How To Really Write A Good Headline

When creating great headlines length is not an issue and it really makes me laugh when “experts” make a definitive statement about headline length. If you are including powerful and persuasive benefits in your headlines and utilizing formulas that work, length is just something that needs to be tested and measured. To say a headline should be short is like shooting yourself in the foot before you get started. Headlines, like copy, should be as long as they need to be to have maximum impact and then measured for effectiveness. I’ve written successful headlines 3 and 4 lines long and I’ve had successful ones that were just 2 words. 3 Types Of Headlines That Sell 1. Self-interest: The best headline type. These appeal to people at the most sacred levels of inner desire. Should be benefit driven and focus on benefits derived from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

“Denny Hatch’s seven key copy drivers -- hot buttons -- which change human behavior are: fear, greed, guilt, anger, exclusivity, salvation, and flattery. If your copy isn’t positively dripping with one or more of these, tear it up and start over.” --Bob Hacker

Are You Motivated By These Factors? People respond, act and buy on an emotional level. Even logical thinkers buy with emotional logic which simply means that a purchasing decision is made emotionally and then backed by logic. Here are some other emotional factors that make people take action.

• Love/Lust
• Resentment
• Envy/Jealousy
• Sloth/Laziness
• Immortality

2. News: The second best headline type is one done in a news style, featuring, announcing, and warning something news worthy. This type of headline is very effective. 3. Curiosity: Used exclusively without combining one of the other types this headline is generally NOT effective. This type of headline is over used and often lacks the meat needed to get the readers attention. This headline type is used best in conjunction with a news or self-interest type headline. Combined with self-interest it can be enormously powerful. Here Are Some Tips For Stronger Headlines By Master Direct Marketer Dan Kennedy. Tips For Stronger Headlines:

• Telegraph a dynamic benefit or promise
• Add "How To" to the beginning
• "Flag" your targeted prospects. (Example: (ARTHRITIS SUFFERERS: HOW TO END PAIN IN 59 SECONDS)
• Arouse curiosity
• Use meaningful specifics. (Egs: 59 seconds is more "specific" than "in seconds".)
• Use powerful attention-grabbing words, like "Warning", "Guaranteed", "New", 'Now."

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