Its the Headline, Stupid! - Writing Powerful Headlines

"It's the headline, stupid," is the sign that hangs over my computer screen. It reminds me that to write effective articles, press releases, sales letters--whatever I want people to read--I need a powerful, grabber headline or title.

You are competing with a lot of others to get the attention of potential readers and customers, and you have only a few seconds to grab them. By using the tips and techniques here, you can stand out from the crowd with dynamite headlines.

Use alliteration. That means using words that begin with the same sound, such as "Peter's Perfect Plan."

Take a familiar saying and turn it around. Take a cliche and put a new spin on it. What does the early bird get (instead of the worm) in your headline?

Be timely. Reference something in the news, a holiday, or other happening that is on readers' minds.

Use numbers. "7 Things You Need to Know Before You (Go to the Hospital, Buy a House, Use Your Credit Card, Get Married, whatever)" will get attention, because anyone contemplating the action will want the information.

Use "hot" words. Some words are powerful, and can be used effectively in headlines and titles. "Free," "Secrets," "Insider," "New," etc. are grabbers.

Be controversial. Make a statement that goes against the prevailing wisdom.

Use a question. Get readers' interest by asking a question in your headline, then satisfy their curiosity by answering it within the text.

Keep it short. Long Headlines can work, but short ones are better. Don't make readers work that hard.

Pique their curiosity. For a press release on mystery shopping, I used the headline, "Local Woman Spies on Businesses for Fun and Profit." Why does she spy on businesses? What is she looking for? Who hires her to do this?

Promise a benefit. Everyone wants to know WIIFM.(What's In It For Me?) Tell them right up front with a headline that promises a great benefit, then be sure you deliver the benefit.

Follow these tips and you'll write better press releases, articles, and sales letters. They'll be read by more people, and that means more success for you!

Copyright Cathy Stucker. As the Idea Lady, Cathy Stucker can help you attract customers and make yourself famous with inexpensive and free marketing ideas. Get free tips, articles and more at http://www.IdeaLady.com/.

---

How Your $2-an-Article Ghostwriter is Like a Cheap Pair of Pants

Web marketers: have you figured out that article marketing is... Read More

The Lead: Sinking The Hook Into Your Prospect

You only have an instant to capture your prospect's attention.... Read More

Five Tips for Writing Eyeball-Grabbing Headlines

If you made it this far, the headline for this... Read More

Should You Use Testimonials When You Create A Web Site?

You've probably seen web sites with testimonials - they can... Read More

Designing for a Non-English Audience

Having worked as a digital publishing specialist at a large... Read More

The Number One Copywriting Technique That Makes Your Prospects Read Every Word You Write

How does this sound?Today, I'm going to show you how... Read More

A Free Lesson On How To Easily Write Ads That Are Guaranteed To Make You Money

COPYWRITINGAfter determining what we are going to sell, the next... Read More

Health and Fitness: A Huge Industry in Need of Writers

Think about how much you read about and spend on... Read More

10 Things You Should Expect From Your IT Copywriter

Anyone who's ever tried marketing IT products or... Read More

Writing For Sex Markets

Many professional freelancers will go their entire career without ever... Read More

Writing Effective Sales Copy

Whether you run a home-based business or Microsoft, one thing... Read More

How Cliffhanger Paragraphs Capture Readers

About 50 years ago, movie serials kept theater crowds coming... Read More

How To Ethically Use A Swipe File For Your Ad Copy

Did you ever wish you could afford to hire one... Read More

Memorable Sales Copy -- How to Write it

Want to know the secret of creating MEMORABLE promotional copy?... Read More

10 Tips for Writing Web Copy

One of the most important aspects of a website today... Read More

19 Secrets to Making Your Ad Copy More Effective

The sales letter is the key; the sales letter is... Read More

Hooks, Lines & Sinkers

Hands up if the title to this article made you... Read More

How To Test The Body Of Your Sales Copy For Weaknesses

Your sales copy is the life source of your business.... Read More

Write Hard-Hitting Headlines With Magic Words That Sell

Writing a killer headline for your copy is simple! You... Read More

10 Keys to Copy That Sells!

Whether you're selling a product or service, the 10 tips... Read More

How to Write Adverts that Forces People to Respond

Think for a moment some day and consider the kind... Read More

11 Things You MUST Know Before Hiring a Copywriter!

If you're considering hiring copywriting help for your next brochure,... Read More

Knowing Copywriting Basics - How To Get Ahead In Your Copy Writing Business

In order to get ahead in your copy writing business,... Read More

How Not to Write a Press Release

Several years ago, when I was working for an agency,... Read More

Online Promotion Beats Traditional Ten-One

While traditional marketing can work for the book author or... Read More