper, we SCAN the headlines - article
headlines and ad headlines. We are looking for only
what interests us at the moment.
A headline comprises the first words
at the top of a newspaper ad. It is the title of your
article, the subject line of an email, or the top of
your web page.
Here are four critical tips for writing
those "double your sales" punch line headlines.
1. MAKE SURE YOUR HEADLINE IS THE
FIRST WORD GROUP YOUR PROSPECT SEES.
I know this may seem a "no-brainer" but I
see this mistake time and again, particularly in local
newspaper advertising. And, even more amazing, the ads
the newspaper "experts" use to promote themselves
seldom follow this rule. Take a look through your newspaper.
Notice how many businesses start out their ad with their
store name and location right at the top. This is such
a terrible waste of their prime "real estate".
It is an ego thing really, and can easily cost them
25% to 50% of their potential sales. Always keep in
mind - the public does not give a hoot about you. If
they are shopping for you, they will look in the yellow
pages. They are only interested in themselves and fulfilling
their current desires. Put your store name at the bottom.
If the headline draws them in to read your ad, and you
convince them to want it, they will find your business
name, no matter how small.
2. MAKE SURE YOUR HEADLINE DELIVERS
THE PUNCH LINE.
The "punch line" is the unique and powerful
part of your sales message. You aren't telling a joke
here. Do not save the best part of your offer until
last. Determine the most compelling part of your offer
and put it right at the top of your ad in big, bold
print. Virtually shout it out. And make the wording
active, not passive. For example, "Save 50% on
Recliners" is passive. "Take Home A Recliner
for 50 Cents on the Dollar" is an active headline.
3. USE WORDS YOUR PROSPECT IS SEARCHING
FOR.
Here is another costly mistake you will see every day.
Do not try to get everybody to read your ad by being
vague or cute. "Everybody" is not your potential
customer. Your prospects are only those who want today
what you have for sale today. By trying to capture everybody,
you will actually lose many of your most important prospects
- the ones that want to give you money. Your headline
should sort out the buyers. Be specific. If you are
selling recliners, then say "recliners", not
"furniture". Do not say "Storewide Furniture
Sale". Say "Dining Rooms, Living Rooms, Bedrooms
- As Little As 50 Cents On The Dollar". The more
focused your headline, and your sales message, the better
the response.
4. LIKE ANY PUNCH LINE, YOUR HEADLINE
SHOULD BE SHORT AND SWEET.
The headline should be as few words as possible, yet
long enough to tell them what you are selling and why
they should read your sales message. Usually ten words
or less is a good target. The consumer will read longer
headlines if the first four words grab their attention.
If you need more words, start with a large, short headline
leading to a smaller type, longer worded sub-headline.
Here are some very easy and fun ways
to find profitable headline ideas.
1. Look through your newspaper every
day. Watch for headlines on articles and ads that really
grab your interest. Think about why those headlines
worked on you.
2. While waiting to check out at the
supermarket, read the headlines on the gossip tabloids.
Those headlines are the main reason, if not the only
reason, millions of people buy them every week. Supermarket
tabloids have the high paid experts on staff who do
nothing but write compelling and extremely profitable
headlines. And these headlines are always good for a
"laugh out loud" event.
3. Your junk mail is a virtual goldmine
of great headlines and sub-headlines. Save the ones
you like for future use. Mix, match and adapt these
headlines to suit your business. If you see a headline
used over and over again, it's because it is making
a lot of money for that company. You do not have to
re-invent the wheel. Somebody paid $1000's to write
that headline, and $1000's more to test it - and you
get to use it free.
4. Practice writing good headlines in
the subject line of your emails. It is fun practice
and your recipients will enjoy it too. "RE: This
Weekend" is passive and boring. "RE: Let's
Do It This Weekend" is active and compelling.
5. Buy a good book on marketing. One
excellent book, if still available, is "Tested
Advertising Methods" by the legendary expert John
Caples (with a foreword by David Ogilvy). John devoted
four full chapters just to the subject of headlines
because he learned early on how important they are.
If you follow these tips, you will become
an expert in no time - smarter than 90% of your competitors
and 80% of newspaper advertising consultants. And when
you experience the flood of sales that your headlines
will create, others will want to know your secret to
writing profitable punch line headlines.
1howto.com
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