You Have a Bunch of Good Headlines Left from Your Writing Frenzy. Revise, Refine, and Repurpose.

29 Good but Not Great Headlines Left?

So you just finished writing about 30 good headlines for your new promotion.

You chose one and crafted an amazing headline out of it.

You even used some words and ideas from the other 29.

Was your time wasted on the rest then?

No, Don’t Worry. Be Happy!

Revise, refine, and repurpose and…

… you can use them as subheads! Yay!

Remember- the headline is the most important part, so you already came up with a bunch of good lines.

Take Advantage — Revise, Refine, and Repurpose

Use the 29 “unused” headlines and craft them into splendid subheads.

1. Revise

Check out your headlines list, and revise – be ruthless and edit unnecessary words

2. Refine

Use, for example, synonyms to refine your new subheads or better yet—find a new way to say the same, but remember to think “short and sweet.”

3. Repurpose

After some editing, revising, and refining, you’re ready to repurpose your headlines

But why should you use subheads?

– Subheads make your copy digestible – small bites at a time

– Subheads can even sell your product or service

– Subheads let your reader skim your text

And skim they will. Sometimes to the detriment of your product or service.

So — make your subheads shine just like you did with your headline.

Easy Reading with Subheads

Why not make your copy easy to read?

You don’t want your prospect to struggle while reading your nice product or service description.

Some people will skim your landing page—sometimes all the way through the 11 pages!

I’m absolutely a skimmer when it comes to long copy.

And this happens whether it’s online or a direct-mail piece.

Even some emails!

Yes, I will skim a longer email to see if it’s worthwhile for me to keep reading.

Newsletters are also in this category, as most are delivered in email format.

95% of the time the prospect has opted in to the newsletter, so the read is relevant to them. But even then, some base their decision to continue reading solely on the subheads.

I know- tough stats.

Great copywriters don’t let the skimmers deter them, though.

Since they have already written headline after headline, they can now reap the fruits of their labor and use the discarded headlines as subheads.

Using the 4 U’s in Subheads

Fabulous! Here come the 4 U’s again.

Use them to your advantage.

A great headline satisfies all four U’s. And so does a great subhead.

Be a great writer. Subheads deserve it.

Here’s the headline which goes along with the following subheads: Say Goodbye to Lost Receipts with Post-Its New Pocket Sized Scanner!

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

Lost Receipts? Never Again.

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

The Entire Scanner —No Cords Required — Fits in Your Pocket.

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

Scans Your Document — In 10 Seconds Flat.

Urgent – nothing gets a customer buying into your message more than urgency. Sprinkle urgency-  powder all over the subheads.

Get Yours Today and Start Scanning Important Documents Instantly.

Size Does Matter

Just like the best headlines out there, the best subheads are also short.

But, since you’ve already managed to attract your prospect into the copy, you can relax a little.

But only a little.

Subheads can be slightly longer, since they’re each explaining the product or service further.

Nevertheless, you don’t want to become a slacker.

Here are some headlines which were used to create subheads — 8 words or less.

Headline	Subhead
Confessions of A Disbarred Lawyer	What Happened to His Assets?
Too Busy Earning a Living to Make Any Money?	Are You Living Paycheck to Paycheck?
Does Big Money Scare You?	Take Charge
The Choice Is Yours	Choose Carefully
Join The Winners!	Single Mom Made $1295.89 in Two Days
Will Your Job Be Next To Go?	Save Your Assets Now

 

(Headlines from “2,001 Greatest Headlines Ever Written” by Carl Galletti, subheads dreamed up by Taru)

3 More Helpful Hints about Subheads

Subheads invite your prospect to “know it all” without having to “read it all.” Make your subheads twinkling stars of your copy. Here is a summary of three more important tips about subheads:

1. Subheads must include the big idea and benefit of your product

2. Sell your product or service through subheads

3. Headlines that didn’t make the mark can become excellent subheads with a little rewriting

There you go – subheads explained. I hope you enjoyed this short post.

Have you ever changed a headline with a subhead because you came up with something even better?

©Taru Nieminen 2017