Why A Great Headline Is Crucial To Your Ad (And How To Craft One)

“On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.” ~ David Ogilvy

Headline copy is one of the top 5 most impactful elements for lead generation, so spend extra time considering your headlines. It’s not enough to just include headlines in your content. You’ll want to write good headlines that draw in readers. Here are 5 tips to writing super-awesome-fantastic headlines that sell:

1. Make your headline value-centric.
Being value-centric means that the central message of your headline is about the benefit or value your readers will get by reading more. Be straightforward and upfront about what they will get by reading more or performing an action.

2. Be specific.
Do 9.5 out of 10 dentists actually recommend your product? Then say it with that specificity. Don’t just say “dentists recommend” when you know the details. Avoid using vague words like “world-leader” or “best in town.” By being specific about your accomplishments, people can begin to trust your statements. It’s just more credible to know that 95% of consumers agree your product is above average.

3. The headline should summarise the content to follow.
This should be a given. The headline must indicate what the following body copy will be about. It doesn’t make sense to tell someone that you’ve got prices that are on average 20% lower than your competition, then continue on about how pretty your widgets are. Expand on your original statement.

4. Be compelling.
We’ve all seen headlines that say something like “About Us” and that’s it. While that may describe accurately what the page is about, it’s not very compelling. Give the reader something to get curious about.

5. Use sub-headlines.
Surprisingly, this is one tip that is rarely communicated or implemented. Use a sub-headline to bring more detail, more clarity, more purpose to your original headline, especially at the beginning of your content. It’s also effective to use 3rd and 4th level headlines throughout the rest of your content. Use headlines to break up thought segments and concepts.