If my headline did not reach out and grab your attention, you would not be reading this blog post right now.
The same is true with your writing.
Your first (and most important) job as a copywriter, is to flag down your target audience, grab their undivided attention and get them to read your first sentence.
If you fail?
Nobody will read a single word you write.
You could have the best copy in the world, but it won’t matter.
All the blood, sweat and crocodile tears that went into your masterpiece would have been for nothing.
But that’s not going to happen.
Ol Jmac’s got your back, amigo.
I’m going to show you how to write irresistible headlines that call out your ideal readers and suck them into your copy like a Dyson V8 vacuum.
In this post…
I’m going to reveal my top 10 copywriting tips for writing mouthwatering headlines.
I’ve learned these copywriting tips by studying the greatest copywriters of all time. I’ve used all 10 copywriting tips in headlines I’ve written for clients and my own business. And I’m always amazed at how effective they are.
You can quickly read these copywriting tips within minutes and apply them to your next headline.
The 10 Best Copywriting Tips for Copywriters Who Want to Write Better Headlines TODAY
Copywriting Tip #1: News Headline
What’s the most watched TV show?
The NEWS.
Pretty obvious, huh?
But do you know why?
Lean in close, I’ll tell you…
The news brings us NEW stories every day.
This works like gangbusters because we are naturally attracted to what’s NEW.
We crave “new” like Homer Simpson craves donuts.
What’s more effective?...
Selling a tried n true shampoo used by your grandparents for removing dandruff…
Or…
A new discovery made by Harvard scientists that kills every white flake on your head, in seconds.
Old is boring.
New is exciting!
Look for new concepts, features, stories, etc. when researching your client’s product & company.
When you find something “new”, put it front and center in your headlines for all eyes to see.
Here’s a few examples from real ads to get the butter in your brain churning:
- "161 NEW WAYS TO A MAN'S HEART --- IN THIS FASCINATING BOOK FOR COOKS"
- "HOW A NEW KIND OF CLAY IMPROVED MY COMPLEXION IN 30MINUTES"
- "NEW SHAMPOO LEAVES YOUR HAIR SMOOTHER --- EASIER TO MANAGE"
- "ANNOUNCING...THE NEW EDITION OF THE ENCYCLOPEDIA THAT MAKES IT FUN TO LEARN THINGS"
BONUS TIP:
Start your headline with words like:
- “Introducing”
- “Announcing”
- “New”
- “Breaking”
- “Now”
- “At last”
- “SHOCKING”
- “Breakthrough”
Copywriting Tip #2: How-to Headline
This is probably the most effective headline of all time.
When in doubt, use a how-to headline.
How-to headlines offer your readers useful information.
The best headlines are those that appeal to your target audience’s self-interest.
Headlines that are based on key emotional benefits that readers gain by USING your product/service.
This type of copywriting headline offers your readers something they want and can get from you.
Think:
What is the biggest benefit of your product?
What does this main benefit DO for your readers once they use it?
It’s as easy as pumpkin pie to create these types of killer headlines.
Simply start with the words “how to”… then… follow with the desired result.
Template:
How to [achieve desired result]
Examples from successful ads:
- How to win friends and influence people
- How to do wonders with a little land
- How to launch your own business for under $1,000 and make $25,000-$50,000 a year!
- How to get what the U.S. Government owes you!
Copywriting Tip #3: The Curiosity Headline
Ever wonder why characters in horror movies walk TOWARD the spooky sounds?
One word…
Curiosity.
Curiosity acts like poison ivy on our brains.
It creates an intense itch that we MUST scratch.
Arousing your readers’ curiosity is a marvelous way to grab their undivided attention and get them itchin’ to read your next sentence.
Want a perfect example?
Think clickbait headlines on social media….
Everyone KNOWS that the article they click on will disappoint them, but they just can’t help to click out of curiosity.
(NEVER clickbait your readers. You will suffer gravely from it. Always pay off your headline very quickly by making whatever comes next relevant).
4 idiot-proof ways to add curiosity to your headlines:
- Tell readers what NOT to do
- List common mistakes they’re probably making
- Give controversial solutions. (I.E. how to achieve desired result by doing something they think would not possibly work.)
- Reveal SECRETS (everyone loves secrets, they wrench on our curiosity)
Examples from real headlines:
- "A little mistake that cost a farmer $3,000 a year"
- "The secret of making people like you"
- "Why some foods “explode” in your stomach"
Copywriting Tip #4: Emotional Headlines
In copywriting, you sell with emotions and just the purchase with logic.
Also…
You can grab your reader’s attention by tapping into their emotions.
First:
Find out what emotions your market has around the BIG problem your product or service helps relieve.
How do they currently feel about this big problem?
Insecure? Scared? Guilty? Ashamed?
Find out and feature it in your headline, in a dramatic way.
Do this and you will almost always grab your reader’s complete attention.
Examples:
- "Do you do any of these ten embarrassing things?"
- "Are you ever tongue-tied at a party?"
