Put yourself in a situation where you desperately need help. For example you are stranded on a motorway in bad weather with no mobile phone and only a marker pen and a flip chart to hand!
How would you attract the attention of other motorists and persuade them to stop and help?
You wouldn’t write a joke, a clever play on words or draw a nice graphic – you would probably write as big as you can “HELP ME” on the paper. That would do the job of getting your message across to your “audience”.
Now think about how you begin your marketing letters, flyers or any promotional material. Many companies do not get to the point and seize the undivided attention of their prospects and then wonder why they have spent a small fortune on an exercise with minimal returns.
With increasing competition for your prospect’s time and attention, you don’t have the luxury of enticing them with a long lead into your offer – instead you run the risk of boring them and having your letter placed unceremoniously into the bin with twenty others that landed on their desk that day.
You must convey your offer by making it irresistible – have it jump off the page and force the reader to pay attention! You will get approximately 5 seconds (at best 10) to give your reader a reason to read your correspondence.
Your headline must promise the reader something that will draw them into the rest of the promotional piece. It should be powerful and direct.
Give them a major benefit they will get from your product or service. Can you offer something FREE, a special time limited offer or a powerful testimonial for example?
By offering a major benefit you will not only attract their attention but you will encourage them to read on – they only care how you can help them, not about you and why you are wonderful! You must use your headline to drive your advertising stake directly through the heart of your prospect’s needs.
I have a sheet of proven successful headlines – contact me if you want it mmc@elite-edge.co.uk
