cosmo

When I’m standing in line to purchase groceries I always like to read the magazine headlines. Cosmopolitan is my favorite. With a picture of a svelte model in a low-cut gown and titles like “10 ways to please your man,” I feel that if I just read the magazine my life would be great. Magazines use some common formulas to turn people’s heads.

1. Numbers: “5 Fabulous Head-Turning Headlines.” I know it seems bland, but readers like numbers in their titles. Not every title, of course, but posts with numbers pull in more traffic! I’m serious. (See Sonia Simone’s article “8 Ways to Use Numbers in Headlines” for more information.)

2. Questions: “Do Questions work in Headlines?” Questions get people to think. They subconsciously answer the question in their own minds and read further to see if you have the same answer they have.

3. How To: “How to Write Great Headlines.” People love to learn and how to headlines teach them.

4. Commands: “Boost Your Readership with Great Headlines.” Take a great selling point of your service or product and put into a headline.

5. Testimonials: “Write Thoughts Headlines Got Me More Readers.” Third-party testimonials are gold. Let your customers do the speaking for you.

Headlines are like a hook on a fishing line. They lure the readers to your site and the copy on your site catches them and keeps them there. A combination of both great headlines and good copy will increase your sales. So turn some heads with great headlines today.

Does your web advertising feel like a bucking bull? You only have 8 seconds to capture everyone’s attention, you’re not sure how to hang on, and it’s a long way down if you fall.

bucking bull

The solution: don’t ride the web advertising bull. Focus your efforts with edu-advertising. Educational advertising provides information your customers are seeking and develops trust in your products and services. This pays off in increased sales.

What is educational advertising: Web content that informs and sells, usually called web copy. This is includes web sites, newsletters, customer testimonials, white papers, and blogs.

What about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) writing? SEO writing is wonderful. However, search engines don’t buy things; People do. Great web copy comes before Search Engine Optimization.

Web Copywriting holds power: The old proverb “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me,” may have worked in the schoolyard, but on the internet words can break your business.

Here are 3 steps to writing effective web copy:

1. Know your customers. If you don’t know who your target market is, how can you write effectively for them?

2. Know your product or service. Why should people buy from you instead of the competition?

3. Know your objective. Do you want someone to sign up for a newsletter? Buy a product? Comment on your blog? What is your objective?