Headlines Bring Sales--Where and How to Use Them - Part 1

Headlines are short vital statements to stimulate your potential customers and clients to take action. That means sales! Since you only have 10 seconds to attract your visitor or reader, create headlines to make ultimate sales.

Your benefit-driven headlines are your 24/7 sales team working for your while you relax your favorite way.

Without them, your ezine ads, email promotions, special reports, eBooks, book and article titles, chapter titles, ezines and print newsletters, and Web site will not pull visitor attention, trust, credibility, traffic or sales.

Headlines bring far more sales than the copy following them. Perhaps you are a skimmer too. Skimmers usually just read the headline.

How to Use Headlines

1. EZINE ADS

Many businesses write ads and place them in strategic ezines or Web sites. They lose contacts and sales because they don't use a benefit-driven headline at the top of the ad. For instance, "YOU CAN WRITE A PROFITABLE BOOK IN LESS THAN 30 DAYS! or HIGH TRAFFIC=HIGH WEB SALES."

Start with the benefit in capital letters. Make a free offer to get people to visit your Web site. Include contact information in hyper links. Make your ad 5-7 lines. Don't pitch what you are selling in the ad--this doesn't motivate.

2. SUBJECT LINE IN YOUR OUTGOING EMAIL

Make sure your headline includes a benefit for the product, the teleclass, the seminar or service you are promoting. Over 50% of outgoing messages are never opened because the subject line doesn't inspire or stimulate the audiences' curiosity.

So many professionals just put an announcement in the subject line such as "Upcoming Programs." Not specific enough, nor motivating enough to make me want to open the email.

Here's a few winners: Quadruple your Sales in 4 Months with Articles Teleclass, FREE report: Online Marketing is 10 Times More Powerful than Traditional, or for an ezine, don't just put its name in subject line, put its feature article in with a abbreviated ezine name and ....

3. FREE SPECIAL REPORTS AND ARTICLES

These 2-6 page informational, how-to pieces help promote your business Online. Send one every month or so to follow up your email group lists.

Your article title is your headline. Best titles include a benefit and audience. People want to know what's in for them before they invest their valuable time to read it. Don't lose them with a weak title. Which of these are powerful? "10 Tips to Promote your Product with Flyers." "Shorten your Journey to Business Success with Teleclasses." "Want a Web Site that Turns Lookie Loos into Buyers?"

Within the body of the piece use headlines to inspire and motive the reader to keep reading to get their questions answered. The reason they read your article is to learn how to solve their problem. Headlines organize and guide your reader to make it easy for him/her to read. With appreciation for your useful article they may click on your product or service to buy you offer in your signature file at the bottom.

Within "The BIG 3 Marketing Machine" report, this headline pulls reader action: "Leverage your Sales Through a Short Headline."

When you add zesty, power-packed headlines to anything your write or use to promote yourself and your business, you will attract your target potential buyers who evolve into buyers. Part two of this article is available; contact Judy@bookcoaching.com.

Judy Cullins ©2004 All Rights Reserved

Judy Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing Coach, Author of 10 eBooks including "Write your eBook Fast," and "How to Market your Business on the Internet," she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says...and Business Tip of the Month at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 155 free articles. Email her at mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com