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Sales Copy

by Michel Fortin

"Top-of-mind awareness" is not exclusive to marketing and advertising in general. It also applies (and more so) to an advertisement's headline. Many people use boring or unappealing headlines for their ads, and it surprises me since they do not communicate a precise, immediate, and direct benefit. While some headlines may seem "nice" or "catchy," some do not generate the response nor the business for which they were intended.

A headline is not meant to advertise the business, the product, the service, the Web site, or the sale (or event). It's not a summary of the ad either. It's meant to advertise the advertisement. It's the ad for the ad. A résumé, for instance, is not meant to land a "job" but to land an "interview." A headline is, in the very same way, meant to land the reader's attention. In essence, the true role of a headline is to grab the reader's attention in order to keep them reading. Once they read the ad, then -- and only then -- interest should be developed.

Many of you may have heard of the AIDA formula. AIDA stands for: Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. The first part of this simple formula is where many ads usually fail. If the headline doesn't command enough attention, then the rest of the formula falls down the tubes and thus the sale as well.

Your headline must be packed with benefits. Not only that, it must communicate direct, specific, and immediate benefits (i.e., the benefits of reading the ad in the first place). Here are 2 tips on how to increase the attention-factor in your headlines:

THE GAPPER
Usually, there is a gap between the prospect's problem and its solution. However, many prospects do not know that there is a problem to begin with. A headline that communicates the presence of such a gap (or the widening of one) will most likely appeal to those who can immediately relate to such an idea. In other words, those who are attracted by the headline always had the "gap" in the back of their minds, but the headline merely brings it back to the top and causes them to read on. Hence, they want to know, by reading your ad, how they can close that gap.

Again, it's all a matter of perception. To use a headline that conveys a problem is to simply make the reader aware that there is one (or, at least, reinforce it) and then to demonstrate that the solution exists further in the ad. If you advertise, for instance, a way to make money, you are subconsciously telling the reader, "Hey! Money problems? Read my ad and I'll show you how to get rid of them..."

Those who fully appreciate the message the headline communicates will be much more tempted to read further. For example, the pain-pleasure principle states that, "We have a tendency to avoid pain or strive towards pleasure." However, when given the choice between the two, the avoidance of pain is far more superior than the search for pleasure. Therefore, a headline that communicates a negative situation, a problem, or a painful (or potentially painful) situation will automatically be understood by those who associate to its message. They will feel compelled to read the ad.

For example, when I work with plastic surgeons, I often tell them to place as a headline for their ads, "Are you suffering from wrinkles?" Immediately, patients who can instantly relate to the ad will more than likely read the ad in its entirety. They do so for 2 reasons:
1. They have wrinkles (they fit the surgeon's demographics), and;
2. They suffer from wrinkles (they fit the surgeon's psychographics, i.e., they want to do something about it).

I believe from experience that this is applicable to every industry, every product, and every business. Think of a negative situation that is now present (or will occur) without the benefits of your product. For example, if you're selling insurance, the "gapper" could be, "Due to insufficient insurance coverage, millions of dollars are lost every 8 minutes" or, "Trying to save $300, I lost over $300,000! -- A true story..." or, "Don't let a $50,000 dollar bill compound your grief. Yes! It can happen to you."

In the marketing business, such as the one I'm in, "gappers" could include, "Don't let another million-dollar prospect slip through the cracks," or, "Stop wasting your marketing money on ineffective advertising and triple your hit-ratio with more compelling ads." The idea, here, is to emphasize benefits. You see, a headline must make your prospect understand -- in an instant -- the pain of not enjoying the benefits of your products or services. By reading further, they are subconsciously seeking the solution.

THE FREEBIE
Many studies have shown that the greatest technique in advertising that can double -- and sometimes even triple -- the readership of an ad is the use of a simple, single, four-letter word... The word "FREE." People are astonishingly attracted to freebies. Freebies, in an ad, can create a lot of response, but in a headline a freebie can multiply the response rate exponentially.

Ideally, offer a free sample, a free product, or a free service of some kind. However, being in the information age, the "free report" or "free info kit" is my favorite. People love to soak up new information since learned experience is more cost-effective and less time-consuming than that which has been learned from experience.

So, if this appeals to you, then write on! Create a free report. Write a newsletter. Pen an article. Author a book. The perceived value in the free information is oftentimes underrated. People who request your free information (or sample) are qualifying themselves beforehand and become far more superior leads. However, when it comes to the headline, the free report in particular can easily grab the attention of readers because it contains not 1 but 2 immediate benefits: Information that is both useful and free.

If you're a computer consultant to large offices, your headline can state, "FREE REPORT! The 10 biggest computer mistakes businesses make," or, "8 surefire strategies on how to improve paperflow efficiency by 67% - Free report," or, "Are your computers bug-proof? Get my FREE report on how to find out if the recent surge in computer viruses can cost you thousands in lost revenue -- and how to avoid them!" (The last example contained both the "gapper" and the freebie." Obviously, this headline would therefore be more effective.)

THE FINAL WORD
Remember this simple axiom: The headline is the ad for the ad. It is not meant to "show off" or to sell the reader on your business, Web site, product, or service. It is simply an attention grabber. Once you've developed attention, you can then create interest and then increase desire... But hey, that's a whole new article. Good luck!