The Seductive, "Headline Money-Flush"
Don't You DARE Fall for This Rubbish!

By Drew Eric Whitman, D.R.S.
Direct Response Surgeon™

© Copyright MMI Drew Eric Whitman. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without
prior written permission from Drew Eric Whitman

 

Dear Friend:

IT'S FRUSTRATING AS HELL!

Trying to create effective advertising for people who don't know the first thing about it--BUT THINK(!) THEY DO-is enough to make you rip your hair out of your skull.

A Zen master once said that the best way to learn ANYTHING is to first empty your head of pre-conceptions to "make room" for new knowledge.

For example, I invite you to "listen in" on a conversation I had with a web designer last Tuesday. After you read it, please e-mail me, and tell me what YOU think...

WEB DESIGNER SCOTT:This headline stinks! "Powerful Web Pages Designed in 24 Hours By Famous Marketing Expert for $199" isn't very creative!

DREW: Agreed. Not at all.

SCOTT: Well, can't we do a little play on words, a pun, or give it a twist?

DREW: Why give it a twist?

SCOTT: To make it catchier. You know, so more people read it. I saw one that said something like, "Only $250 Keeps You from Getting Caught In a Sticky Web on The Net" You know... catchy.

DREW: <suppressing laugh> The purpose of your headline is not to be "catchy," Scott. It's to be effective. Being creative for the sake of being creative is a waste of time, money and a complete misunderstanding of the principles of creating a headline. Allowing yourself to be seduced by the thrill of creating an "oh-so-clever" headline that will impress friends and family (but not your prospects) is a terrible mistake! Besides, that "Sticky Web" headline is ridiculous!

It doesn't tell the reader what you're selling! And since 60% of people who read ads read only the headlines-they scan--you'll lose at least 60% of your audience. I teach these ideas in my small business audio seminar

SCOTT: I disagree. Major corporations create very catchy headlines and win awards for them all the time. Did you ever see the commercials during the Super Bowls? Very creative stuff.

DREW: <sigh> You're absolutely right, Scott. They do win awards. And the Super Bowl commercials are very creative indeed. But "creative" does not mean "effective." If you can develop a headline that contains all the elements of one that could be a potential winner, why would you want to junk it up by trying to be clever?

SCOTT: Why not make it clever first, and then make it effective... that way you accomplish both things. The "Sticky Web" headline can get people curious to read more.

DREW: But what happens to those who don't get curious enough and don't read any further than that headline?

SCOTT: They weren't prospects.

DREW: NOT TRUE! They may have very well been prospects, but because they had NO CLUE as to what you're selling, they didn't bother to read any further. You outright lost them!

SCOTT: Yeah, well...

DREW: Well nothing! Advertising is NOT supposed to be entertainment! You may be entertained by it, but it's not its purpose. It's not a creativity contest. It's not meant to grace the walls of the Louvre in Paris. It's also not poetry, comedy, or a riddle to figure out. Advertising is not about winning awards for being tricky, off-the-wall, or ingenious. Advertising--plain and simple--is about selling products and services. It's business communication with the goal to increase sales by interesting someone enough in a product or service that they ultimately trade their money for it.

SCOTT: But that doesn't mean it has to be boring!

DREW: Did I say anything about boring? It should always be interesting! But something doesn't have to be clever or tricky to grab and hold a prospect's attention. You don't write copy to appeal to the masses that aren't buyers for your product as a way to thank them for reading your ad! And those who are interested in the offer don't need entertainment in order to buy. They need benefits. Facts. An offer. And reassurance that you'll deliver what you promise.

SCOTT: I still feel that we can do something more than simply state what we're selling.

DREW: Read it again, Scott. This headline does much more than just state what you're selling. It has punch... it capitalizes on people's need for instant gratification by saying you'll deliver in 24 hours... it capitalizes on your credibility as an expert by outright stating you're one... it appeals to those looking to save money... it's specific... makes an offer... is clear... doesn't ask the reader to figure out what it means... and gets your point across quickly. And guess whom it will appeal to?

SCOTT: <silence>

DREW: It will appeal to those who need a web page... want it done by a pro... needs it created quickly... and don't want to spend a fortune. YOUR MARKET!

SCOTT: Well, I guess we can try it.

DREW: Exactly. Try it. Advertising must be tested to be sure. And since you like the "Sticky Web" concept so much, maybe you want to sink a few thousand dollars on it and see if you get any response from the few people who will read past the headline.

SCOTT: Very funny.

DREW: I wasn't laughing.

Well my friend, THANK YOU FOR READING!

Until we "meet" again in the next lesson...
think about this:

Success to you, my friend!

Drew Eric Whitman, D.R.S.
Direct Response Surgeon(tm)

Drew Eric Whitman, D.R.S. -- is an outspoken, humorous and philosophical advertising trainer, speaker and columnist with 15+ solid years of hands-on experience. His newspaper and magazine articles teach thousands of business people how to use simple, but powerful techniques of Madison Avenue psychology to help them boost their advertising results.

He was a Senior Direct Response Writer for the direct response division of the largest ad agency in Philadelphia. He was also Senior Direct Response Copywriter of one of the largest direct-to-the-consumer insurance companies in the world. He created powerfully effective advertising for small retail shops, to giant, multi-million dollar organizations, including Faber-Castell Corporation, Texaco, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Automobile Association, Amoco, American Legion and many others.

• Author of "How to Create Power-Packed Ads, Brochures and Sales Letters that Make Money NOW!" A fast-paced, 45,000+ word, 6-tape audio cassette program that tells how to apply 40 of the most powerful, response-boosting ad agency techniques to your ads, brochures, sales letters and more. ($89.95 + shipping.) Also available in 130-page printed manual format ($29.95 + shipping.)