The most important part of sales letters is the headline. Unless the headline immediately attracts attention and generates interest, your prospect will stop reading right then and there. This means you have no chance–zero–to fulfill the purpose of the sales letter, which is to make a sale. Your headline should communicate the strongest customer benefit(s) of your product or service. Creating a great headline. This is entirely contrary to what many “experts” say, but it is what most experts do! Headlines are critically important and yes you can spend hours, days, even weeks if necessary, creating headlines and then testing one headline against another. You can create at least 15 to 25 and test the strongest ones. You can write as many as 200 to 250 before choosing two to four to test against each other to find the most profitable. Or you can or visit www.web-sales-letter-supreme.com do what most copywriters do when they critic someone’s copy. They read the copy and pick out a biggest benefit and make it the headline. Then they look for one or two other big benefits and make them sub-headlines. Here’s an Example: Some examples: My products are terrific. My company is wonderful. We’ve been in business for 15 years. We have a long tradition of quality, blah, blah; blush’s much advertising is full of this drivel. This is all about you. No one in the world cares besides you. Your prospects want to know exactly what benefits they will get from your products. In other words, if you sell grass seed, don’t dwell on what it’s composed of. Instead describe how beautiful their lawn will be. Here is the fastest way to improve your copy. Review the first draft of your copy. Eliminate all these words–I, our, we, my. Substitute you and your. I promise you’ll be amazed and truly gratified with the result. It’s sure to blow your mind! The process, of course, starts with the headline. An excellent copywriting technique is to prepare bullet points. These should consist of all the benefits a buyer of your product will get. Your benefits should be stated in headline format. The secret of making benefits even more powerful is to describe the benefit of the benefit. Many copywriters and marketers think the more astonishing your claims are the more persuasive. This is a fallacy. If a claim is exaggerated, it seems and feels untrue. You thus lose that all-important credibility. First you should dramatize your advertising claims with the help of short emotional words. Then prove each claim. Expert comments and testimonials can be a big help. Give a reason why. In the headline above the roofer is giving away a big screen TV because his crew usually doesn’t do anything in January and February and his suppliers are slow also. He explains that in the letter. So many sales letters do not make a clear, easily understandable offer. The result is few or no orders. Reason? When consumers are confused, they don’t act–they do nothing. Confusion always breeds inaction. Think through your offer very carefully and write it down before you prepare a single word of your sales letter Tell the complete story of your product. Include every benefit you can. Copy can never be too long. Some of my sales letters are as long as 56 pages. But you can be too boring. The biggest sin of any copywriter, even in a two-paragraph letter, is to bore the prospect. The secret is to tell a complete story, but in the fewest words possible, you can check it out from www.killer-sales-letters.com Eliminate every single unnecessary word. Write only to those who are interested in what you are selling. Do not be concerned whatsoever with those who are not interested. Those who are interested need enough information to take the next step. Give it to them! Lengthy paragraphs without frequent subheads make copy intimidating to read.
Bright like neon attracts business anywhere. Inexpensive to use, and saves lots of money compared to Neon signs. Can set the sign to FLASH to draw more attention, or set to remain SOLID….
Power Sales Writing is a brisk, no-nonsense guide to writing sales messages guaranteed to grab and hold a prospect’s attention. With this book in hand, everyone from salespeople to marketing managers to business executives will quickly and painlessly master the essence of effective sales writing to win the sale or client. This book includes: Lists of power words and phrases Editing and revis…
IN MARKETING What is the main difference between “pathetic” and “profitable?” A compelling advertising headline. Veteran marketers and entrepreneurs alike know a powerful headline is the most important factor for putting more money in your pocket. Whether it’s for your. .Web site .Yellow Pages ad .Sales Letter .Postcard .Marketing brochures .Newspaper or magazine ad .. the right advertising headli…
A direct mail piece can have extraordinary positive results for a business, or be a waste of money. Time spent learning to write letters that [Italics] sell might be one of the best business investments that it is possible to make. Drayton Bird, an acknowledged expert on writing sales letters, takes the reader through the necessary stages from planning, through gathering information about the prod…
help with sales and marketing…, free gift advice please?
