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What do you think is the most important element of a sales letter or an advert? Is it the body copy? The pictures? Or the call to action at the end? Well, as you might have already guessed, the most important element is (drum roll, please) the headline. The fact is that if your headline isn't successful at attracting your reader's attention and building their interest then your copywriting isn't going to get read. Many copywriters will write out a long list of headlines before deciding which to use. A common error is to write headlines that are clever or witty. This is a mistake because clever wordplay risks confusing some of your readers. It will also annoy them if they don't understand what you mean, which is never a good start when you're trying to sell them something. Trying to be clever also fails to achieve a headline's core aim: to give your reader a reason why they should read what you have to say. Your headline needs to let them know what's in it for them. What will they gain from reading your sales letter or advert? How will it benefit them? So your headline needs to focus on communicating what benefit your copywriting has to offer. Nailing your headline is one of the hardest parts to get right. It's why many copywriters will leave writing the headline until last when they've got a better idea of which benefits to push. Ideally, you should test a few to find out which pulls the most sales. There are many ways of copywriting headlines that communicate a benefit. To give you some ideas, here are a few examples: 1. 'Play the Piano in Seven Days or Your Money Back' - make a bold promise with a guarantee 2. 'Do You Make These Mistakes in English?' (Maxwell Sackheim) - build curiosity with a question 3. 'How to Win Friends and Influence People' (Dale Carnegie) - spell out what you're offering with a 'How to' headline 4. 'Win At Poker With These Strategies Used By The Pros' - use a strong verb and a commanding tone of voice 5. 'Amazing Secret Discovered By One-Legged Golfer Adds 50 Yards To Your Drives, Eliminates Hooks And Slices%u2026And Can Slash Up To 10 Strokes From Your Game Almost Overnight!' (John Carlton) - make a bold statement 6. 'New Dimoxnyl Hair Tonic Grows Back Your Hair and Youthful Looks Overnight!' - announce news ----------------------------------------------------- Article provided by Matt Ambrose from the Copywriters Crucible - an award winning melting pot of copywriting tips and marketing ideas.
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