WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF

A GOOD HEADLINE?
WHAT SHOULD IT ACHIEVE?
THE STEPS INVOLVED WITH
GETTING AN AD FROM CONCEPT
TO THE PRINTED PAGE
By ALI ZULFIKAR ZAHEDI
BBA, PGDPM, MBA, DIP in AD (UK)

2008-11-13

NEED AND FEED

Foundation

www.needandfeed.org
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WHAT IS TH
THE IMPORTANCE OF A
GOOD HEADLINE? WHAT SHOULD IT
ACHIEVE?

The importance of good headlines of advertising, it could say this section could
call the make-it or break-it section. Of all parts of advertising, the Headline is
absolutely the most important piece to the puzzle.

If advertisers don’t write a good headline, company might as well get out of
advertising right now. The bad news is that company cannot make money in
business without good headlines. The good news is anyone can write KILLER
headlines

Without a headline, sales letter is doomed to failure even before it starts. If

company are not willing to put forth the effort of doing an effective one, then
company might as well quit business. Company will never make more than
minimum wage anyhow without good headlines!

If company are going to spend time and money on advertising, company need to
make sure that people are at least going to READ the sales letter. The key to this
is an effective headline. Without it, company will not get 99% of the people who
see the ad to even read it.

It is the leader for the entire ad and it will set the tone and direction for the ad. It
could be said easily that it is 50% of ad all by itself. Let's talk about each of those
aspects in detail:

It has to grab company’s targeted prospect's attention

Company have to decide exactly who one customer will be. That is part of the
reason for the Research that company needs to do first. Company had to find out
who and why people were buying the product. Company’s sales letter needs to be
written as though it was for ONE specific person.
For example, if company are selling a book about child care, it may start a
headline like this:
"Attention All Frustrated and Worn Out Parents..."
Or
"PARENTS..."
If company could sell a weight loss product with a headline that starts with:
"If you want to lose 30 pounds in 30 days..."

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If company are selling computers, it might start with:

"Are You Looking for a Computer At Half the Cost?..."
This way company can grab target market's attention upfront and then blast
them with the offer in larger letters.

What's in it for me

All of advertising is based on those 5 little words. The headline is no exception.

Company prospect will ask this question of the headline, the letter, the offer, and
the order form
When company made the list of benefits, which one stands out to prospects the
most by company’s research? This should become a part of the headline along
with USP (Unique Selling Position) if possible.

It should set the tone of the ad and the offer!

The headline is a type of introduction of upcoming killer copy. It needs to both

grab the attention of company’s prospects and then get them ready to read the
ad. It could be said that the headline is the "Ad for the Ad."

Nothing is more important to getting the message noticed than teh lead-in. If
company are not allocating a sizable percentage of time and creative effort to the
headlines, company could be losing out on a large chunk of business.

Top copywriters understand this concept well. They know how essential it is for
the headline to command attention by figuratively grabbing the prospect by the
jugular.

Here are five good reasons why headlines deserve greater emphasis and
attention.

1) Headlines Are Natural Attention-Getters: Customer all have a

tendency to read headlines first, before delving into the body copy. They stand
out visually, thus compelling people to pay attention to them first. Headlines act
as titles and lead-ins that are set above and clearly separate from the rest of the
text. This naturally attracts the eye of the reader.
According to advertising legend David Ogilvy, 5 times more people read
headlines than the body copy of an ad. If the headline fails to stimulate interest,
the reader simply moves on. With 5 times the readership, headlines have a
unique opportunity to make any message many times more successful.

2) Headlines Serve As Valuable Guides: Headlines tip off readers.

They provide a clear signal to help readers decide whether they should stick
around for the full message, or dash off to something else that’s better suited to
their own special interests.
As a quick summary of the entire piece, headlines either attract continued
interest and readership, or they repel it. Without a headline, the reader is forced

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to wade through a portion of the text to understand the meaning. When you force
readers to do this, you risk losing them altogether. In effect, having no headline
will cost you at least 80% of your potential audience!

3) Headlines Prepare the Reader For What’s Coming Next:

Headlines fuel interest. They start the reader’s motor running. A good headline
sets up a feeling of expectation as the reader anticipates discovering more and
can’t wait to get it!

