And no, even though spring is well on it’s way, this photo does not show the correct way to grow your money.

Is Your Headline Compelling Enough to Grab Your Prospect by the Lapels?

Increase Sales by 500% This Week!

Now isn’t that a promise and a half!

But…

With an innovative, attention-getting headline, targeted to your ultimate prospect, that can happen.

Whether a direct-mail piece, your landing page, email subject line, or newsletter, the headline is the most important part of your copy.

I repeat: The Headline is the Most Important Part of Your Copy.

What I’m about to reveal will be a surprise to some, a known fact to a few.

The 80/20 Rule of Headlines and Copy

You might have heard about the 80/20 rule, read books about it – Living the 80/20 Way by Richard Koch, for example, or maybe you have no clue and think I’m going to explain a strange new mathematical reasoning to you.

Don’t worry- although proficient in math, that is not my passion.

Math does come into our equation here, though, so stay focused.

There is a little-known fact about headlines and copy only a select few copywriters know and even fewer use while writing.

It is the 80/20 rule.

Here comes the math part — watch out!

80 cents of your advertising dollar is tied to the headline, the rest (only .20¢!) should be spent on the actual copy.

I’ll restate it with David Ogilvy’s quote: “If you haven’t done some selling in your headline, you have wasted 80 percent of your client’s money.”

What Does This Mean for Your Marketing Copy Then?

Well, if a copywriter spent 80% of the time allotted writing the headline for your copy, their time wouldn’t be wasted. And neither would your money.

That’s how important it is.

And it’s not as easy as most people think. Yes, sometimes the headline just “pops” into your head and you start writing your copy based on the headline.

The “popping” only happens occasionally. Maybe 1 out of 100 times. The rest of the stretch, the headline is a labor of grumbling and groaning hour after hour only to stare at a page full of scribbles.

Great copywriters don’t let that deter them, though.

They write headline after headline, usually a minimum of 25 — short ones and long ones, good ones and bad ones, crazy ones and clever ones.

Now you’re saying: “25- really?” Yes, a minimum of 25! I know! That’s quite a few!

Eventually one will “speak” to them out of the chaos and they start crafting the winning headline from that one sentence.

What About Long Copy vs. Short Copy?

It doesn’t matter how long the copy is.

The copy part is still just 20 cents of your dollar.

Surprising?

A few will raise an eyebrow, some will scoff.

Think about it this way: If your headline grabs the prospects attention, they will keep reading the copy (i.e. your sales pitch).

No matter how long the copy.

If the headline is lame, you’ve lost her before she even gets to the “meat” of the product or service you are trying to offer your ideal prospect.

Your copy could be a complete landing page or a short, 150-word email.

Long or short, the headline must be stellar.

Leverage the 4 U’s of Headlines

Have you heard the copy writing secret of the 4 U’s?

You have? Great. Then you know what I’m about to “reveal.”

You haven’t? Great.

Get ready for some magic.

The 4 U’s refer to the following:

Unique, Useful, Ultra-Specific, and Urgent.

So what exactly does this mean in the world of copy writing and headlines?

Your headline needs to meet at least three of the four U’s to be a good, passable, and sellable headline.

A great headline satisfies all four U’s.

Unique – is the headline for your product or service presented in a unique way- not the same-o, lame-o?

– Say Goodbye to Lost Receipts with Post-It’s New Pocket-Sized Scanner!

Useful – does your headline offer something your prospect can use? If not, why would he read on?

– Proven Way to Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Days – Eat All You Want!

Ultra-Specific – does the headline use specific terms? Use numbers, statistics, and data.

– Instead of saying “Millions of Customers Served” say “1.28 Million Customers Served.”

Urgent – nothing gets a customer buying into your message more than urgency.

– There is a Seat Waiting for You Alongside Tony Robbins… but Only if You Respond by Midnight

How Do You Know If You Have A GREAT Headline?

How to Win Friends and Influence People [in the Digital Age] —a timeless book by Dale Carnegie.

This headline has sold more than 16 million copies. Why? It satisfies each of the 4 U’s:

Unique – win friends and influence people– how much more unique can you get? The current edition added “digital age” into the headline and now it’s even more relevant.

Useful – influence people – so not only win friends but also influence them? Everyone wants to know the secret!

Ultra-Specific – digital age – everyone is on social media, internet, mobile phone, etc. This is specific and useful to everyone in the world who owns or uses any digital device.

Urgent – although not specifically stated, the implication is there: read this book today, and you will be more successful tomorrow. So let’s give that a half a point. 3.5/4 points = great headline.

Short and Sweet

The best headlines out there are short.

Very short.

Usually about eight words or less.

Seriously? How can you get a compelling message squeezed into eight words or less?!

Well, it isn’t easy, but it can be done.

You start with a long, sometimes very long, message and shave off needless words.

And believe me, as an English teacher, a lover of words, and enthusiast of long novels with sprawling sentences (that I sometimes need to re-read to understand), I get it.

Cutting words hurts.

But it also makes your copy and message so much clearer.

Oh, and you have to forget some grammar rules, too.

Ouch.

I just twitched a little…

Here are some examples of the “eight words or less” headlines from “2,001 Greatest Headlines Ever Written” by Carl Galletti:

Confessions of A Disbarred Lawyer
Too Busy Earning a Living to Make Any Money?
Does Big Money Scare You?
The Choice Is Yours
Join The Winners!
Will Your Job Be Next To Go?

Ok, the second one technically has nine words, but I couldn’t help adding it onto the list. It is very compelling in its shortness.

Words to Write By

The Second Edition of the 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary contains full entries for 171,476 words in current use, and 47,156 obsolete words.

Needless to say, there are many good words for headlines.

You get to choose each one.

Then there are the great ones that get the ATTENTION of your prospect and leads to the sale.

How Your Headline Starts Out Can Make a Big Difference.

Here are 20 words to Supercharge a Headline:

· Discover	· It’s Here	· Sale	· Results
· Easy	· Introducing	· Announcing	· Why
· Free	· At Last	· Save	· Last Chance
· New	· Guarantee	· How To	· Just Arrived
· Proven	· Bargain	· Quick

*From The Copywriter’s Handbook by Bob Bly. If you are a copywriter, marketer, professional service agency, small business, or anyone interested in selling your product or service, and haven’t read this book yet, I urge you to start today.

Three More Tips

1. Cute or clever usually doesn’t work.

Be truthful, concise, and direct, and you have a winner.

2. No need to reinvent the wheel.

Carl Galletti’s 2,001 Greatest Headlines Ever Written can be a powerful jolt for writing juices to flow.

3. Always use the 4 U’s to power up your headline

Remember: 3 out of 4 is good, but 4 gets the gold star.

You Are Now Ready to Write Your Compelling Headline to Woo Your Prospect.

If writing about your product or service yourself is not your “thing,” contact me and let’s chat.