Calling all article writers, e-newsletter publishers and press release writers! Would you like to know how to effortlessly increase your effectiveness as much as seventeen times without spending another penny? Then learn to write great headlines!

I realize that this statistic may seem far-fetched. I was skeptical too when I heard it the first time in a college course many years ago, but what I can tell you for sure is this: an article, newsletter, press release or other marketing vehicle with a great headline will be read by far more people than the same one with a sloppy boring headline. So how do you write great headlines that will get your copy noticed? Below are a few tips for you to consider.

Tip #1

Great headlines have at least one, if not several of these qualities:

• Makes a bold statement that grabs attention
• Identifies your target market
• Delivers a benefit-packed statement
• Entices the prospect to read more
• Hints at the article’s content
• Written in the present tense

Tip #2

Many great headlines use the following proven formulas. Magazines and TV shows use these time-tested winners, and you can use them too.

• * Top 10 tips to …

• * How to …

• * Can you spot these 5 common (hairstyle, printing, car buying, etc.) sins?

• * If ____________ then _______________.
  • For example – “If You’re Looking for the Best Breakfast Buffet for Mother’s Day, We Offer an Up-Scale Buffet with Everything from Roast Beef and Salmon to Eggs Benedict and Mimosas.”

• * Attention (target market): Are you … (or) Do you … (or) Have you ever … (or) Here are 3 Tips to …

• * ” (X number) of ways to _____________. “(Dramatize the big benefit.)
  • For example – “10 Easy Ways to Throw a Birthday Party for Your Child Without Going Broke.”

Tip #3

Attention-grabbing words to use in your headline include: secret(s), revealed, save, heath, increase, decrease and money.

Tip #4

Watch out for double-meanings in your headlines. Here are a few actual headlines to illustrate my point:

• “March Planned For Next August”
• “Patient At Death’s Door–Doctors Pull Him Through”
• “Stadium Air Conditioning Fails–Fans Protest”
• “Something Went Wrong In Jet Crash, Experts Say”
• “Eye Drops Off Shelf”

Tip #5

Take a look at magazines or listen to ads on TV or radio and see what copy they are using. Every TV show from your local news to Dr. Phil uses these tactics in their headlines. If a particular headline grabs you, figure out what you can you take from it and implement into your own headline. Did you uncover another winning formula that you like?

Once you’ve determined your headline, ask yourself, “Is this the best headline I can come up with?” If it’s not, go back and try again.

© 2007 Meredith Liepelt, Rich Life Marketing

Meredith Liepelt, President of Rich Life Marketing, publishes Smart Marketing, a free bi-weekly ezine featuring marketing tips, insider secrets and thought provoking articles designed to help the busy female entrepreneur become known as an expert in her field, build trust with clients and prospects and generate more income than ever before. Claim your free subscription today at www.richlifemarketing.com.

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