Successful headlines address a specific audience. They open the reader’s mind to
new possibilities and expand the level of enthusiasm and interest. The best
headlines involve the reader in some way which virtually guarantees sustained
attention -- at least until the reader finds the information he seeks, loses interest,
or places an order.

4) Headlines Simplify the Learning Curve: Every headline serves

to introduce whatever information follows. As an opening, the role of the
headline is to succinctly communicate the essence of the message it precedes.

Effective headlines and sub-headings reveal key bits of information -- often with
the added power of emotion. A review of the various headlines and sub-headings
alone can often provide one with the gist of a given message. This makes it faster
and easier to understand and remember.

5) Headlines Allow Company To Deliver Your Biggest Bang

Up-Front: company have the opportunity to arrest attention and interest at the
outset, by using the most appealing sales point in the headline. If strongest, most
desirable product attribute fails to pull prospects in, surely nothing else would do
the trick, either.

Here below is some good headlines example is given:

1. DID YOU EVER SEE A "TELEGRAM" FROM YOUR HEART?

2. NOW ANY AUTO REPAIR JOB CAN BE "DUCK SOUP" FOR YOU
3. NEW SHAMPOO LEAVES YOUR HAIR SMOOTHER — EASIER TO MANAGE
4. IT'S A SHAME FOR YOU NOT TO MAKE GOOD MONEY — WHEN THESE MEN DO IT SO
EASILY
5. MAKE THIS 1-MINUTE TEST — OF AN AMAZING NEW KIND OF SHAVING CREAM
6. AGAIN SHE ORDERS… "A CHICKEN SALAD, PLEASE"
7. FOR THE WOMAN WHO IS OLDER THAN SHE LOOKS
8. CHECK THE KIND OF BODY YOU WANT
9. THERE'S ANOTHER WOMAN WAITING FOR EVERY MAN — AND SHE'S TOO SMART TO
HAVE "MORNING MOUTH"

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10. "LAST FRIDAY…WAS I SCARED!—MY BOSS ALMOST FIRED ME!"

11. SUPPOSE THIS HAPPENED ON YOUR WEDDING DAY!
12. FORMER BARBER EARNS $8,000 IN 4 MONTHS AS A REAL ESTATE SPECIALIST
13. TAKE ANY 3 OF THESE KITCHEN APPLIANCES — FOR ONLY $8.95 (VALUES UP TO
$15.45)
14. SAVE 20 CENTS ON TWO CANS OF CRANBERRY SAUCE — LIMITED OFFER
15. ONE PLACE SETTING FREE FOR EVERY THREE YOU BUY!

WHAT SHOULD IT ACHIEVE?

If company is writing a headline or heading for a site page, here are four things
that need to keep in mind, four elements that demand the attention, four
separate ‘audiences’ that need to satisfy customer.

1. Make the reader feel he or she is in the right place

Every time someone clicks on a link and a new page begins to open, the reader is
thinking, in one way or another, “Is this page going to give me what I’m looking
for?” This is particularly true of first-time visitors. It is also true of any visitor on
any page in the site, even a repeat visitor who is accessing a page for the first.

Matching the headline to the reader’s expectations is central to holding their

attention and giving them a high level of confidence.

If the heading doesn’t match the reader’s hopes and expectations, their
confidence in finding what they want will fall and your conversion rates will
decline.

2. Make the reader feel good and want to continue

This is where a page heading takes on the characteristics of a print

advertisement headline. The heading not only has to satisfy point number one,
but also has to make a ‘sale’. That is to say, it has to sell the reader on the benefits
of reading the page. Just as an ad headline sells the reader on the benefits of
reading the body text.

3. Appeal to the search engines

To ignore the needs of the search engines on any page is foolishness. company
need to work with the page title, meta tags and headline to ensure that are
covering the most relevant and profitable key words and phrases. If don’t,
company are losing traffic and losing potential readers and customers.

While some writers find it frustrating to have to accommodate the needs of SEO,
doing so will actually help with point number one. The better company know and
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understand what people are entering into the search box, the easier it will be for
company to write text that is relevant to their expectations and needs.

4. Satisfy the needs of the company or organization

This is the tough one. This is where company not-very-net-savvy manager or

client pressures to make the heading more company centric, about the company
or organization, and not about the needs of the reader.