im an avon representavive, i dont have territory, and i post my brocures out in letter boxes in my local area, i have advertised a free surpise gift with their order, what gift should i put in, if you were buying avon, and was expecting a gift, what things would you like, what would impress you want to return to the rep in future, what else can i do to achieve more orders, many thanks, michelle.
im a new rep and just starting out, and i want to give a godd impression, please help any more tips i can use
*good impression*
my mum used to do it years ago, im not out to make enough money to live on or anything, i hsve plenty to live on, i really enjoyed working with my mum with avon, so i decided to do it myself, im not out to make stacks of cash, just looking to do it in my spare time cos its something i enjoy
i had thought about it, i was going to put samples in but then i changed my mind, wanted to give something better than just a sample
For me personally, a free gift like a pedicure or manicure at a local beauticians would appeal to me as it’s something I wouldn’t normally splash out on myself. I’m guessing these are between £12 – £20 depending on where you go? So for this you would have to have a minimum order value in order for them to receive their free gift as you need to make it viable.
Transform your sales letters (all by yourself) with the Mega Doodle Pack from PDA Marketing
Bright like neon attracts business anywhere. Inexpensive to use, and saves lots of money compared to Neon signs. Can set the sign to FLASH to draw more attention, or set to remain SOLID….
Power Sales Writing is a brisk, no-nonsense guide to writing sales messages guaranteed to grab and hold a prospect’s attention. With this book in hand, everyone from salespeople to marketing managers to business executives will quickly and painlessly master the essence of effective sales writing to win the sale or client. This book includes: Lists of power words and phrases Editing and revis…
IN MARKETING What is the main difference between “pathetic” and “profitable?” A compelling advertising headline. Veteran marketers and entrepreneurs alike know a powerful headline is the most important factor for putting more money in your pocket. Whether it’s for your. .Web site .Yellow Pages ad .Sales Letter .Postcard .Marketing brochures .Newspaper or magazine ad .. the right advertising headli…
A direct mail piece can have extraordinary positive results for a business, or be a waste of money. Time spent learning to write letters that [Italics] sell might be one of the best business investments that it is possible to make. Drayton Bird, an acknowledged expert on writing sales letters, takes the reader through the necessary stages from planning, through gathering information about the prod…
What are some well-paying jobs in the advertising business and their descriptions? Is there a specific job title for people who come up with catchy slogans and write compelling ad content? Also, what’s the main difference between a copywriter and a brander?
I’ve worked in marketing/advertising and I would say it’s generally a well-paying field. Sounds like you’re interested in the creative side of the industry (rather than the account management/numbers side). The higher-up positions pay better, obviously, but you have to work your way up. Examples are marketing director, art director, senior copywriter, brand strategist.
Copywriters create slogans and ad copy, among other things.
Brand strategists define and outline a company’s brand, which includes everything from copy (brand voice) to design (logos, company look and feel). Creative directors do it all — they’re responsible for directing an entire advertising or branding campaign.
Writing A Cover Letter That Has Everything You Need To Rise Above The Rest
Your cover letter should not just be seen as an introduction to your resume. You mustn’t rely too much on the content of your resume to get you the job you need. Sure you have all the qualifications that the job requires, but so does tens or maybe hundreds of others.
What you need is a good cover letter that attracts the attention of the reader right away and guides his or her attention properly to your resume. Before even having the chance to read your resume, your cover letter should already create a mindset. The reader or the hiring manager should already be thinking about you as a good candidate.
But basically a cover letter should accomplish a lot of things, here are some of them:
• Your cover letter should explain the reason why you are sending them your resume. It should specify the position that you are applying for. Sending a resume without a cover letter is a big no-no. Your cover letter will specify what it is that you indeed want, what you look forward to and what your intentions are. And also, it will show why you are the best person for the position.
