Creating a Great Headline
When someone lands on your website you have very little time to get their attention and pull them head first into your copy. We are inundated with what a constant stream of marketing messages that we have to duck and avoid just to make it through our day.
Between the TV, radio, newspapers, internet, mail, e-mail, solicitors, billboards and people trying to get us in their MLM downline, the load of messages is enough to make your head spin.
We are conditioned to avoid all these messages, because if we paid attention to even 1% of them we wouldn't have time for ANYTHING else. We need to ignore these messages just to make it through the day.
Great copywriters will often time spend the majority of their time when they're writing an ad just coming up with the right headline, because they know if the headline doesn't pull people in, they've lost em' forever.
The job of a headline is two fold. It should:
1. Get the attention of your target audience
2. Compel your target audience to read the rest of the ad.
Your headline should literally stop your target dead in their tracks and make them NEED to know more. Just throwing your logo and business name up WILL NOT DO THIS.
Here are some classic headline formulas that have been tested and proven to work time and again.
Attention! _______________
Example: Attention! Busy Moms in San Diego Californian That Can't Seem To Lose Weght No Matter What…
Warning:_____________________
Warning: Residents of Sacramento California, Don't Waste Another Penny With Your Personal Trainer Until You Read This…
Wanted! ________________
Wanted! Seattle Business Men Who Want to Lose Their Gut and Have More Energy
An Open Letter To _________________
Example: An Open Letter To Residents of Lubbock, Texas
They Didn't Think I Could __________________, But I Proved Them Wrong
Example: They Laughed When I Sat Down At The Piano, But When I Started To Play ( this is one of the greatest headlines of all time.)
How I __________________
Example: How I Lost 16 Pounds in 6 Weeks
Who Else Wants To ______________?
Example: Who Else Wants To Lose 27 Pounds in Just 8 Weeks?
The Secret Of _________________
Example: The Secret Fat Loss Program of a Dallas Personal Trainer
_____________ Like ________________
Example: Tone Up and Look Like a Professional Fitness Model
What Everybody Ought To Know About _________________________
Example: What Everybody Ought To Know About Working Out With A Personal Trainer
The Ultimate _______________
Example: The Ultimate Fat Loss Workout
How To Avoid _________________
Example: How To Avoid These Mistakes in the Gym
What _______________ Don't Tell You
Example: What Personal Trainers Don't Tell You
Finally, ___________________
Finally, a Workout Program that Really Works
Would You ___________ for ___________________
Example: Would You Show Up To The Gym Twice a Week For Six-Pack Abs?
# Ways To _____________
Example: 7 Ways To Lose Fat While You Sleep
Confessions of ____________
Example: Confessions of San Diego Personal Trainer
Free ______________
Example: Free Personal Training For Six Months
If You Can _________________
Example: If You Can Show Up To The Gym For Just 30 Minutes Twice a Week You Can Lose Ten Pounds
The Amazing ___________
Example: The Amazing Fat Loss Program Discovered By An Oregon House Wife
Give Me _____________ And I'll _________________
Example: Give Me Six Weeks And I'll Make You Lose Twenty Pounds
You Can ______________
Example: You Can Lose 3 Inches in 20 Days
Who Else Wants To ________________?
Example: Who Else Wants To Lose 27 Pounds in 6 Weeks?
The Lazy Man's ________________
Example: The Lazy Mans Way To Lose Fat Fast
Tired of ______________?
Example: Tired of Low Carb Diets and Counting Your Calories?
Why ______________?
Example: Why Carry Around That Extra Weight When You Don't have To?
____________ in _______________
Example: Lose 20 Pounds in 22 Days
Another great kind of headline is a news type of headline. When you're at the grocery store check out the headlines on the cover of The Enquirer and Cosmo. Some of the highest paid copywriters write those ads and they're masters at stopping people dead in their tracks and making them want to read more.
Look at the covers of these magazines and see what you can rewrite and can apply to your business.
Bottom Line: One of the biggest skills you have in your fitness marketing efforts is creating killer headlines, this is one area you definitely DON'T want to drop the ball. Craft a headline that makes your target audience NEED to know more. Write 50 or 100 different headlines. Find the best five and rewrite those, refine them and take out any words that aren't necessary. Narrow it down to one. Then write the rest of your ad around the hook or major benefit(s) in your headline. And then run a/b split test testing one variable in your headline at a time.
Or you can just put something like "Bob's Personal Training" or "Super Duper Sleek Physiques Inc." at the top of your ads and make the world a whole lot easier on your competitors.
By Chris McCombs
Chris McCombs is a Fitness Business, Gym marketing and Mixed Martial Arts marketing expert, Chris has also owned his own personal training business for years in Orange County and Los Angeles California
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