What's Makes A Good Headline?

A Headline Should Make the Reader Click!

A word of warning.  The contents of this article are strictly based on my personal opinions, not hours of research, so please read with that in mind.

So anyway, I want to explore a little bit about what makes a good headline for a text ad, or even an email...

I see so many headlines as I read through my emails and view ads on various sites that frankly don't interest me even a little bit.  These fall into the category that I like to refer to as the "out of reach" headlines such as:

You Can Make $5,000 Per Month in the Next 14 Days!

Honestly, I don't even believe that.

The next category that really don't inspire me are the "copied" headlines or subject lines.  These are the ones that are copied right from the "Affiliate" area of  the site you are promoting.  You can see them coming a mile away, because they are word for word like hundreds of other ads you see copied each day.

Now when I write my headlines (and let me say I am not a master at it) I like to think of 2 things:

1. Would this headline or subject inspire me to click to learn more?
2. Do I think it will inspire others to click to learn more?

I really think it's that simple.

It's also good to make it a question that the reader has to answer, or is almost forced to answer.  I like something like this...

Are You Looking for the Perfect Sales Opportunity?

I mean, who could answer no to that question?

Well, I hope this helps.

To your success,

Bob Swetz

Rjs@Home

How Would You Rate a 5 Star Ad?

This is My Headline
I Really Want You To 
Click On My Ad

On Leads Leap users have a unique opportunity to have their text ads rated by other users on the system.  This gives everyone an idea as to how effective their ads are.  But as I look at the different ratings on my ads, it makes me wonder, what part of my ads are being rated?  Or is it the whole thing?

Let me explain...

There are really 3 parts to a text ad in most cases.

1. Headline.  This should be the attention grabber.
2. Ad Text. This is a little more in depth, but still limited amount of text that should pull the reader into your ad.
3. Landing Page. This is the page the reader lands on when they click on your ad.

Now my purpose here is not to go into how to structure each part of the ad, that may be for another blog post.  But really, what level of importance is placed on each section.  All I can do is give my opinion on the importance I place.  So...

This is where I could really use some reader feedback folks!

Anyway here's my two cents...

The Headline is what makes me initially click on the ad, so it better be good.  Bad headline, no click. The Ad Text doesn't do too much for me either way, I usually don't read it cause I am in a hurry.  However, I place the most importance on the Landing Page!  If the landing page does not grab my attention in less than 10 seconds and give me a darn good reason to click it, then you have lost me.  Oh, and I better not have to scroll down on the page either.

So there it is.  I would love some feedback on this.

To Your Success,

Bob Swetz

Rjs@Home