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7 Steps to Killer Ad Copy Part 2
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Jim Moore
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Jul 30, 2003 16:42 PDT
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7 Steps to Killer Ad Copy Part 2
Proven Techniques for Writing Ads that Magnetize Your Audience & Pave
the Way for Towering Profits!
by Bryan Guentner
A Step-by-Step Guide to the 7 Essential Elements You Need to Know in
Order to Launch an Effective Online Ad Campaign
If You Don't Know the Difference Between Weak & Strong Headlines, Your
Copy Will Never Get Results
Sometimes, online entrepreneurs forget the importance of their marketing
message because it's not what they've become accustomed to throughout
life - which is print and visual media influences.
Headlines are often the deciding factor on whether or not your message
is ever going to be read by the public. It's bold. It's positioned at
the top. But if it doesn't carry with it some amount of persuasive
intrigue, people will skip right over it and find another passage that
piques their interest.
The amazing thing is that almost every headline has been done before -
someone just found a new angle to present to the public and they bought
it! It stands to reason, then, that you should start paying attention to
the pros - the very headline writers who've caught your attention.
Emulating another person's writing style does not mean that you're
committing plagiary. In fact, watching what the success stories have
done with their headline formulas is almost essential if you want to
thrive in the online marketplace.
In journalism, writers and editors alike create what they term a "swipe
file." By swipe, they don't mean they'll be copying the headlines (or
articles) verbatim, but simply use them as a resource to formulate their
own headlines and story ideas.
Every time you see a headline that draws your attention, copy it down
into your virtual swipe file, so that you can refer to it once you set
out to create your own marketing campaign.
While most cyberpreneurs simply find successful headlines and try to
copy their approach, the smartest thing to do is learn what techniques
do not work well, so you'll also know what to avoid when honing your own
copywriting skills.
Never keep 'em guessing. for too long.
Clarity is key when it comes to snagging the interest of an online
consumer. They don't want to waste their time going to a site that isn't
at all what they were looking for. Therefore, your headline must present
at least some idea of what your product or site is all about.
"I'm going to let you in on a little secret."
Well, that's great, but is it about online money-making opportunities,
how to cook like a professional chef, or how to find the most affordable
adult entertainment website? It could be about any of these
possibilities, and you may not want to click on their link to find out.
"Dear Friend, do you have a minute?"
Many Internet marketers try hard to acquaint themselves with prospective
customers before they've ever had a chance to form a relationship with
them. Don't pose as a friend, especially in any email headline
correspondence, because the recipient could be highly offended at the
trickery.
Online sales copy is not like offline copy. Offline direct mail pieces
generally act like a friendly letter, with a traditional salutation
starting the message. Online, however, headlines, not introductions, are
the mainstay of your preface to your prospects.
Forming a Good First Impression Will Last a Lifetime
Striking consumers with a blatant advertising gimmick can sometimes
leave a sour taste in their mouths. If you market to them ethically, and
with their best interest at heart, they're going to be more open to
receiving communications from you in the future.
You should always begin your headline with the customer in mind. What
benefits is your product going to offer them? Appeal to their selfish
nature and try, in 50 words or less, to convince them that your message
is worth reading in full.
A headline such as, "I made 6 figures last year," isn't as effective to
a consumer as, "Want to Learn How to Make 6 Figures in Less Than 6
Months?" Now you're talking!
Integrate them into the headline for better results. Immediately,
they're envisioning themselves earning 6 figures, not bored with what
you're doing with your own money.
Nine times out of ten, an Internet consumer is seeking a fast track to a
higher income. They've heard about overnight millionaires and dot com
dynamics, and they want a piece of it, too.
5 Techniques for a Terrific Headline
There are 5 basic ways you can craft a powerful headline, and you can
choose one to work with, or combine a variety of them to pack and even
more potent punch! First, it's the attention-grabbing headline.
An attention-grabber makes the reader do a double take because what
they've just read seems highly incredulous to them. Instead of using a
sentence such as, "You Can Earn a Living With Your Hobby," try something
bold and dynamic like, "Turn Your Hobby Into a 6-Figure Career in Just
30 Days!" Or, be more specific and focus on a particular niche market,
such as, "Turn Your Golfing Skills Into a Treasure of EBook Gold!"