• Your cover letter should be able to communicate well with the reader. It should be well organized, well written and error free. This will show that you are a professional and you have the goods that they need and want.
• Your cover letter should inform them where you learned about the vacant position or where you have learned about them. If someone recommended the job to you, then it is appropriate that you mention the name. Companies spend money on marketing and advertising, they want to know which reached you.
• Your cover letter should entice its reader to move on to your resume after reading your cover letter. Since your cover letter will come first, it will shape the impression of the reader about you. If you seem interesting and you have what they need, they would be more serious in looking and reading at your resume.
• Your cover letter should showcase your personality. It should show what kind of a person you are. Of course you will want to put your best foot forward. So tell them about your strengths and your weaknesses, and how they will be able to help the company.
• Your cover letter should highlight your abilities and skills. This will give the reader the chance to weigh you. If you indeed is the right person that the position needs. Be specific, showcase your background that fits the bill of the position.
• Most importantly, your cover letter should indicate how serious you are about the job. It should show that you want the job and you are willing to take it.
Making a cover letter that connotes professionalism and the ability to do what is needed is your edge among the others. You may all be qualified but writing a cover letter that will make you shine will make you rise above the rest.
Take the time to write and rewrite your cover letter until perfection. Evaluate yourself and see what needs to be included. Remember to keep your cover letter short and specific, your resume should just be able to explain the rest.
About the Author
Mario Churchill is the President of CareerJimmy and author of “Amazing Cover Letter
Creator.” Visit him at: http://www.amazing-cover-letters.com for your “instant” cover letters
today.
Business Opportunity, Advertising Business Work at Home Work At Home Directory Make Money Online
In 1929, just after the Wall Street crash, Henry Luce launched Fortune. This is a look back through the magazine, whose articles reflect the culture and economics of America. The art-style changed from art-nouveau to a more industrial, mechanical mood; hand-painted covers were substituted by photographic covers….
Where do you start in a sales letter? How do you create an attractive headline? How do you connect to your viewers in such a way that they can’t take their eyes of your site until they’re purchased your product?We’re to answer all those questions and more in this ebook….
Internet Marketing – I Promise You Peace As a newbie in internet marketing you need funds, products, advertising methods, list building, autoresponder, mentor & a schedule.You get it all here. I give it because I make as much as you make. Visit: [here was a link]
Read the comments regarding this ezine classified ad in order to see how other people think …
Here is what I – as a reader – think about this ad.
1) The first line makes me wonder whether this is a poem or an ad. What’s in it for me – the reader? Peace? Looks like … nothing! If I want to read poems, then I don’t read ads. I feel like wanting to skip this ad and read the next one!
2) The next lines contain an interesting idea. If I, the reader, am a newbie in internet marketing, then I need a lot of things and the advertiser will give them all to me. That’s good.
By the way, since the advertiser talks about more things, then “get it all” and “give it” don’t seem to be the proper language here. The bad language makes me think twice. Can you, the advertiser, be able to be my mentor if you don’t know even basic things?
I have also a question regarding something that is confusing me. Amongst various things, the advertiser says that I need funds and then he tells me that he will give me everything. Will the advertiser give me money too? I’m sorry but I don’t believe it. I don’t know what is the truth but I won’t waste my time to find it. The advertiser has just lost me …
Take care, if you lose my confidence, then be sure I won’t waste my time and click on your link…
3) “I give it because I make as much as you make.”
I, the reader, really don’t care why YOU do something (“I give it because …”) and how much money YOU make. Really … I don’t care about YOU. I, the reader, only care about ME.
That’s the sole truth you must have in mind when you write an ad. If you want me to click on your link then don’t talk about you, your friends, your mentor, your dog or your “anything”. Tell me what is MY advantage. Tell me what I get.
