Attention!
If you want people to actually read your stuff, then you first have to get their attention. The number one way to do this is by leveraging the attention pulling power of a headline.
You’ve no doubt been walking by a magazine rack or newsstand and done a double take because a headline did it’s job… it grabbed your attention and pulled you in.
Unfortunately, most folks only think of using headlines in sales messages but… don’t you want folks to pause and at least take a moment to see what you’ve got to say? Then you need to sell them on that course of action.
With that in mind, here are 12 places to use a headline in order to attract eyeballs to your message.
- Postcards – most folks send these straight to the trash. A compelling headline gets it read.
- Blog Posts – unless you’re blogging for an audience of one, you want to punch up your post titles to reel in readers.
- Website – first off, your name isn’t a headline. Stop using it like it is. Instead, use a real headline to capture clickers within the first 3 seconds of arriving on your site.
- Landing Pages – a landing page is targetted towards a specific group taking a specific action. A headline qualifies the visitor and sets them up for taking that action.
- Emails – your email will not get read unless it gets opened. Your subject line is the headline to create that click.
- Listing Kit – sell your prospects on why your listing strategy is one worth reading. Conpel them to read your presentation and they’re halfway towards being yours.
- Articles – folks won’t know you’re an expert unless they get a chance to experience how brilliant you are. Your article title gets your brilliance read.
- Twitter – want click-throughs from Twitter? A compelling headline turns tweets into traffic.
- Reports – the title of your special report will increase downloads and sign-ups and prevent your report from collecting dust.
- PPC Ads – pay-per-click ads are highly targeted traffic generators… if you have a headline that creates clicks. If you’re using Adwords, Google will even reward you for having a highly clickable ad.
- Classifieds – I’ve seen many classifieds start off spouting features. Use a headline to set the context and make those features shine.
- Print Ads – you’re paying for this ad space… wouldn’t it make sense to get the most return on your investment as possible? A headline does more to increase ad response than anything else.
So, there’s 12 places to use a healdine but I’m sure I’ve overlooked plenty more. Where else does a headline make sense?
