A headline should be at the forefront of your thought process when you implement your marketing piece, whatever the medium.
So why is this?
Well, to put it quite simply, HEADLINES GRAB ATTENTION, they are the “ads for the ad”. They are by far the largest pieces of text on the page, and therefore they stand out physically. As the text above is larger, it is not only the first thing you see, but will likely be the first thing you remember, two crucial aspects of marketing! In this article we share some of our experience in headline creation and its critical importance in marketing and lead generation.
There are 4 key objectives when it comes to headlines:
Grab attention – if your target audience do not react to your headline, they won’t read your copy!
Connect with your target market (if you haven’t clearly identified your target, how can you write a headline that will attract and engage them?)
Deliver a complete message (test your headline by adding your contact details, if it attracts and resonates with your target audience, you’re on your way!
Draw the reader into the body of the copy (or keep them listening, etc.)
There are Hundreds of Headline Styles: Get Yours Right
Headlines are all about understanding your target audience and it is essential that you pick the right headline to capture their attention by considering which style will resonate with them most successfully. Here are a couple of examples of headline styles:
Question and Answer
Pose a question to your audience based on what you think they may be looking for and then present them with the solution. For Example:
‘Need an Industrial Engineer? Here’s Where to Go’
Or
‘Need an Industrial Engineer? This is How We Can Help’
You want to prove to your target audience that you have exactly what they need and by addressing this need and offering a solution, that is exactly what you will be doing.
Warning Headlines
Create a sense of urgency with your headlines by making your audience think about services they may be actively searching for and require, then tell them that they need to speak to you before they take action. For example:
‘Don’t Hire an Industrial Engineer Until You Read This’
Or
‘Do You Know the Most Important Thing to Consider When Hiring an Industrial Engineer?’
You want to create the feeling that if this individual does not open the advertisement then they may be missing out on some crucial information.
Advertise Your Advertisement
Start to think of your headlines as “ads for your ads”, drawing people into your advert so you can then draw them to your services. It only seems simple because it is!
If you can’t attract potential clients to your adverts with your headlines then you have lost them already and they will never see the content within or the promotions you are offering.
David Ogilvy, a revered marketer, once said ‘On average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body of the copy’. As so few businesses successfully market themselves with headlines, or at all, they are a great means by which to stand out. One attention-grabbing headline sets you apart from the competition.
The Formula For Headlines
I’ve been aiding businesses with their marketing strategies for some time and have often found that they have been left wanting in the headline department. But why is this?
Headlines, when you think about it, are such an obvious place to demonstrate your value and grab people’s attention. This is a fool-proof formula for devising a headline:
(HT + T + F) = H
(Headline Template + Test Before Launch + Format) = Headline
If you would like to discover more about this formula and effective headline creation, then we can help. We invite you to become a member of the maxpotenti Growth Club, an initiative which makes use of proven methods to grow your business. Headlines are just one of 9 Core Elements that are proven to increase leads and profitability. These Elements and their implementation will be outlined and explained in our Growth Club; click here to find out more.