Writing Headlines That Get People To Read

[vangogh]

we will continue to support it

One of the reasons I tried starting a few threads here. I'm not sure how many people pop into this section of the site. It's amazing how much copywriting crosses into all the other things we talk about it. Much of the time when some is struggling with their website or an ad campaign the answer is really to improve the copy.

[Just H]

For me, it depends what I'm reading. If I'm looking for something specific to learn about, then the practical straightforward headlines are definitely the easiest to pick out. For personal blogs or just copy in general, I'll be more drawn to the quirky as it leads me to believe it's written better than the boring one. Now, combine the factual basic topic with a quirky/clever headline - I'm sold. If you can tell me what the copy is about and say it in a completely unique way, then that's the article I want to read.

Truth be told, most of the fact-based, straight forward info that I "should read" bores me to tears and I usually skip over or don't finish it anyway. The more well-written the whole package, the longer I stay.

[vangogh]

I guess it depends to a degree on the blog and how much you enjoy reading it. There are certain blogs that I've come to enjoy over time and it really doesn't matter what the headline is at this point since I'm going to click in and at least read the first paragraph.

H with the longer info pieces ideally the writer used headings throughout and maybe some lists and other elements in order to make the post scannable. That way you can quickly look over the post, take the most important information from it, and decide if it's important enough for you to read.

A well written post is definitely important, but the headline still needs to grab you enough to get you reading the post in the first place.

[Just H]

Yeah, I can see where the subheadings and lists throughout would definitely make it easier to scan and identify the overall content as well as what areas are targeting what the user is interested in. I know that headlines apply to many areas as well as magazines, newspapers, the 6 o'clock news as well as cereal boxes and such. And each of those seem to use the type of headlines that work best w/ their product/piece. With pieces like the headline on the front page of a newspaper, it seems to work best to have something more catchy and it's portrayed w/ a large photo so the deciphering of meaning usually doesn't take much and the play on words is apparent.

[vangogh]

With the newspaper you're already holding it in your hand and you're planning on reading something. The catchy headline probably gets you to look at the article as opposed to some of the other articles on the page. Still a lot of newspapers will write factual headlines. Then there's the NY Post...

With blog posts some will depend on how you're consuming the info. For me it's in a feedreader that only shows the headlines until I click on one. So that headline needs to be written in a way to get me to click. If I can't tell what the post is about there are a few hundred other headlines waiting on me so I'll just as soon scan them.

Scanning is important in any reading online. Most of us don't read right away. There's so much information calling for our attention that we have limited time. We'll scan the headline and the headings. Look at the images and check out the bulleted and numbered lists to get a sense of what the post contains. If we like we'll read the whole thing. An ideal way to write a post is to make sure it reads well just from the headline and headings and other quickly scanned elements. The paragraphs of text might be thought of as more detailed information to the shorter headline only post.

[Dan Furman]

Well, since all the admins are very much aware of how important copywriting is, we will continue to support it. The trick is to get small business owners to realize the value. Big businesses certainly know this, but I'm guessing that small businesses need more awareness.

I do my best to educate, but many people still use really poor copy, and then wonder why nobody calls.

It goes back to "anyone can write at a basic level". Not everyone can make a website, or work with graphics, so people see value there easier. Many don't really see the value in writing. Not a "feel sorry for myself" complaint or anything, mind you, just the truth.

Plus, a copywriter really isn't cheap. In many (but not all) cases, I'm more expensive than the web designer. A lot of people, especially small businesspeople on tight budgets, have a hard time with that (the basic reason for this is usually a designer puts the bulk of the work into the first page, then the rest come easy - a writer can't do that - each page is typically "from scratch". In fact, duplication is bad.)

Another hard part of the "awareness" thing is businesspeople kind of have to reach the "I need writing" conclusion on their own - you're generally not finding my website on google unless you search for a writer. Well, that means you kind of already made the decision to at least look into hiring one.

That's why I do other stuff, like have a blog, post here, and write books. Besides the fact that I enjoy those, it brings "me" to a wider audience.

[vangogh]

It goes back to "anyone can write at a basic level". Not everyone can make a website, or work with graphics, so people see value there easier. Many don't really see the value in writing.

That's really the heart of the issue. Since most people can write they assume it's one place they can save on the cost of hiring a professional. The opposite is really the truth. Since every one can write at a basic level you need to make sure your copy stands out from the pack. Most people can't do that and so a copywriter is an extremely valuable hire.

And if for every $200 you spend on better copy it brings back even $500 it's not really costing anything.

[Dan Furman]

And if for every $200 you spend on better copy it brings back even $500 it's not really costing anything.

Isn't that the truth? I can't count the number of times I've paid for myself - sometimes in a matter of hours/days.

Just recently for myself, I noticed contacts were down. My old wording of being an excellent copywriter wasn't working as well with Mr. Recession at the door. So last month, I moved to a more ROI focused message (which is what people need to hear now) - bam, contacts increased immediately. I mean, I went all week without a contact, and got one within twenty minutes of putting up the new copy.

Let me tell you, that is a serious feeling of power.

[vangogh]

And the best part is when the economy picks back up the new change will be leading to even more contacts. I think the point that a single word or a rewrite of a sentence can have such a huge impact on sales is lost on many people. Not everyone has the eye to distinguish good copy from average or bad.

[cbscreative]

The comments above remind me of why our writing never seems to be done, and the need for constant improvement. I've mentioned this in other threads, but I felt many pages on my own site needed a revamp, and I'm still working on more of the content. Even small changes can make a surprisingly big difference.