At this point company have to fight the best fight can. Gather together the best
evidence company can find and persuade the manager of the errors of his or her
ways. If all else fails, you company always suggest a test...testing the heading
against theirs...and then measure the search engine traffic, and the conversion
rate of the page.

Conclusion:
The headline's main purpose is to SELL the prospect on the idea of reading the
entire sales letter. Whenever company write a headline, keep that in mind.
People's time is precious and if company want them to take time out of their day
to read sales piece, then company better have something good to say in the very
beginning. Otherwise, company have lost them forever!

Headlines are powerful marketing tools when used correctly. Company should
Take a good look at the headlines using in own ads, brochures, sales letters, and
web pages. It also should Keep an eye out for additional headline and sub-head
possibilities. Should Make the headlines impossible to miss and difficult to
ignore… then, watch the results soar!

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EXPLAIN THE STEPS INVOLVED WITH

GETTING AN AD FROM
FROM CONCEPT TO THE
PRINTED PAGE
Many print advertisements, whether created by huge agencies or total
amateurs, fail to achieve results because they don't have clearly defined goals
and does not follow any steps which are involved in to printing advertising. Here
I will explain what is the step is involved with getting an advertising from
concept to the printing page.

1. Choose the Audience

Some products are very specialized and appeal to a narrow market segment;
others are well-suited to a variety of potential buyers. If the product or service is
the first kind, company know who audience is; but if company have multiple
types of prospects, company need to decide which one they are trying to reach
with this ad. In order to achieve its full impact, the ad must appeal to the needs of
a specific group of individuals who have similar needs.

2. Setting an Objective

Company should ask most people what are trying to accomplish with their ad,
and company will hear: "To sell more." However, selling more is not the
immediate objective for most advertisements. For example, objective might be
for people reading the ad to:

For most ads, you should have just one, simple objective. All ads help build
market awareness, so that is usually a secondary objective. Your stated objective
should be a specific action you expect readers to take.

3. Decide Where to Advertise

Four things will determine the best medium for your advertisement:

• Audience
• Appropriateness
• Geography
• Price

4. Determine the Size of the Advertisement

The first time people see the ad; it may make an impression but not motivate
them to act. With repetition, more people will realize to stay and begin to

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respond. Since repetition is an essential factor in the success of most ads,

company need to spread ad budget out over time.

• Determine the total amount you have to spend on advertising over a

period of time.
• Decide how many times you will run your ad during that time Divide your
total budget by the number of insertions. That gives you your budget per
ad.
• Using the pricing in the media kits, decide whether your budget per
insertion is enough for the size of ad you want. (Let ads from other
companies guide your minimum size. You don't need to run the biggest ad,
but don't run a 1/2" x 2" ad when most others place a 4" x 5" or larger.)

If company can't afford a decent sized ad for enough repetitions in chosen

publication, either find a way to increase the budget or use a less costly
publication.

5. Write the Call to Action

Once company know how big the ad will be, who audience is and where will
place the ad, company will be ready to start writing. As company begin to write
the ad, the first words that come to mind are probably the headline, but before
write the beginning of the ad, think about the end.

By writing the call to action first, company accomplish two things. First, to make
sure the ad ends up where company want it to go. Second, it helps the focus the
content for the rest of the ad. To get ideas for the call to action, look through
every publication company can get hands on, and read the ads for type of
business that are run by the largest companies.

6. Write the Headline

An ad's headline is very closely related to the call to action. They work together
to state the same point in two different ways. For example, suppose you sell a
terrific stain remover for ceramic tile.

7. Create the Body Text

Think of the ad as a sandwich. The headline and the call to action are important.
The first makes the prospect stop and read the ad, and the second induces them
to take an action; but the middle is where the meat is.

The job of the body is to amplify on the promise of the headline and to fill in
enough details to make the call to action attractive. A few more guidelines for
writing your ad's body:

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• Keep it focused. This is not the place to list all of the advantages of buying
from you or all of the models you offer. Confine copy to points which
support immediate objective and call to action.
• Don't use unnecessary puffery. Too many ads claim to be the best, to be the
leading something, to have the lowest price, highest quality and so on. Use
body copy to communicate facts, not claims.
• After write the body, edit and then edit some more. Most people won't
spend a lot of time reading ad, so make every point as concisely as
possible. Keep cutting out extra words until all that is left is pure steak
with minimum frills.

