Your headline is an advertisement for the rest of your copy, so it must be easy to understand and instantly engaging. For writing headlines that really pack a punch, whether online or offline, follow this magic formula:
1. Ask a question that your target market will answer ‘yes’ to
If your target market answers ‘yes’ to your headline, then it’s likely that they’ll continue reading on. These types of headlines are easy to write and can be extremely effective.
For example, if you make designer dog jumpsuits, your headline might read, ‘Are you worried about your dog getting cold this winter?’
2. Include a deadline-based offer in your headline
One way to encourage prospects to take action is to provide a deadline-based offer in your headline.
For example, ‘Winter special: Buy one dog jumpsuit before 31 May and get another one for FREE!’
3. Reassure a common fear
If your target market has a resounding fear about a particular aspect of your product, then you could provide reassurance about this fear in the headline.
For example, ‘Our dog jumpsuits allow your dog to pee with ease.’
Okay, so you might not write that exactly, but you get my drift…
4. Keywords in headlines
These days, headlines need to catch the attention of search engines as well as readers! For the purpose of search engine optimisation (SEO), website headings should generally include keywords relevant to your business.
Let’s say people are typing in the keywords ‘dog jumpsuits’ and ‘terriers’ to arrive at your website. Tweaking the headlines may help to increase your traffic:
- Will your terrier get cold without a dog jumpsuit this winter?
- Winter special for terriers: buy one dog jumpsuit before May 31st and get another dog jumpsuit for free!
- Our dog jumpsuits allow your terrier to pee with ease.
When a prospect lands on your site, your well-written headline will grab their attention and compel them to read on. If the copy that follows is written persuasively, you’ll be well on your way to making that sale!
Do you agree writing hard-hitting headlines is important? Have you read any lately that have stopped you in your tracks?
“ One way to encourage prospects to take action is to provide a deadline-based offer in your headline. ”
Lucinda Lions writes persuasive and compelling website copy. Her web copywriting ebooks assist solo and micro business owners to write their own sales-boosting copy.