Conclusions:
1) Don’t write only for the sake of writing. Your goal cannot be to lose the reader’s attention but to grab it.
2) Don’t confuse the reader. If the reader thinks for a second like “I don’t understand this” or “I don’t believe this” then you lost him or her. It doesn’t matter whether you were saying the truth and only the truth. It simply doesn’t matter.
3) Don’t talk about you, tell the reader what she/he gets. The most important person is the reader, not you.
An original vintage magazine ad print from the year published. Print ads make unique gift items that can be framed as artwork. Shipped flat un-framed in plastic sleeve with backing board….
An original vintage magazine ad print from the year published. Print ads make unique gift items that can be framed as artwork. Shipped flat un-framed in plastic sleeve with backing board….
An original vintage magazine ad print from the year published. Print ads make unique gift items that can be framed as artwork. Shipped flat un-framed in plastic sleeve with backing board….
Your Headline Is the Most Important Part of Your Website Or Any Ad.
Here’s why: you have LESS than 10 seconds to get your visitors’ attention, and show them you’ve got the perfect solution to their problem. So the first thing they should see is a headline that clearly states the biggest benefit your site has to offer!
If no one sees your headline they are unlikely to see your ad. The most important element of any ad is the headline. One small change here can increase or decrease your response rate by as much as 700%. For example, red font always out performs black!
Everything you say in advertising must be very, very specific. A headline should talk about your customers, not about you because no one cares about your company. It should grab people’s attention and get them to read your ad.
A headline should not attempt be cute or clever, unlike ad agency style advertising, it should offer a benefit, provoke an emotional reaction or just get people interested enough to read more. Do NOT mention your company name; it’s a waste of space. No one cares about your company, they only care about their problems and how you can address them!
Here are some real examples:
Bad Headline: New Weight Watchers Diet Hit the Shelves
Good Headline: New Diet Burns Off More Fat Than a 98 Mile Run
Bad Headline: New Study from Sydney University Claims 35% of all men are unfaithful
Good Headline: 7 Ways to Tell If Your Partner Is Cheating On You
Which ad is more interesting? Which one grabs you? The company/Institution should never be in a headline.
A good place to study good ads is in the Cosmopolitan magazine. The Cosmo editors admitted that they spend more time choosing good headlines than they do on choosing the articles to put in it! After all if the magazine doesn’t get bought and taken off the shelf, it doesn’t matter how good the stories are! Anther good resource is the headlines on the Google, Yahoo or MSN homepages.
Here are some powerful headline strategies, which also work extremely in newspapers, magazines and with Google Adwords:
- Offer the biggest promise of benefit
- Identify your ideal prospect
- Offer news if possible
- Quick and easy solution (Here’s how to break up a cold)
- Ask provoking questions (Are you sick of …….)
- Make the reader feel inclined to keep reading
The Advertising Secret Formula That Always Works
Every piece of advertising, every webpage, sales letter, brochure or banner ad that you send out must….MUST …. include ALL of these ingredients.
- A headline that commands attention – Emotionally provocative benefit driven message that states your USP (Unique selling proposition) – A Compelling Call to Action, offer something valuable for contacting you
Not some stupid wimpy statement like ‘please contact us for more information….’ yeah that’s going to make them jump of their seat and lift the phone. Think about it!
Strangely most advertising doesn’t include any of these ingredients or at best, there’s at least one missing! If you do NOT include all of these ingredients in all of your advertising then please send your advertising budget to a good charity where it might do some good.
Remember newspaper ad reps, yellow pages reps, ad agencies….. anyone who makes money selling advertising will do anything to convince you otherwise, after all that’s how they get paid.
About the Author
Jimmy Krangol is becoming quite a buzz in the marketing world. You can sign up to Jimmy’s Free 7 day marketing course “How You Can Make
Classified Advertising – How to Write Headlines That Make the Sale
An original vintage magazine ad print from the year published. Print ads make unique gift items that can be framed as artwork. Shipped flat un-framed in plastic sleeve with backing board….
