Why do headlines matter?
You may not know this, but for 10 years, I was a syndicated newspaper columnist. That meant I wrote real articles that appeared in real newspapers across the US, as well as in magazines around the world.
I remember when I started writing for the newspaper, I was so nervous. I would literally spend all day Sunday writing my column. My deadline was on Tuesdays around 9:30 in the morning. I would submit my column on Tuesday morning and then would wait for the paper to come out on Wednesday.
Over the next few months I started noticing a pattern. I had an editor who would go and make little tweaks to my article, but never anything major or even noticeable. But he kept changing my headline. Every week my headline was not the headline I put out there with the original article. Week after week, I’m submitting this article and he’s changing my headline consistently. Finally, I called him and asked, “Hey, what’s going on? What’s wrong with my headlines?”
He said, “They’re not hooky enough?” What? What do you mean “hooky” enough? He said (in effect), “Well, the purpose of the headline is to make people stop skimming the paper and make them curious enough to read the article. You need to hook them with an angle and with curiosity.”
I didn’t know it at the time, but that was one of the most valuable copywriting lessons I ever got in my life.
Side Note: On page 42 of my book “Copywriting Secrets,” I reveal my 14 top headline formulas I learned over the years. These are absolutely proven to hook people, grab them, and pull them in.
Let me give you a quick tip to pull this all together. Here is my number one top script for headlines that are super “hooky.”
“How To Benefit.”
That is a formula script that will work anywhere… to sell anything! Why? Because the reason people pay attention to anything you put out there, either as content or copywriting, is because they think there’s some sort of a payoff in it for them.
I don’t care if it’s quilting, weight loss, how to make money in the stock market, or how to improve your marriage. The promise of the benefit is the hook.
Just like the editor of the newspaper who barely touched the copy of my article. He knew the hook was what got people to stop what they were doing, and to actually read the article.
By the way, this is a big reason why you must be totally tuned into your avatar. Your avatar dictates the benefit, the payoff, the angle you put in this script that’s actually going to attract your avatar.
“How To Benefit.”
It seems so simple… like maybe a third grader could understand it. But if a third grader can understand it, by golly, your overworked, busy time starved, attention starved avatar can grasp it too.
This works for sales copy. This works for content like gangbusters.
And one last thing. If you don’t have a copy of my book yet, “Copywriting Secrets,” you really should.
Because it doesn’t just show you (on page 42) how to use 14 of my top headline formulas and scripts to get amazing results hooking people. On page 16, it gives you the top 10 reasons why people buy anything… which you can then use as the angle for your curiosity-inducing headlines. Man, my old editor at the newspaper sure would be proud.
So if you want to get good at angles, you want to get good at hooks, you want to get good at all of this “copywriting” stuff, grab a copy of “Copywriting Secrets.”
I’ll give you a physical paperback copy for FREE!
Just head on over to http://copywritingsecrets.com. I’ll give you a free physical copy of the book. Just pay a small shipping and handling fee.
“…Excellent job bringing a lot of concepts down to earth and turning them into something understandable…”
“Jim put the book, my daughter the unicorn and I the brain (or what’s left of it) to read one of the best books of Copywriting you can find today in the market.
Jim Edwards has done an excellent job bringing a lot of concepts down to earth and turning them into something understandable for everyone. Beginners and experts will find in Jim Edwards’ book an ideal compliment to solve any proposal they want to make when preparing sales letters, emails or any written communication.
Well done buddy! Well done!”
– Ariel Brailovsky
Get your free copy today!
Facebook • Instagram • Twitter • LinkedIn • Pinterest • Medium • Podcast
Leave A Response