Since the headline is the first contact your readers have with your message, it must reach out to them. Promise them a benefit. Tell them how they will be better off if they read the rest of the ad. Use action verbs. Save ten dollars is a stronger heading than Savings of ten dollars because of the verb.
Headlines can be classified into the following five basic types; effective headlines frequently combine two or more of these kinds.
News Headlines
This form tells the reader something he or she did not know before. Using the word news does not make it a news headline. "Now - a copy machine that copies in color" is an example of this type headline.
Advice and Promise Headline
Here you are promising something if the reader follows the advice in your ad. "Switch to Amoco premium, no-lead gasoline, and your car will stop pinging."
Selective Headline
This headline limits the audience to a specific group. For example: "To all gray-haired men over forty." Caution! Be absolutely sure you do not eliminate potential customers with this type of headline.
Curiosity Headline
The intent here is to arouse the reader's interest enough to make him or her read the ad. The danger is that this headline often appears "cute" or "clever" and fails in its mission. An example: "Do you have trouble going to sleep at night?"
Command or Demand Headline
Watch out for this one as most people resist pushiness, especially in advertising. "Do it now!" or "Buy this today!" This headline generally can be improved by changing to less obtrusive wording such as: "Call for your key to success!"
One common misconception about headlines is that they must be short and easy to understand. This is not always true. Here is a headline that was used extensively in print ads by Ogilvy and Mather for one of their clients: At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in this Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock.
Illustrations
There are three primary reasons for using illustrations in an advertisement.
Everyone has heard, A picture is worth a thousand words; in advertising, the illustration frequently helps the reader visualize the benefits promised. You can almost feel the warmth of the tropical sun when you see the photos in January travel ads. Cost and practicality may dictate whether your ad uses photographs, artists' drawings or merely canned artwork. Any of these can make the ad more appealing to the reader's eye.
Copy
If you follow the three principles of good copy, your ads will be effective:
Clear, crisp and concise . . . the three Cs of copy writing suggest that the words in your advertising message merely do a good job of communicating. Do not use big words when small words can make your meaning clear. Use colorful, descriptive terms. Use the number of words necessary to make your meaning clear and no more-but also no less! Selecting the right words is critical to the success of the ads. Recent research conducted at Yale University found that the following 12 words are the most personal and persuasive words in our language.
You Discovery Safety
Money Proven Results
Love Guarantee Save
New Easy Health
Notice the overused word free is not on the list.
REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOUR MESSAGE IS PRINTED IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS INSTEAD OF UPPER- AND LOWERCASE LETTERS, IT IS FAR MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE READER TO FOLLOW AND REMAIN INTERESTED. EVEN IN HEADLINES ALL CAPITAL LETTERS SHOULD BE AVOIDED.
About The Author
Steven Boaze (Chairman) is The Owner of The Corporate Headquarters boaze.com Which houses and controls 5 websites including Web Development services. Steven is also the author of "Hidden Secrets To Business Marketing" and "12 Step Remedy To A Successful Ezine" along with numerous articles on Marketing and Advertising published by Boaze Publishing. boaze.com
Copyright ? 1998-2003 boaze.com
Culver prom limo ..Around eighty percent of nonfiction books today are written by... Read More
Many writers write for the experience. Others dream of having... Read More
My article this issue is an excerpt from a book... Read More
The first five pages of a novel are critical.Editors make... Read More
As a freelance writer, it is important to present yourself... Read More
IntroductionSince our early days of elementary education we have been... Read More
Today it begins.I have always known I was a freelancer.... Read More
Weather posting a page to your Website, writing a letter... Read More
Regardless of what sort of writer you are and how... Read More
How many of you take the time to really write... Read More
Writing is a personal and introspective process. To share with... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?You are plotting the story. You write... Read More
When my first book "Starting Your Own Business" was published... Read More
Have you given up on getting your book out of... Read More
The greatest gift you have to give to yourself and... Read More
Making Money from Freelance WritingIt's the question that every aspiring... Read More
I recently set up a website to promote a new... Read More
I've noticed a big shift away from traditional horror recently,... Read More
Every writer knows that the urge to write is not... Read More
The creativity of Jaisini is not designed to be preaching... Read More
It would be very selfless or noble of me to... Read More
If you want to be a writer, then you must... Read More
Typically when falling asleep in bed at night great thoughts... Read More
Interesting characters that readers care about are the most important... Read More
At some point along the way, most of us have... Read More
Wood Dale limo ..Quite a few years ago, I enrolled in a Degree... Read More
You must write a hypnotic persuasion letter to help you... Read More
We all know people who ramble. They include every boring... Read More
Chances are, you'll be busy over the next several weeks.... Read More
Every writer eventually develops her own unique style of writing.... Read More
Each author has special editing needs. To save yourself time... Read More
What's the best way to plot?Quick answer: the best way... Read More
Why would anyone want to write for trade journals? Aren't... Read More
A good white paper is a paper that makes you... Read More
The short-short story has been likened by some as being... Read More
Q. My writing sounds stiff and stilted. Help!A. Memories of... Read More
I started writing as a way of keeping safe memories... Read More
Sometimes there is confusion about the exact meaning of the... Read More
----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute,... Read More
Here's something from my mailbag. "Dear Michael, do you need... Read More
There is a psychological nuisance so powerful that can deflate... Read More
Freelance writer STANLEY BURKHARDT has a passion for animals. He... Read More
There are various forms of structure, including frameworks, work processes... Read More
Screenwriting is a competitive trade. To distinguish yourself as a... Read More
This is a tough question for every freelance writer. For... Read More
We've all seen those ads that grab our attention and... Read More
Wired Online has recently announced its plans to drop capitalization... Read More
Anyone who has read any of my articles on the... Read More
Every morning I excitedly get out of bed. Just a... Read More
You're writing a story set in your local city, but... Read More
Writing |