Imagine you open the door to a salesperson. The first thing they say is their headline. In one sentence, you assess whether or not you’re interested in what’s being sold. Headlines are like a first impression. Make them count or your chance at connecting with your audience could be lost.
What Works?
A headline should draw attention, attract the desired audience, deliver a message and compel people to learn more. It seems obvious that a headline should draw attention, but you want to incorporate all of these points at once. Sensational headlines that have nothing to do with the copy that follows, or the target audience, are useless and will only irritate your reader once they realize you’ve used clickbait.
An effective headline makes use of the four U’s: urgent, unique, ultra-specific and useful. What these four tenets do is inspire your audience to stay tuned. Let’s say your target audience is horse owners and you sell grooming equipment. Your headline could look something like this: Limited-Time Offer (urgent) on Revolutionary (unique) Horse Brushes (useful).
Consider Your Audience
Whose attention are you trying to attract? Use keywords and phrases that speak to your target personas. Whether your headline appears in an article, a promo, a news feed, or any other format, craft it to speak to a specific person. Imagine your ideal customer or client and sell to them.
Make sure your headlines appear in a place where your readers will see them. Is there a Facebook group associated with your audience? Does your target market watch a weekly tv show that has a tie-in to your product? Is there a magazine dedicated to the topic at hand? In each instance, your message may appear in a slightly different format, but the rules of an effective headline still apply.
Headline Types
There are a number of different types of headlines that will speak to your target market. Here are a few examples.
News Often used to introduce a new product or an improved product: Announcing the Only Razor You’ll Ever Need.
How to Offer advice on solving a problem: How to Banish Unwanted Garden Pests.
Testimonial This lets the reader hear from others who have benefitted: I Make $750 a Day Without Leaving my Home.
Hit Your Target with Video
Key West Video knows how to create a great headline using corporate video. Contact us today and we’ll make sure your message is heard. message is heard.