Discover how to boost your site’s sales quickly by writing more compelling headlines in this “over-the-shoulder” look at a working internet copywriters’ headline creating process in action.Featuring 4 winning examples of successful sites (plus a fifth powerful bonus video special feature section), this easy-to-use advanced “how-to” video course shows you exactly how to develop headlines that gener…
IN MARKETING What is the main difference between “pathetic” and “profitable?” A compelling advertising headline. Veteran marketers and entrepreneurs alike know a powerful headline is the most important factor for putting more money in your pocket. Whether it’s for your. .Web site .Yellow Pages ad .Sales Letter .Postcard .Marketing brochures .Newspaper or magazine ad .. the right advertising headli…
Book for the Kindle: 101 Tips for Writing Great Headlines ********************************************************** We are pleased to offer thousands of books for the Kindle, including thousands of hard-to-find literature and cla…
101 Tips For Writing Great Headlines…The importance of a great headline can’t be overstated. This eBook will give you the tips for writing attention grabbing headlines….
`Cloud’ music plans no longer just pie in the sky
There’s no more need to own songs before being able to listen to them at your convenience. Direct Mail Advertising Strategies | SEO Copywriting Services
“Altstiel and Grow’s book provides golden nuggets of information that will help equip students in developing sound strategy and deploying solid tactics.”-Ginger Rosenkrans, Pepperdine UniversityIn a rapidly changing industry, the Second Edition of Advertising Creative: Strategy, Copy, and Design is a reliable resource on the most recent trends of strategy, concepts, design, and integration of med…
CREATIVE STRATEGY IN ADVERTISING provides everything you need to be successful as an advertising professional in today’s fast-changing media environment. Focusing on the idea that good advertising always starts with an understanding of people and an awareness of their needs, the text advances through the creative process step by step. It focuses first on the creative person, and then on strategy a…
If you want people to buy your products you have to advertise. Unfortunately, there’s no getting around that fact. Like it or not, advertising is a necessary evil.
The key to print advertising is the right people seeing your ad and responding. However, your ad has a far greater chance of succeeding if your headline is strong.
How important is a strong headline?
If your headline is weak, no one will read your ad and it will fail. It’s as simple as that.
“The Father of Advertising,” legendary copywriter David Olgivy once said, “Five times as many people read your headlines as do your actual copy.”
Whether or not he’s right about the actual percentage isn’t important. What is important is that your headline is the first thing people see, so you’d better get it right.
So what exactly does getting it right mean?
What makes a good headline?
Before you can write a good headline, you first have to understand what the job of a headline is. The number one job of a headline is to get the readers attention – period.
Now there are a number of ways that you can do this. I personally like to direct my headlines toward a specific audience. I find that to be the most effective method.
However, for this method to work, you have to understand your target market. You have to know your audience.
Now being the owner of a marketing blog, I know for a fact that advertisers are always interested in writing better headlines. How do I know this? Market research.
Always, Always, Always research your market! That can be your edge over your competition.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand. My target audience for this article are advertisers interested in learning how to write better headlines. So in my headline I focused on my target audience, “advertisers” and what my audience wants, “to write better headlines.” Hence the headline:
“Advertisers: Learn How To Write Better Headlines”
Now only testing will tell for sure. But my experience tells me that’s a strong headline and would be successful.
Now I simplified the writing process here for the sake of brevity. But you’ll more than likely have to write dozens of headlines for each of your ads before you come up with something you like – something that’s going to be effective. It’s all part of the process.
For me personally, my best headlines are usually the ones that sort of just pop into my head. But generally speaking, you’re better off writing a bunch of headlines, until you end up with your strongest one.
So how will you determine which is your strongest headline?
Show your headlines to your friends and family. Get their opinions. Also, if you’re a member of a small business forum, show your headlines to forum members to get their feedback.
Ready to see me write another headline? Let’s do it.
