Tricks from Tested Advertising Methods to Help Your Headline
The headline is the most important part
We’ve all heard that headlines are the most important part of any advertisement. It can seem difficult to craft a good headline, but there are a few easy tricks that we found in Tested Advertising Methods to help you get better.
Can you spot the headline that was more effective?
ARE YOU AFRAID OF MAKING MISTAKES IN ENGLISH?
DO YOU MAKE THESE MISTAKES IN ENGLISH?
According to Tested Advertising Methods by Claude Hopkins, the second method got better results. Why? because it “arouses readers’ curiosity and self-interest.” While the first headline “suggests…a sales talk.” The first headline also suggests fear, and it’s usually better to arouse curiosity than to elicit fear. Craft your headline carefully. It can make or break your ad.
Theories are cool and all, but facts are better
We all have our theories. Cousin Sam thinks aliens caused global warming. Your dentist thinks Pokemon Go is a conspiracy. We get it. While theories might be interesting, they aren’t going to get you sales. The best tool to use for that is facts. Why? Because people make purchasing decisions based on logic. The more logical you are, the better.
Be specific
Hopkins suggests that “the weight of an argument may often be multiplied by making it specific.” Instead of saying it’s the “best product around,” say that the product has 4 million happy customers; instead of “strict standards” say that it’s up to the latest codes in the United States; instead of saying, “you’ll love it,” say, “most customers love it so much, they buy two…”
Don’t leave them hanging
Hopkins suggest that we “cover every phrase of [our] subject.” Why? Well, this goes hand-in-hand with the ideas above. If you give your customers half of the facts, they won’t have everything they need to make a decision.
Be happy
We’re more attracted to the positive. Don’t let your audience think about the gloomy side of things; present a positive reason to choose your product and show the customers why the crowd is choosing your product. We do this in our daily lives, right? When we want a friend to come with us to a movie, we talk about all of the great reasons to see the movie, not all of the terrible things that will happen if they don’t to see the movie. Sometimes, advertising is just about common sense.
Take note of your favorite ads and see what they’re promoting. Do they inspire you to do more? Are they appealing to your fears? We can often get the best ideas by recognizing what types of ads appeal to us. Now we can go forth and advertise a little better thanks to Claude.