Internet Marketing & Copywriting. The Art Of Selling With Words. Part 2.
| Tuesday, September 07, 2004 |
Words Are Your Selling Tools On The Net!Being able to write an attention grabbing headline is the first and most important web site copywriting skill to learn.
The ability to write a good headline is a skill which can be learned, with observation and practice...
Think Of Your Audience And THEIR Needs.
Learning how to write a good headline for your web site, channel, blog or Google AdWords campaign requires practice and observation.
A writer writes and observes. You are surrounded by excellent examples of good headlines in your everday life, newspapers.
The only purpose of a headline in web site copywriting is to SELL your article to your reader. To see how this is done observe the banner headlines that are regularly used to sell newspapers, and magazines.
These headlines have ONE purpose... to attract your attention and to get you to take an action (read more). The obvious purpose here is to get you to buy the magazine or newspaper.
Web Site Copywriting Is A Little Different.
A web site headline has a similar (but different) purpose. Its purpose is to pull the reader into the copy on the page (same as the newspaper).
However, its main purpose is to get your page read. The way you do this is by focusing the reader on the benefits (to them) of reading the rest of the copy in the article or web site.
What you're wanting to achieve here with your headline is to get the reader to pre-qualify their own interest in your article (by reading it).
To better understand how this process works think about your own surfing habits and you'll see how effective headlines have captured your interest and got you to read an article (or web site page). A good headline continues the conversation that's going on in someone's head when they land on a web site or see an article.
For example if you're reading this article then you've pre-qualified your own interest in improving your web site copywriting skills by reading this article.
The main mistake beginning writers make with their headlines is that they attempt to sell with it. If you take the approach of using your headline to sell readership of your article and use your article to sell your product or service then you will achieve far better conversion rates.
And of course there is another silent reader for your headlines, Search Engine bots. so you're also involved in seo copywriting with your direct response copywriting techniques. Factor the Search Engine bots needs in by using keywords in your copywriting.
Use Active Verbs.
Active verbs are "Take Action" verbs. They imply that an action is required to get the benefits promised in your headline.
For example if you were promoting an ebook on winning the Lotto you might use a headline like "Beat the Lotto". Inherent in the idea of "winning the Lotto" is the idea of "beating the system". This is a more powerful headline than "Win the Lotto" (even though these headlines say the same thing).
Testing Your Headlines.
Testing your headlines is VERY important. No one really knows why one headline works and another doesn't? What direct marketers do is run split run tests on different headlines by playing a game called "beat the control". They set up a control piece and then attempt to beat its conversion rates with another headline. Subtle changes can make BIG differences in conversion rates and income. Split run tests will be discussed in another series.
So, in essence observe and practice, practice, practice... then test.
Expect Success
Kenneth Doyle
Internet Marketing Information: www.feedyourhungrymind.com
Keywords: internet marketing, copywriting, seo copywriting, web site copywriting, direct marketing copywriting, direct response copywriting, copywriting course, Kenneth Doyle.
Posted on 09/07/04 at 11:57:11 by Kenneth Doyle
Category: E: Web Copywriting
Category: E: Web Copywriting
Comments
Ed Schuchardt wrote:
Posted on 04/11/06 at 06:52:43
Thank you very much
Ed Schuchardt