Write a great headline - without really trying

By James Daniel of EarthMonkey Media

Wow, look at that!  The headline up there got you reading this far, so it's done its job already!  Now it's down to the rest of the article to deliver on the promise... and in 3 or 4 minutes you'll have a few tools to write your own rip-snorting headers.

So down to business.  To write a successful headline, you need to tick one of these boxes:

• Appeal to the reader's self-interest

• Give some new information

• Arouse their curiosity

You could argue the last two are just fillers, as self-interest is by far the most important.  Any news you offer should have an element of self-interest or you're speaking to the wrong audience.  And as for curiosity, well - it will get the reader's attention, but you'll need to back it up with self-interest if you want them to read beyond the first few lines.

So what do we mean by ‘self-interest'?  Well it comes down to 2 things:

Pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain! 

These are the only reasons we buy stuff, so they figure in all the best headlines. Think about it for a moment:

You pay your mortgage to avoid the pain of being homeless.  Or if you pay a huge mortgage, it's for the pleasure of living in a huge property. 

You do your weekly shopping to avoid the pain of starving to death.  But if you buy M&S oak-smoked wood pigeon it's for the added pleasure!

So here's the equation:

zero pain / max. pleasure = self-interest

You can apply this to any business, if you drill through the features & benefits to consider what the customer is really buying:

• You don't play the lottery to buy a ticket - you're buying the impossible dream

• You don't buy insurance to comply with requirements - you're buying peace of mind

• You don't buy a sofa so you can sit down - you're buying some well-deserved comfort at the end of a busy day

For hoards of headline writers - including lots of professionals - this is a bit of a departure.  So many writers are trying to churn out witty little pearls of wisdom instead of putting across a dynamic and persuasive message.

So forget puns.  And forget wordplay.  And if that means saying something simple like "All beds half-price till Tuesday" then so be it.  You've got the message across, and then you're free to elaborate. 

So that's the theory.  But when it comes to the practice, that's another matter.  If you're stuck for inspiration, here's a dozen classic techniques.  Try a spin on each one - and by the end you'll have at least one compelling headline: 

12 ways to create your headline

1.  Just ask the question...
Example: Does your accountant give you free software?

2.  Ask your reader if they need your product...
Example: Looking for Love Spoons this Valentine's Day?

3.  Speak to the reader's natural scepticism...
Example: There is such a thing as a free lunch

4.  Get them to focus on the end result....
Example: What will you do when you've paid off your mortgage?

5.  Tell the reader how you can save them time, money - or both...
Example: Make twice the money - in half the time.  Tomorrow.

6.  Play with a common phrase or cliché (without disguising your message!)
Example: People in glass houses love Snowdon Double Glazing

7.  Use dynamic words like "explore", "speed" or "discover"...
Example: Explore the new frontier of business networking

8. Challenge the reader to use your product
Example: What could you do with an extra hour per day?

9. Put a price in your headline...
Example: Complete peace of mind for £7-50

10. You're an expert in your field.  Give the reader a warning...
Example: 8 out of 10 businesses ignore Health & Safety laws.  Are your certificates up to date?

11. Use a customer testimonial...
Example: "ABC helped me double my profits in 2 years"

12. Or finally... just tell them what you do!
Example: Providing Experienced PAs for new business start-ups

Remember, the headline is the most important part of any sales copy.  Once you've got their attention, you just have to prove you can deliver what you've promised!   That means keeping their interest, building desire and spurring them into action...

James Daniel is a copywriter and MD of EarthMonkey Media.  For more of James' tips & tricks, visit http://ukcopywriting.blogspot.com or sign up for a free monthly newsletter at www.earthmonkey.co.uk