8. Add Graphics and Other Design Elements

If company sell window coverings, an excellent photo can be one of the most
important parts of the ad. If company sell accounting, images may be less useful
than the list of specialized services. Use graphics and photos if they directly
support the headline and the objective. Otherwise, they may confuse the reader
about what company offer. And, as with the headline, don't use cute or humorous
art unless it is the very best way to communicate company’s benefits.

9. Wrap It All Up

When company have created all of the pieces for ad, the last step is to put them
together. Many newspapers and magazines will help with the last steps of
typesetting and integrating any graphics. If not, consider paying a local
typesetting house or designer to put it together. Either way, clip one or more ads
from other companies that appeal to company and show them to the designer as
examples of the look.

Mistakes To Avoid When Designing For Newspapers

Here are some mistakes to avoid when designing for newspapers along with
some other tips.

Too much clutter – company should not forget the importance of white space. If
company can’t fit in all the information company had hoped to, consider going
with a larger sized ad, or editing down the information to a more manageable
amount or get creative… how can company say the whole message in just a few
words or a picture?

Unclear message – company should be making sure to know what company are
trying to get reader to do before start to design the ad. Keep this objective in
mind at all times and review the ad when company are done to make sure this
has been accomplished.

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Errors – Even though it may seem easy to proofread such a small set of type,
sometimes errors show up and are glossed over no matter how many times read
it. To be safe, have someone else review the ad also… this goes with almost all
graphic design work. This is actually one of the

Lack of contact information – This common error is particularly frustrating for

readers. Company may have convinced the reader to contact or purchase the
products, but if they can’t easily find contact information, they will probably not
bother to look much further. Always have a call to action.

AIDA - Try to remember this acronym… AIDA. Attention, Information, Desire,

Action. Get the consumers attention, give them the information and desire for
your product, and then give them a call to action.

One More Tip - Another thing is while researching effective newspaper ads was
that any ad that had a solid block of colour as its background (with a lot of white
space) really grabbed the attention straight away… company couldn’t turn the
page without looking at it.

Finally here is Ten Steps to Profitable Print advertising

What's black and white and read all over? According to the Newspaper
Advertising Bureau, retailers hope the answer is "my newspaper ad."

If the advertiser is a small business owner, each year company spend the largest
chunk of the advertising budget on newspapers. With that kind of investment,
every ad company create should do double duty: sell tanning services and build
salon's positive image. Company won't win customers by boring them into
buying. A few simple pointers from experts will show how to use newspapers to
get those maximum results, without a Madison Avenue budget.

Step 1: Set a Budget

There are many tried-and-true techniques for deciding on an advertising budget.

Yet many small businesses fall into the trap of spending "all we can afford" or "as
much as our competition."

Step 2: Plan Your Campaign

The most successful advertisers are not capricious ad-by-ad makers. They're
consistent ad campaigners. If company are constantly changing direction, the
audience won't recognize company. Plan the ads six to 12 months in advance to
deliver a central selling message and consistent look that build customer
confidence.

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Write down these answers and keep them handy. Company will use them in
creating ads and in choosing newspapers.

Step 3: Find Inexpensive Help

Unless company spend more than £5,000 a year on advertising, the experts say,
company probably don't need an advertising agency. But professional help with
writing and art can make the ad stand out from the "home-grown" variety often
seen in local papers. What's a budget-conscious salon owner to do?

Experts recommend staying away from newspaper advertising departments.

Avoid them like the plague and ad will look just like all the other ads in the paper.

Freelance help is a better choice. Freelance writers and artists work on a per-
project basis at a fraction of what company would pay for an agency. Company
can sometimes find these independents just by checking the Yellow Pages, but
chances have to look a little harder. A few sources to try:

• Local advertising clubs or trade associations

• Your chamber of commerce
• The advertising, journalism, or art department at a local college
• Local printers

Step 4: Write Customer-Oriented Copy

Even if company hire a freelancer, knowing what goes into good copy is an
essential part of successful advertising.

Copy needs to emphasize benefits, not features. A feature is what the service is or
what it does. A benefit tells customers what's in it for them. State the offer in
clear terms. Appeal to the target audience's desire for style, status, popularity,
savings and fun. Tell them how the services will make their lives better.