The second system for headline creation is to tell the reader why you're
better than the competition. Remember, there are hundreds of competitors
online, on a global scale, so you have to prove your worth early on if
you want to retain a portion of the profit margin in your industry.
In your competition headlines, you don't have to single out the top
seller who beats your sales, or name names at all. What you do have to
do is let the reader know that your product is going to be unlike
anything ever sold on the 'net.
"Learn Why the Top Internet Marketers Are Steering You in the Wrong
Direction!" This topic is almost shocking - as if all this time, the
gurus of Internet Marketing have been making a living by scamming
unwitting consumers.
Instead of using phrases such as, "Top Ten Secrets of Internet
Marketers," try spicing it up a bit with, "Everything Internet Marketing
Gurus Don't Want You to Know But We'll Tell You!" You're not only
promising an enlightening read, but you're also positioning yourself as
someone who is performing a good deed - a service to the online
community.
Thirdly, your headlines can immediately state the hard facts about an
industry or problem. They shouldn't be mediocre facts, but something
shocking that will make the reader take a vested interest in the
solution.
Don't simply tell them in your headline with something along the lines
of, "You Could Be Making More Money." Instead, offer them a firm
statistic about the problem, such as, "35% of Your Traffic Is Being
Redirected Right Under Your Nose!"
The fourth method of headline prowess is to use a testimonial in your
headline campaigns. Do you have an existing customer who would allow you
to use their name (possibly in exchange for a link to their own site)?
Being a source of respect and reliability online is a hard reputation to
gain, especially when there is so much competition and people have
learned not to believe everything they read on the 'net.
However, you can use a real testimonial in your headline to attract the
traffic you want so that they can see for themselves whether or not your
offer is real. Don't say, "I Helped a Man Earn $20,000 Last Month."
The average Internet consumer's response to that headline? "Says you!"
They won't believe it because it's coming from your mouth. Instead,
offer a testimonial directly within your headline, such as, "Tom
Merrick's Internet Marketing EBook Took Me From Pink Slip Panic to
Profit Soaring Entrepreneur in Only 30 Days!"
Lastly, your headlines can originate from a purely motivational
standpoint. "Don't Let Search Engines Stand In Your Way - Fight Back and
Earn the Traffic You Deserve!" This works better than a
tutorial-sounding headline like, "We Can Help You Decipher Search Engine
Optimization."
When crafting your headlines, you have to keep in mind that people don't
really want to read an ad - even when they know that's what they're
getting. They prefer, if they're going to put time into reading a sales
pitch, for it to sound less like a commercial and more like a chat
between friends.
Your headlines need to be inclusive of your audience, so that they
immediately feel as if you're talking to just them - out of all the
people on the Internet. You can go about it in a positive or negative
way, as long as it makes them think about how your offer is going to
impact their own lives.
For example a negative headline, which is still effective, would be,
"Don't Suffer a Backlash of Spam Complaints - Learn How to Generate
Qualified Leads in Only 3 Simple Steps!" It starts off with a negative
connotation - consumers reporting you to your ISP for spamming their
email - ouch!
Turn it into a positive, if you prefer, by writing the headline this
way: "Generate More Qualified Leads and Eliminate Your Spam Complaints
in Just 3 Simple Steps - Guaranteed!"
The headlines created for the Internet don't have to be a short phrase,
as they are in print media. Instead, you can work one or two sentences
into your headline safely - but keep it short enough so that people
don't hesitate to read it.
Online, your headlines can be any color, size, or font that you want it
to be. You can even incorporate movement into your headline with a
scrolling ticker, as long as you make sure the slow-modem customers
won't have too long of a download time to see your web page.
Now that you know what to look for (and what to avoid) in your headline
swipe file, we're going to teach you about several formulas you can use
to generate your own captivating headlines.
About the Author:
Bryan Guentner created http://www.MasterCopywriting.com, A great
resource for anyone looking for sales copy inspiration and articles. He
is an internationally known authority on Business Building, including
eBook Publishing, Internet Marketing, Copywriting, Reprint Rights and
Real Estate. Search 100's of FREE TIPS at http://www.MrBizTips.com (c)
2003 Bryan Guentner http://www.PureSuccessPublishing.com
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