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Are Creative Stereotypes Holding You Back?
Here's a quick quiz: 1) When I see a see a sunrise, I'm moved to: A. Compose a poem. B. Try and capture the beauty with my paints and brush. C. Stumble drunkenly into bed -- boy that party was a lot of fun. D. Cover my face with my pillow and go...
Copywriting Makeover: It’s Not About YOU, It’s About THEM
by Karon Thackston © 2003 http://www.copywritingcourse.com I’ve always loved scented candles. They help create a cozy atmosphere. They give you a relaxed feeling. And - most importantly - they make your home smell wonderful! So, naturally, I was...
How to Write Ad Copy that Sells
When I write copy for my advertising clients, I always check to make sure the three key elements are in place. 1. psychology, 2. logic, and 3. creativity. These are three very different aspects of ad writing, which, when combined, produce a highly...
Is It Time For A Copy Facelift?
by Karon Thackston © 2003 http://www.copywritingcourse.com I just had to laugh! During a recent conversation about how often you should change your copy, I had one person tell me “Well, if there were any *good* copywriters out there, they’d be able...
Is it worth paying for professional copywriting?
"Article writers wanted: I will pay $3.50 per article. Must be quality writing – no hobbyists!" No, this isn't a joke. It's an actual job advert, posted on a website earlier this year. What’s more, there's nothing particularly unusual about...
My Favorite Expert Advice on Writing the Stories of Our Lives, Gleaned From My Favorite Books on the Subject
This outline is adapted from a handout I give to my lifewriting students. The points made here apply to writing in general as well as to writing our life stories in particular.
I. Why should we write?
A. Frank McCourt in Writer’s Digest, Feb....
Need a Great Idea? Feed Your Brain
A lot of great ideas happen when two or more other ideas collide to form something completely new. Think of this like those old chemistry movies we used to watch in school. You had all of those atoms floating around and when two collided -- bam! A...
The Mind's Fancy Dress Party - Or: Brainstorming With Contentclix Copywriters
In Berlin a restaurant opens for anorexics and in Buffalo a lawyer with a stutter wins a court case. When everything you're working on has gone STALE and your own initially promising concepts are starting to annoy you, you need a brainstorming...
The No 1 Ecommerce Solution Tip For You
The number one ecommerce solution you need to be a success on the Web is learning to write for the internet. You will be able to capture your visitors attention and hold it, otherwise it's click and off to another site.
You need to be able to put...
Writing To Overpower Your Competition
by Karon Thackston © 2005 http://www.learn-copywriting.com "We don't have any competition. We're a truly a one-of-a-kind company." I've heard that line from clients for years. I wish it were true, but it's simply not. In fact, it wouldn’t matter...
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Progressive Headlines Guide Customers To Buy
by Karon Thackston © 2004
http://www.learn-copywriting.com
Headlines are, without a doubt, one of the most important elements in copywriting. As has been said countless times before, if you don't get your readers’ attention with the headline, the chance of them reading your copy is virtually none. But headlines (and sub-headlines) play a vital part in the copywriting process for other reasons, too.
Whether we, as copywriters, like it or not, the fact is most people will not read all the copy word for word. Headlines can help fill in the blanks in several ways so "skimmers" still get the gist of the information included in the copy.
Headlines Outline the Benefits
Using headlines and sub-heads that state benefits about your product/service can be a powerful strategy. Using wireless home networking for example, you might create headlines and sub-heads that read:
--Work From Anywhere In Your Home
--No More Jumbled Cables Strung Everywhere
--Have Multiple Computers Online At The Same Time
--Make All The Computer Users In Your Home Happy
Even if the customer didn't read the copy included in between these heads and sub-heads, they would still be made aware of all the benefits of having a wireless home network.
Headlines Give An Overview
Depending on the type of copy you're writing, headlines can help to urge your customers to read further. In fact, in long-form copy, headlines should create their own sub-set of copy. If you read just the headlines, they should make sense all by themselves. For example, copy about a new book on how to start your own business might use the following headlines.
New Book Takes You Step-by-Step Through Starting Your Own Business
An introduction would go here as well as copy designed to gain the attention of the
reader.
Starting A Business Is Easier Than Ever
Continue with the copy here.
The Little Known Secrets In This Book Will Show You How
More copy here.
See? As you read through the headlines and sub-headlines they make sense even without any copy. This serves to give an overview of the information to those customers who may not read every word of the copy you've written. If they read just the headlines and sub-heads, they'll still understand what you're offering.
Headlines Can Raise Curiosity
Make a statement that's so unusual it doesn't make sense. Create "cliff-hangers" with your headlines and only give so much information before stopping. When you use these and other interest builders, you can encourage customers to read further into your copy just to satisfy their curiosity. Using natural gardening products as our example, the headlines and sub-heads often look like this:
--My Roses Are Bursting With Blossoms Since I Stopped Watering Them
--My Prize-Winning Tulips Would Wither Up and Die If It Weren't for…
--Which Annual Blooms Twice As Big When You Give It A Beer/Shampoo Cocktail?
These statements make you think. They start the reader wondering so that he/she continues to read on to get the rest of the story.
When creating headlines in your copy, think about how they all work together. Instead of just plopping bolded words in between paragraphs, create a plan revolving around progressive headlines that can lead your readers to buy.
About the Author
Tired of endlessly searching the ‘Net in hopes of finding the latest copywriting techniques? Need an up-to-date directory filled with the best ways to learn copywriting? Visit http://www.learn-copywriting.com today for the widest collection of the most popular copywriting resources available.
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