Suppose I owned a pet grooming shop. Now since I already did my market research, I know that most pet owners like to pamper their pets. So I’m sure that I would get a pet owners attention with a headline like this:
“Pet Owners: We’ll Pamper Your Pet Like It Belonged To Oprah!”
Now let’s discuss the fundamentals for a second. My target audience for this ad are pet owners. So in my headline I targeted my audience by using the words, “pet owners” and I gave my audience what they want by using the word “pamper.”
Let me explain what else I did. I used the name of a famous celebrity in my headline, which is always guaranteed to get attention. Remember what I said earlier. The number one job of a headline is to get the readers attention.
But I also did something else. I brought emotion into the mix. In my headline, I told readers that my pet grooming shop would “treat their pets like royalty!” And while I didn’t use those exact words, the implication is there.
That headline has strong emotional appeal. After all, what loving pet owner doesn’t want their pet treated special, right?
By the way, emotional appeals are very powerful in headlines. So use them as often as possible.
So are you starting to understand this headline writing thing yet?
Well, let’s write one more to make sure.
Suppose I owned a pizza shop. Again, start with the fundamentals. My target for this ad is a general audience. After all, nearly everyone eats pizza.
But despite that fact, I’m still going to target my audience by using the word, “pizza” in my headline
Now this one’s a little trickier because pizza ads are a dime a dozen.
So I need to do something to make my headline different – to stand out. I’ve decided to give my headline instant credibility by using a feature that is unique to my pizza shop. Here’s the headline I came up with:
“Jackson’s Pizza: Voted the City’s Best Pizza For 10 Straight Years!”
Do you know what the reaction of most people reading that headline would be?
“Wow…voted the city’s best pizza for 10 straight years! It must be good!”
This headline also has strong emotional appeal. Why? Because everyone likes to be associated with a winner. It’s human nature.
Wrapping everything up, I’m going to summarize what it takes to write effective headlines into 5 simple steps:
1. You must know and understand your target audience. Research your market!
2. Target your headline to that audience.
3. Give your audience what they want.
4. Your headline must get the readers attention. Be creative.
5. Use emotional appeal whenever possible. Again, be creative.
One last thing. when writing headlines don’t try to trick or mislead people. Get people’s attention, yes. Be creative, yes.
But above all be honest!
About the Author
David Jackson is a writer and the owner of the Fundamental-Marketing-Blog.com, featuring original articles on the fundamentals of marketing.
An original vintage magazine ad print from the year published. Print ads make unique gift items that can be framed as artwork. Shipped flat un-framed in plastic sleeve with backing board….
An original vintage magazine ad print from the year published. Print ads make unique gift items that can be framed as artwork. Shipped flat un-framed in plastic sleeve with backing board….
An original vintage magazine ad print from the year published. Print ads make unique gift items that can be framed as artwork. Shipped flat un-framed in plastic sleeve with backing board….
This silent film explores the manufacturing process, and virtues, of beer in the early 20th century. The video possesses great camp value: through bizarre text boxes one speaker extols the healthiness of drinking large amounts of beer! But, as with most silent films, the most striking aspects of it are the beautiful moving images of now historical brewing facilities. For Good Living is the perfect…
What are some well-paying jobs in the advertising business and their descriptions? Is there a specific job title for people who come up with catchy slogans and write compelling ad content? Also, what’s the main difference between a copywriter and a brander?
I’ve worked in marketing/advertising and I would say it’s generally a well-paying field. Sounds like you’re interested in the creative side of the industry (rather than the account management/numbers side). The higher-up positions pay better, obviously, but you have to work your way up. Examples are marketing director, art director, senior copywriter, brand strategist.
Copywriters create slogans and ad copy, among other things.
Brand strategists define and outline a company’s brand, which includes everything from copy (brand voice) to design (logos, company look and feel). Creative directors do it all — they’re responsible for directing an entire advertising or branding campaign.
