● Put your strongest benefit in the headline or opening line. Give your prospect a reason to pay attention before you explain the product.
● Choose the benefit your specific audience cares about most. A headline that speaks directly to the right prospect can do more for you than one designed to appeal to everybody.
● Use curiosity to make the benefit more intriguing. Make sure the reader can still tell what they’ll get by continuing.
● Test the headline against your current version. Keep the offer and creative the same where possible. Judge the test by qualified leads or sales, depending on your goal.
What’s the strongest reason your prospect should keep reading?
If it’s buried three paragraphs down, you may lose the lead or sale before your prospect ever sees it.
The rule?
Make sure your headlines and copy have the strongest benefit up front.
That’s right. Start your copy with a bang. Use this rule in native ads, pre-rolls, emails, landing pages, and direct mail packages. In a video, put the benefit in the opening seconds.
Give your prospect a reason to pay attention right away.
1. Show your prospect what they’ll get.
Here are a few headlines my direct response ad agency created for past campaigns:
- “Discover The #1 Stagflation Strategy for Investment Opportunities in 2027”.
Prospects immediately knew what they would get from the special report. It would help them think through their investment options in a stagflation economy.
- “The Incredible Shrinking Dollar – How You Can Survive the Incredible Inflation Nightmare Ahead”
The benefit is right there in the headline. The reader can learn ways to protect their buying power when prices rise.
2. Spark curiosity.
Here’s a headline for a theatrical C.S. Lewis play client:
“Get ready for an astonishing theatrical experience… C.S. Lewis is Coming to Los Angeles”
How could C.S. Lewis come to Los Angeles? That question pulls you in. And the promise of an astonishing theatrical experience gives you a reason to find out.
Or take this wellness headline I created:
“At 98: Courage and Persistence [Must-See Note from Reader]”
For an audience of older readers, that headline made the story feel personal. What did this 98-year-old have to say about courage and persistence? You had to read the note to find out.
3. Write for the prospect you want to reach.
Leave “clever” to the image ad guy… because you actually want to sell something!
Your headline must tell the right prospect, quickly, “This is for you.”
Insurance direct marketers have followed this advice for decades. Think of “Big Insurance Savings for Nondrinkers.” In five words, you know who it’s for and why they should care.
Your prospects move fast through a jungle of competing messages.
Give them a headline they can understand at a glance and a benefit worth stopping for.
Then test it. A headline can win more clicks and still bring in fewer qualified leads or sales. Measure the response you actually want.
Put One Headline to the Test
Pick one ad, email, landing page, or direct mail package you’re running now.
Read the headline by itself. Would your ideal prospect immediately see what’s in it for them?
If the benefit is buried, bring it to the top. Then test that version against what you’re running today.
Action:
Want a second opinion before you spend money on the test? Send Michael at CDMG your current headline, who you’re trying to reach, and the response you want. Let’s look at whether your strongest benefit is coming through and what you could test against it.
Call Michael at 615-933-4647 or email him at [email protected].
FAQs:
Q: What is a benefit-driven headline?
A: A benefit-driven headline tells your prospect what they can gain, save, learn, or accomplish by paying attention to your message.
Q: How do you choose which benefit to put first?
A: Start with the outcome your target prospect cares about most and that your offer can credibly deliver. If two benefits look equally strong, test each one as a separate headline.
Q: Can a headline use curiosity and still lead with benefit?
A: Yes. Make the value clear and leave a question the prospect wants answered. The copy that follows should deliver on the headline’s promise.
Q: How do you test whether a new headline works better?
A: A/B test it against your current headline while keeping the offer and other creative elements the same where possible. Compare the results that matter to the campaign, such as qualified leads, sales, or cost per acquisition.
About Craig Huey
Craig Huey is one of America’s leading direct response marketing and advertising experts. He is the founder and president of Creative Direct Marketing Group (CDMG), a direct response advertising and marketing agency specializing in direct mail, digital, and multichannel campaigns. CDMG has worked with hundreds of companies, helping them generate leads, sales, and measurable results through targeted, data-driven marketing. Craig is also the publisher of the Direct Marketing Update, a newsletter read by marketing professionals, business owners, and executives who want to stay ahead of the latest trends in direct response marketing.
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