Step 5: Use Design to Reflect Company Image

Company decided on a central message and copy, now it's time to design the
selling package. All the ads should have a consistent "family" look-the same ad
size, typeface, basic layout and illustration style.

Experts offered these design tips to present your salon at its best.

• Select an unusual border and use it for every ad. Borders add impact even
to tiny ads, and give your business instant recognition.

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• Save money on borders and other illustrations by using "clip art."

Available at local art supply or book stores, "clip art" books contain
copyright- free designs that you cut out and drop into your layout.
• Limit yourself to one typeface for the headline and one for body copy. Use
boldface or larger type for emphasis, not another type style. Having too
many typefaces is like mismatching clothes, plaid with stripes and dots. Is
that the image you want to send out?
• Make it readable. Don't use type smaller than that used by the newspaper.
Don't put type over your illustration and avoid "reverse" type, white type
on a dark background.
• Because newspapers are printed on rough paper, photos generally don't
reproduce well. If you do use a photo, ask the newspaper's photo
department for tips on how to get the best reproduction in their paper.
• Leave enough white space so the ad looks clean and balanced.

Step 6: Choose a Newspaper

Most towns today have a flurry of newsprint vying for the advertising, local
papers, campus papers or weekly papers. What's the best choice?

The first thing to consider is reach-the number of people in the target audience
who read the paper. The ad rep should be able to provide with circulation
statistics broken down by gender, age, income and other demographics. Look for
papers that reach the largest number of people in your target audience.

The next point to consider is price. Newspaper space is measured in inches per
column or lines per column. An inch equals 14 lines, so you can easily convert
line rates to inch rates for comparison. A simple "cost per thousand" or "CPM"
formula can tell how much it costs to have your ad seen by 1,000 people in each
paper.

CPM equals the cost of an ad divided by the newspaper's circulation in

thousands. For example, if company buy a £200 ad in a newspaper with a
circulation of 20,000, company CPM would be 200 divided by 20, or £10. It costs
company £10 to reach 1,000 people in that paper.

Step 7: Decide When To Advertise

Follow these guidelines for picking the best day to advertise: Avoid the clutter
days, when the ad will get lost in the shuffle. Wednesday is traditionally "food
store day"; Friday is usually crowded with entertainment ads.

Thursday is the traditional "retail day," a good day to catch shoppers getting
ready for weekend spending. Sunday is good because people take more time for a
leisurely read of the paper and the ads.

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Also consider advertising on days of the week business is heaviest, payroll days
of important local businesses and just before holidays and local events, such as
school proms or reunions, which might put consumers in the market for tanning
services.

Step 8: Choose Frequency over Size

Experts say frequency is one of the most important elements of successful

advertising. "Frequency" means the number of times the target audience has an
opportunity to see the advertising message.

Experts agree that the average person sees 2,700 advertising messages a day,
and they won't make a decision based on one or two ads. However, most small
businesses run an ad for two months and give up because nothing happens.

Generally, it will take three or four months of consistent advertising before see a
significant change in sales. Why? Nine out of 10 people who see your ad this
week might not be interested in buying tanning services this week. You'll get that
one customer in 10 with a good ad, but you need to advertise frequently enough
so that when the other nine are in the market for your services, they think of
company first.

Step 9: Choose the Best Position

Since company’s ads will be small, page position is very important. When buying
newspaper Space Company can either request "ROP" (run of the paper) or
"preferred position." ROP means the newspaper places the ad wherever it fits;
preferred position means company choose a specific section, page or even
location on a page.

Step 10: Test and Follow-up

Simple testing and follow-up techniques can tell the company how the ads are
working and which newspapers work best. Company can test headlines and
other elements by doing a "split run." Run an ad in half the copies of one
newspaper; run the same ad with a different headline (or illustration, ad size,
whatever you want to test) in the other half. Include a coupon offering an
incentive such as a discount or free gift. Company also can use coupons to test
newspaper effectiveness. Run the same ad in several papers, again including
coded coupons. Count how many coupons came in from each newspaper and
company will see which paper worked best. Test several types of ads, offers,
sizes, newspapers and days of the week until company come up with an
"optimum ad, then run the ad with confidence. Remember that consistency plus
repetition equals sales. And at the end of the year, company will realize that
advertising is fairly low-cost for the returns to the company get.

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