If
you had just three seconds to interest someone in your product or service, what
would you say? Think about it. What would you tell them, in a handful of words,
that would make them stop in their tracks and declare "Wow, that's pretty
neat. Tell me more."
If you can't come up with
anything, you're in trouble. Big trouble. Because your first communication with
your potential customer -- whether it's an ad, webpage, sales letter, email blast,
or brochure -- is your headline. And if that headline isn't absolutely riveting,
given today's fleeting attention spans, you can kiss your prospect, and the money
you spent to reach him, goodbye.
Worse, is no headline
at all. It's amazing how many websites greet their visitors with merely a company
name, or a feeble "Welcome." A sterling opportunity to make a powerful
statement about yourself or your product...completely blown. If you were investing
$60,000 in a full-page ad in a magazine, would your headline be "Welcome"?
Readers of your ads, and visitors to your website,
aren't looking to settle in for a long stay...or embark on a scavenger hunt to
decipher what exactly it is you offer. They want it up front, and they want it
now. And don't try to justify a poor headline with the belief that "it's
all explained in the body copy." If your headline doesn't work, they'll never
get that far.
A successful headline embodies your
unique selling proposition (UPS) -- the product positioning that sets you apart
from everyone else -- and communicates a clear benefit to your customers. Without
it, you have little chance of convincing anyone to read further.
Small
wonder writing effective headlines isn't easy. It takes years of experience and
not a little bit of talent to boil a business down to a few captivating words.
But once accomplished, it can send a never-ending stream of intrigued customers
on a quest to find out more.
That's one of the reasons
why hiring a professional copywriter is such a worthwhile investment. Why throw
away money on advertising that doesn't even get to first base?
To
find out why top companies with millions of advertising dollars at stake have
entrusted their headlines (and the rest of their ad copy) to me....click
here.
And please don't hesitate to contact me
if you need a quote.
