Reel 'Em In!

By David Geer
Posted Monday, October 4, 2004

Think for a moment about newspapers. Have you ever heard the phrase, "the headline screamed…?" This will probably give you an image of a headline that says, "Town demolished by flood", or, "Strange virus discovered in water supply". Doesn't it make you want to read on, to find out the details of the story?

For the purpose of your headline on your web site, you do not have to proclaim disaster in order to get attention. In most cases, you won't want "disaster" mentioned in connection with anything having to do with your business, unless you fix disasters! You also don't have to be overly clever or humorous. The direct approach works best, and is appreciated the most. When prospective clients are at the door, invite them in. Here are some steps to help you put together a winning headline, and create not just a reading audience, but a buying audience.

Define your target market:

* Who is your target audience?
* What are the hopes, dreams, wishes, and needs of this audience?
* Who do you think would buy from you? Are they business people, teenagers, or married couples? Are they spiritual, health-conscious, or disorganised?
* Why is your product a good fit for this market? Provide a hook.
* Speak directly to your audience, as this is the market that will purchase from you
* Use specifics - "Tired mums", "time-challenged business owners"

Let them know you are talking right to them. Generally, retired people will not be interested in the trendiest t-shirts for the in-crowd at the local high school. Aim for your audience. By boiling your business down to its essential parts, you will be better situated to make sure you are reaching the right audience, and grabbing their attention. A buyer needs to feel right away that you are talking directly to them and that you can improve their life in some way, or else they will give you neither their time, nor their money.

On the web, you generally have only one opportunity to not only get someone's attention, but to keep it. If you lose them at the headline, you have just lost your opportunity to convince them why it is such a great idea to do business with you. Grab their interest. If you don't, it's doubtful they will come back again, and you may have lost a great prospect. Make your headline count.

David Geer

Success 4U Marketing helps small business owners discover how to market any product or service online – quickly ... easily ... profitably ... successfully. (http://www.cashflowseller.com/)

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