Make Your Headlines Sizzle

By Beth Ann Erickson, FilbertPublishing.com 

Did you know that when you place a full-page ad that only… 

• 64.4% of the publication recipients notice and read your headline.  But then they skip the rest of your ad.
• 26.4% start to read your ad — but don’t finish it.
• 13.7% read more than half of your ad.* 

Judging from these numbers, you can see how important your headline is.  In fact, many top copywriters spend as much time on the headline as they do the rest of the copy. 

So, what makes a good headline?  Here are five tips to writing a killer headline:

1.      Tell your readers about your Unique Selling Proposition or USP.  (Don’t know what a USP is?  Contact Writing Etc. and we’ll send you the article)  Then tell them WHY they will BENEFIT by being your customer.

2.      Get your reader’s attention by appealing to their self-interest.

3.      Speak directly to your reader.

4.      Tell them something meaningful.

5.      Inject news into your headline whenever possible.

Most readers will skim your headline, then skip right to the end of your ad.  Your headline gives your reader their first impression of your company.  Make sure it’s a good one.

*According to Chilton Research Group

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Beth Ann Erickson is Queen Bee of Filbert Publishing and the only writing ezine that'll make your writing sparkle, help you write killer queries, and get you on the road to publication fast. Better yet, you'll receive the e-booklet "Power Queries" when you sign up for your free subscription. Subscribe today at http://FilbertPublishing.com

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