- "Advice to wives whose husbands don’t save money – by a wife"
Copywriting Tip #5: Question Headlines
Questions act like giant red stop signs in our brains.
So…
In your headline…
Ask a relevant question readers would like to see answered.
The questions you ask should always focus on your reader’s self-interest.
Question headline examples:
- "Have You Ever Wondered What You Would Look Like With a “Million Dollar Smile”?"
- "Who else wants a screen star figure?"
- "Do you make these mistakes in English?"
- "Five familiar skin troubles – which do you want to overcome?"
Copywriting Tip #6: Contrast
Believe it or not…
Paying attention to what’s contrasting is deeply programmed into our psychology and neurology.
This goes thousands of years back to when humans lived in caves.
If we noticed something different in our surroundings (contrast), we’d jump up into survival mode (fight or flight).
Why?
Because it could mean a predator was lurking in the bushes and about to swallow us whole.
But guess what?
Contrast still has a BIG effect on our caveman brains.
And you can tap into contrast’s power to stop your target audience dead in their tracks and pull them into your copy.
Here’s how to add contrast to your headlines…
Add polar opposites.
For example:
Dirty … clean.
Night … day.
Failure … success.
Examples from ads:
- "WHO EVER HEARD OF A WOMAN LOSING WEIGHT --- AND ENJOYING 3 DELICIOUS MEALS AT THE SAME TIME?"
- "HOW I MADE A FORTUNE WITH A "FOOL IDEA"
- "11 amazing secrets discovered by top ad expert can help you make huge amounts of cash… even during a recession."
Copywriting Tip #7: The Call Out
This one’s obvious and very easy to do.
Picture you are walking down a busy street in your nearby city. You see a friend in the distance. How would you grab their attention?
It’s obvious.
Just call out their name!
This is what you want to do with your headline.
Grab your audience’s attention by calling them out.
No, not by their name, but there are other ways to achieve this.
Simply fill in the below templates…
Templates:
To/for [target audience] who want [desirable result]
To/for [target audience] who are experiencing [problem]
For people who are [experiencing specific situation your lead magnet addresses and solves]
Examples:
- "To men who want to quit work someday."
- "To people who want to write – but can’t get started."
- "For golfers who are almost (but not quite) satisfied with their game – and can’t figure out what they’re doing wrong"
Copywriting Tip #8: NUMBERS
Humans LOVE numbers.
Humans love LISTS.
Humans love EXACT instructions.
Hook your reader’s eyeballs by listing the number of benefits, mistakes to avoid, reasons why to act now, and so on.
Begin your headline with numbers, like this:
- 10 ways to…
- 8 reasons why…
- 3 mistakes to avoid…
- 25 benefits of…
Examples:
- "76 REASONS WHY IT WOULD HAVE PAID YOU TO ANSWER OUR AD A FEW MONTHS AGO""
- "7 Ways To Collect Your Unpaid Bills"
- "21 Secret Power Tools that will Build Your Business, Free Up Your Time and Put More Money in Your Pocket... NOW!"
- "102 Easy Ways to Make Money at Home"
Copywriting Tip #9: The “if…then…” headline
I learned this killer headline technique from Gary Bencivenga.
Gary is known for teaching the power of using PROOF in your copy.
For your readers to buy from you, they must first believe your claims.
They must believe that what you’re saying is true and can actually help them escape pain and achieve pleasure.
Well, one of the best ways to add proof to your copy is to use the “if… then” technique.
This technique bypasses our inner skeptic.
Here’s how you do it:
Start your headline with an easy-to-achieve requirement for your readers. Then, finish with the desired result they want.
For example:
Let’s say your client sells weightless pills.
A 30-day supply of these supplements costs $10 and clients can expect to lose up to 10 pounds in a month.
Your headline could look like this…
“If you have $10, then you can potentially shred 10 pounds of belly fat within the next 30 days.”
Why does this work so well at grabbing attention?
You are telling your readers how to achieve a desired result that is BELIEVABLE.
It’s easy to write these headlines:
Template:
IF you meet this [“requirement”] + Then you can achieve this [desired result]
Here are a few more examples of headlines that tap into the “if…then” power:
- "If you’ve got 20 minutes a month, I guarantee to work a financial miracle in your life."
- "If you’ve got 20 minutes a month, I guarantee a thinner, healthier you."
Copywriting Tip #10: Celebrity Status
It’s no secret…
We live in a celebrity-obsessed society.
Humans are naturally attracted to celebrity news, gossip and stories.
Using a well-known celebrity’s name in your headline can grab attention quicker than a red fox.
Does your client use well-known influencers to promote their product or service?
Has a celebrity given them a raving testimonial?
Is your client a celebrity within their industry?
It doesn’t have to be a movie star or famous singer.
It can simply be someone who is well-known within the niche you’re writing for.
Do some digging and I’m almost certain you’ll find some way to add celebrity status to your headlines.
Here are some headline examples that tap into celebrity status:
Conclusion
My friend, you now possess something VERY special…
The power of writing attention-grabbing headlines.
Use these 10 copywriting tips to hook your readers and boost sales for your clients.
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