Want to create IMPACT with a HEADLINE that grabs attention?
Then you need to know…
- THE number one emotion you need to create when writing headlines, AND
- The number one job of a headline – and honestly, you might be surprised at what that is!
You’re smart and I’m sure you already know that the starting point for a great headline, is finding a way to connect your product or service to the inner most feelings of your perfect client.
The feelings of desire for more success, more security, more inner peace, more adventure… OR the desire for less pain or fear – less sleepless nights!
KNOW YOUR PERFECT CLIENT
So you need to take time and get to know your perfect client – so many people miss this step and make assumptions instead – but it’s so crucial. If you don’t know what your client thinks about every day, worries about daily, dreams about daily… if you don’t know what they value most highly in life… how can you provide an offer in a way that will be of interest to them…and how can you create a headline that will make them stop and take notice?
PEOPLE’S MINDS ARE ABSORBED WITH THEIR OWN CONCERNS
People’s minds are absorbed with their own concerns – they don’t care about what you want. The more you can meet them where their minds are already preoccupied, the better response you’ll get.
Aim to create a big headline that relates to their top problem or their big dream of a wonderful life – this’ll be what they think about most of the time…
Wouldn’t you agree that when you constantly think about something, you start to see those things around you that relate to what you are thinking about? It’s like when you are about to buy a new car – if it’s say a Range Rover – you’ll start to notice every other Range Rover on the road – it’s just the way our minds work.
So if you write about what THEY are thinking about all the time, their subconscious mind will be looking out for that… for answers… and this is the way you’ll meet them where they are already at in their heads – and you’ll get their ATTENTION.
WHAT IS THEIR NO.1 EMOTION?
So the reason they are interested in something, is usually that they’re searching for answers… is the Range Rover REALLY as good as they hope? What colour should they buy? Will it solve that problem they have? Is it worth the price tag? Will it make them feel the way they want to feel? They want answers…
So with that in mind, what do you think is the number ONE emotion we want to create when writing our headlines?
Any ideas?
The answer is CURIOSITY.
Curiosity is the most powerful tool any writer can use to create action. So you must know what your client is interested to know!
We must think about how you can create curiosity in every headline we write. To do so, we need to ask ourselves those questions again….
- What do they want to know?
- What answers do they need?
- What keeps them awake at night?
- What is their life missing?
- What is their unspoken dream?
- How can you show them how to achieve it?
- What do they search for online?
- What specific keywords or phrases are they searching for on google when they look to solve their problems?
We need to know what they are curious about… what they are searching for.
SO NEXT, WHAT IS THE NUMBER ONE JOB OF A HEADLINE?:
We know that we need to create curiosity – that’s the emotion we need to create.
But what’s the Headlines’ number one job?
Well, the number one job of a headline – in fact it’s ONLY job – is to draw them in.
You don’t need to create a headline that explains what is to follow, or provides the name of your product or service… but you MUST get them intrigued enough to read on!
Have you ever started reading the huffington post, or hello magazine… these gossip magazines drive your curiosity continually – you know, you start reading and before you know it, it’s next Thursday!
So your subject line (headline) MUST hook the reader so they open the email or feel compelled to read more on your web page or sales page. That’s its ONLY job. I’ll say that again…. that’s the headline’s ONLY job.
It’s not necessarily there to tell them what your whole email or sales page is about… driving curiosity to read more is the key!
Here are some great examples I found written by Digital Marketer:
‘You Can’t Be Blamed for your Weight Problem!’ (The idea is overweight people will be interested – ‘it’s not your fault’ – people will be curious about that!)
‘You Can Heal Yourself Without Doctors or Drugs’ (Those feeling worried about their health will ask themselves – Can you? How?)
‘What NEVER To Eat On An Aeroplane’ (Are there foods we shouldn’t eat? Why shouldn’t we eat them? Is this going to be good gossip or are we worried about our health?)
“When Doctors Fell Rotten This Is What THEY Do” (this feels like an insider secret that you must know!)
“How I Improved My Memory In One Evening” – (How many of us feel like we could do with improving our memory? We’ll be intrigued to know how!)
And we can apply they principles to our own writing…
As Mum’s we could have – “The one BIG secret to Survive The Teenage Daughter Years!’
As a business coach we could have – “One Easy Step To Inspire More People and Double Your Impact”
You get the idea…
By writing great headlines we are reaching more people and more people means more positive impact. I hope this has been food for thought and if you need any guidance, please feel free to reach out to claire@wildheartwebdesign.com
Have a wonderful week – speak soon!
Claire x