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Testing Headlines
A correspondent to AdBriefing, my monthly newsletter, has posed a very sticky question. How, she asks, can you tell whether a headline you have written is a good one?or not? What she means by this, I imagine, is whether the headline will actually help to make sales, rather than just act as a passing amusement to its readers. The latter precept, that a headline should actually try to sell something, is not as universally known as it might be. The vast proportion of headlines actually say nothing whatsoever about the product and the benefits of owning it. And the reason for this is that good, selling headlines are not easy to write. So the majority of so-called copywriters take the easy route and produce something which they think is humorous or eye-catching and hope that this will do the job. That it won't and doesn't can be witnessed day in and day out in press ads, brochures and websites worldwide. But I digress. There is sadly no absolute test that a headline will do the job it is paid to do. If there were, we benighted copywriters would be earning ten times what we are earning now, on the grounds that our work would be foolproof. Every headline we conceived would be irresistible; and products would move off shelves like Spring snow off a dyke. But there is a test - a very good and worthwhile test - that you can apply to any headline you create. I call it the 'So What?' test. Allow me to give you an example of 'So What?' in action. If you produce a headline that says: Our Widget works twice as fast as any other Widget, and then ask yourself 'So What?', it immediately becomes clear that the line is bereft of a sales proposition. Because there is no obvious benefit to the potential customer. On the other hand, if you write: Our Widget works twice as fast, so you do the job in half the time, then the 'So What?' has been answered. Your customer can cut his production time by 50%. Likewise, were you to write: Our Widget is so small, it fits into the palm of your hand, you simply invoke 'So What?'. Which results in: Our Widget fits into the palm of your hand, so it goes wherever you go. In this case, the benefit is portability. You can use it anywhere. Over the years, I have found the 'So What?' test to be invaluable. You might care to give it a try yourself. And on the subject of headlines consider this. When trying to write a headline many people tend to go off half-cocked. They consider the marketing brief, then bash down a headline or two to satisfy it. After that, they write the body copy. Experience shows, however, that if you write the body copy first, the odds are that there will be the makings of a headline within it struggling to get out. Body copy is, or should be, a carefully worked and logical encapsulation of the marketing brief. In other words, the whys, the wherefores and the benefits of owning the product or service. It makes sense, then, that if it is properly written, there is a very real chance of finding an embryo headline lurking within it. Why not give it a whirl? You may be agreeably surprised. About The Author Patrick Quinn is an award winning copywriter with 40 years' experience of the advertising business in London, Miami, Dublin and Edinburgh. He publishes a FREE monthly newsletter, AdBriefing. Subscriptions are available at: http://www.adbriefing.com j.p@markethillpublishing.co.uk
Latest News:Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news [News] 5 O'Clock Shadow News you can't leave work without: Asamoah makes a deal News of record News of record reports for Chelan and Douglas counties Newport News police seek help on thefts from cars NEWPORT NEWS A rash of summer-night car break-ins and vandalism has police asking the public for help, and warning them to lock their vehicles. Newport News hit with rash of car break-ins NEWPORT NEWS -- Police are asking for help in solving a large number of car break-ins and vandalism cases in Newport News. According to police, 134 cases were reported in the area between J. Clyde Morris Blvd. and Oyster Point Road since June 1. Most of the incidents were between J. Clyde Morris and Middle Ground Blvd. and happened during the early evening hours. Police say many thefts happened ... NEWS ALERTS: Sign up to get breaking news on your mobile phone Get breaking local news as it happens. Enter your phone number: Standard Messaging Rates or other charges apply. To Opt-out text STOP to 4INFO (44636). For more information text HELP to 4INFO (44636). Contact your carrier for more details. Powered by 4INFO. Newport News police search for suspects in string of car thefts Newport News detectives are seeking assistance from the Community, in solving a large number of cases involving damage to, and larcenies from, cars. Newport News police seek information regarding larcenies and property damage NEWPORT NEWS -- Police are investigating 134 cases of damage to cars and larcenies from cars that occurred between June 1 and July 25, according to police. News in brief Here are a selection of brief news items from this week?s paper edition, and possibly a few news briefs that didn?t make it in the paper. Newport News townhouse damaged by fire NEWPORT NEWS A townhouse in the 1000 block of Willow Green Drive was damaged by fire this morning, fire officials said. One of the residents had minor burns to his hand, a Fire Department news release says. An off-duty city firefighter/medic helped evacuate the adjoining homes. News of the Past who has deep genealogical roots to Winston County, provides news from past editions of the Winston County Journal. The Winston County Board of Supervisors posted a notice of the new "Dog Law" which was passed in the July term. Site: news - Google News Arizona News Round Up - San Francisco Chronicle (blog)
MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for advertising Advertising at the Colosseum? The Italian government is offering advertising rights at the Roman Colosseum in exchange for money for restoration work at the iconic site... U.S. TV advertising trends remain strong TV advertising trends remain so strong in the U.S. that Barclays Capital on Thursday raised its 2010 TV forecasts despite modestly lowering total ad spending estimates. Advertising and the Big Society-'happy bedfellows' ePolitix.com speaks to Ian Barber, director of communications at the Advertising Association , about the big society and the economic downturn. Advertising uplift helps BSkyB's profit rise 10% Pay-TV broadcaster BSkyB's operating profit was up 10% year on year in the 12 months to the end of June, bolstered by an uplift in advertising, according to results out today. As Mobile Advertising Heats Up, Millennial Media Prepares For An IPO In 2011 Mobile advertising is currently a billion dollar market and we've witnessed tech giants like Google and Apple move into the space with the acquisitions of mobile ad networks AdMob and Quattro Wireless, respectively. AdMob is now part of Google's mobile advertising business and Apple is using Quattro to power its new ad format, iAds. But there is another player that has silently been growing its ... Flex-National Radio Advertising Service Launched by Wholesale TV & Radio Advertising ? Dallas, TX Wholesale TV and Radio Advertising in Dallas, Texas, announces that they have launched a new service called Flex-National Radio Advertising. ADVERTISING INFO Prices quoted are for display ads only Each page is divided into 30 blocks The price is determined by the number of blocks the ad occupies. For example: MDG Advertising Selected as Communications Agency of Record for Vita New York NEW YORK----Vita New York handcrafted jewelry, anchored in Manhattan?s Soho neighborhood, has selected MDG Advertising to handle their public communications. Smaato Mobile Advertising Award: VC Partners and Nominees Shortlist 2010 Announced REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.----Smaato Inc., the leading mobile ad optimizer and mobile advertising company, is delighted to announce the VC partners and first set of nominees for the Smaato Mobile Advertising Award 2010. Mediaset 2Q Profit Up On Advertising Spending Growth Mediaset 2Q Profit Up On Advertising Spending Growth Site: advertising - Google News Mediaset First-Half Profit Rises 34% on Increased Advertising - BusinessWeek
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