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A Message from KellyWelcome to The Copywriting Connection! This week we are delving into headline writing. We're looking at what should go in the headline, what shouldn't be included, and ways to make sure your headline accomplishes what its supposed to - getting people to read your copy! It's the time of year for fun, scary costumes, and weight gain…HAPPY HALLOWEEN! In the spirit of fun, The Copywriting Institute is giving away free copies of my best-selling e-book Powerful Interviewing Techniques for Healthcare Marketers for writers that submit a funny writing joke. If your joke is really funny we may use it in an upcoming marketing promotion. Check out our special trick or treat page to submit your joke and receive a fr*ee copy of my ebook Powerful Interviewing Techniques for Healthcare Marketers. Submit your joke here www.thecopywritinginstitute.com/trickandtreat.html Happy Copywriting! Kelly
Tips for writing attention grabbing headlinesBy: Kelly Robbins The headline is the first thing people read in everything from advertisements and sales letters to newspaper articles and flyers. How good your headline is affects whether or not your piece is going to get read. Therefore, your headline is one of, if not THE most important part of anything you write. People quickly glance at the headline, then scan through the headings and subheadings before making a decision to read a piece in it's entirety. Your headline has one purpose -- To grab the reader's attention and entice them to read the rest of your copy. You can't spend 20 hours on a writing project and not give the headline the attention it deserves. There are several good techniques for headline writing. Some of the most popular ways are to:
Here are a few samples of great, attention grabbing headlines: "Have you got these symptoms of (degenerative disks or deviated septum)" Don't make this copy-killing mistake in your headline. The most important issue I find when I do copy critiques is that a copywriter writes a great headline and doesn't back it up the facts in the copy. You must answer the question or address the issue you bring up in your headline right away in your copy. When I say right away I mean in the first or second sentence. This is important because if you don't address the claim you are making (which is big enough to grab the reader's attention) you will lose both the readers interest and your credibility. For example, if you make a bold statement such as "Over 50,000 children die because their mothers love them TOO much", that's going to grab someone's attention and they are going to read the article. However, if you do not back-up your claim immediately in the piece, you will lose credibility with your reader. Clearly show the reader how these mothers loving their kids too much are killing them. And quote it from a credible source. You MUST continually go back and make sure the headline is explained in the copy. I recommend you write the headline last. A headline is easier to write after you have finalized the rest of the copy. If you HAVE to write the headline first (and some of us do), brainstorm 10 or more headlines and put them off to the side. Put one up at the top of the page if you must. After you've finished writing reevaluate the headlines you came up with and decide on a final headline when your copy is done. Remember, the headline is what is going to attract the readers' attention...what is going to make them stop everything and read on, or what will make them throw the information away without taking a glance at what you've got to say. Take the time to ensure your headline is as high quality as the copy you wrote. © The Copywriting Connection. All Rights Reserved. Want to use this article for your e-zine or web site? No problem! Just let us know at support@thecopywritinginstitute. We'll send you a short bio to include at the end of the article.
Copywriters ChallengeI challenge you to spend time reviewing your headlines. Do they grab the readers attention? How can you make them stand out MORE to the reader?
Word of the WeekThis week's word of the week is Non-repudiation [non ri-pyoo-dee-ey-shuh n]. Non-repudiation is the concept of ensuring that a contract cannot later be denied by either of the parties involved. So for example, in regard to digital security, non-repudiation means that it can be verified and proven that data has been sent and/or received by a sender and/or a recipient. Tools for your SuccessExpertPreneurlawblog - ExpertPreneurlawblog is a blog from Jay Hollander, Esq. which focuses on legal issues of online business and blogs. If you have any other great resources you'd like us to share with everyone, let us know and we'll check it out. rachel@thecopywritinginstitute.com All content is copyrighted© |
