Online Money Exchange Service

Headlines are the most important part of a print ad.

Nothing more. Has said that four out of five people only read headlines, famous ad man and author of Confessions of an Advertising Man, david Ogilvy, in fact.

They make that decision based on the headline, and if people DO choose to read the rest of the ad.

That's a big job to put on the shoulders for what amounts to a few words.

Below are four of the most powerful and the easiest to implement. There are several "headline types" that have proven to sell products and services over and over again. Take heart, but before you start despairing over your headline-writing skills.

How to Lose Weight Fast. How to Write a Novel in 30 Days. How To Quit Smoking in 30 Days Or Your Money Back. Everyone loves a how to headline. How to. 1.

This same natural curiosity can entice you to keep reading to discover the answer, in the case of marketing materials or articles, or. You feel almost compelled to pick the book up and look at it, if the how to is addressing a need. Why else do so many nonfiction books have how to in the title? Because they promise a solution to your customers' problems. Why do these headlines work so well?

) All of these can be powerful benefits. Writing a novel in a month and losing weight, (The benefits in the above headlines are quitting smoking. The more likely you'll catch your customers' attention, keep in mind the better the benefit.

Will you know what to do if you're in an accident? Will your marriage fail? Are you spending too much on your car insurance? It better ask a question that your customers want an answer to, if you want this headline type to work. These headlines ask a question (obviously). Question. 2.

Focus on the benefit for the customer, again. Something like: Do you know what our company has been up to lately? Don't ask a question that only your business cares about, whatever you do.

They also love top ten reasons, but just as everyone loves how to headlines. It doesn't have to be ten reasons or even the top reasons, okay. Top ten reasons. 3.

Seven warning signs that your house may be making you sick. Five ways to fix a broken toilet. Four headlines that work.

They know exactly what they're getting -- so many reasons for something, plus. The customers see the benefits immediately, again.

If used correctly (meaning people believe it really is a testimonial from a real customer and not something fabricated) then this can be a very effective strategy. This works because people see proof up front that your product or service does what it's supposed to do. This headline uses your customers' words to sell your products or services. Testimonial. 4.

You may even want to consider adding a photo as well. Get permission from your customer to use his/her name, whenever possible. And use the customers' words as much as you can to make it sound authentic. Put it in quotes so it's obvious it's a testimonial, if you choose this headline.

) See Robert Bly's book The Copywriter's Handbook, (For more headline and copywriting tips.

Creativity Exercises -- Write those headlines

Find a couple of pens (I'm partial to gel colored pens) and let's start brainstorming, get a stack of paper.

) Benefits are what your customers will get out of your product. Not features, (Benefits. Service or business, start by making a list of all the benefits of your product.

They just have to be a question, they don't have to be pretty. Underneath start writing as many different types of question headlines you can think of. Question headlines, for instance. Now pick a headline type and write it on top of the paper. Put that sheet of paper aside.

Go back and look at your benefits list and pick a different benefit, if you get stuck. No matter how painful. Don't let your brain or pen stop until you do. Come up with at least 50 of them.

You might have even uncovered a brilliant one. You'll have written at the very least one pretty darn good headline, i practically guarantee by the time you reach headline number 50.

Try this same exercise with all the headline types and see what new ad concepts you uncover.