Key Takeaways:
• Testing headlines is the fastest, simplest way to boost response across every media channel.
• Direct response copy headlines consistently outperform clever or indirect headlines—often by 200% to 500%.
• What “should” work usually doesn’t. What “looks boring” often wins. Only testing reveals the truth.
• Even tiny improvements in a headline can save you tens of thousands of dollars in wasted budget.
• Long, specific headlines frequently outpull shorter ones because they promise more benefit.
• Testing is not optional—not in today’s fast-changing digital and multichannel marketplace.
• The marketers who test win. Those who don’t… lose market share.
Your ad isn’t aimed at everybody who sees it.
It should be aimed at only your most responsive prospects.
And the headline is responsible for up to 75% of your success or failure in digital ads, direct mail, pre-rolls, podcasts, landing pages, and video scripts.
That’s why the headline is often the most profitable test you’ll ever run.
Use your headline and illustration to stop your prospects, grab their attention, and pull them into your sales message.
Your headline must promise a benefit, create curiosity or surprise, and be simple, clear, and direct. Readers move fast. They won’t slow down to decipher something vague, clever, or confusing.
They don’t want to figure it out. And they won’t.
What Every Headline Must Answer Immediately
Within seconds, your reader must know:
• Who you are
• What you have
• Why they should care
If your headline fails here, nothing else matters—not the offer, not the copy, not the design.
Over the years, I’ve tested thousands of headlines. The results are often counterintuitive. What looks like a sure winner fails. What feels dull and obvious becomes the breakthrough.
That’s why we test—not guess.
When someone sees your ad, two questions instantly go through their mind:
1. What’s the deal?
2. What’s in it for me?
Answer those questions fast or lose them forever.
Direct-benefit headlines outpull clever headlines—every time.
Fairfax Cone famously said:
“Good advertising must immediately be clear what the basic proposition is.”
Insurance direct marketers built empires on headline formulas like:
• “Big Insurance Savings for Nonsmokers”
• “The First Hospital Income Plan Specifically Designed for Older People”
Clear. Direct. Benefit-driven.
Those headlines worked because they identified both the product and the promise.
The Proof Is in the Test
Here are real-world examples from head-to-head tests.
Test #1 Air Conditioning Ad
A) “Don’t Swelter This Summer”
B) “Now Every Home Can Afford Summer Cooling.”
Result: Headline B pulled 300% more inquiries.
Test #2 Chocolate Pudding Ad
A) “How to Make This Chocolate Pudding in 6 Minutes.”
B) “Tonight Serve This Ready-Mixed Chocolate Pudding. Six Minutes to Prepare.”
Result: Headline B beat A by 66%.
Test #3 Annuity Headline Test
Which pulled better?
A) “A Guaranteed Vacation for Life”
B) “A Guaranteed Paycheck for the Rest of Your Life.”
Result: Headline B pulled 300% more responses.
Test #4 Estate-Planning Insurance Test
A) “Leave Money for Your Family After You’re Gone”
B) “Get Rid of Money Worries for Good.”
Result: Headline B produced 5 times as many responses.
If you spent $100,000 on the winning headline, you’d get the response of spending $500,000 on the loser.
That’s why testing is never too expensive.
Additional Breakthrough Tests (From Industry Classics)
Here are two more famous split-tests that reinforce the power of direct-benefit clarity:
Test #5 Ogilvy Eyeglass Ad
A) “What Problems Do You Have With Your Eyes?”
B) “At 60, My Eyes Were Failing… And Then I Discovered This New Lens.”
Result: The long, specific headline outperformed the short by over 40%.
Test #6 Mail-Order Book Test
A) “Learn Investing Faster”
B) “How to Turn $1,000 Into $10,000: The Step-by-Step Guide You Can Use Immediately”
Result: Headline B beat A by over 500%.
Longer, more specific, more benefit-heavy headlines usually win.
Can You Get By With Shorter Copy?
Not if you want maximum response.
A successful ad must make your sales story interesting, clear, believable, persuasive, specific, and complete enough to motivate action.
Short copy rarely makes the sale. Longer copy—when it’s about the prospect, not you—usually wins.
Anticipate Objections
Like a great salesperson, your ad must answer objections before they arise. Unanswered objections create confusion, doubt, and lost sales.
If your headline promises something your prospect cares about, they will read the ad. If the copy is long, that simply means you’re giving more information on something they already want to know.
That’s how advertising works.
In every channel—digital, TV, CTV, radio, direct mail, landing pages, AEO—test multiple headlines, offers, and benefits.
It’s the most profitable discipline in all direct marketing.
What do you think?
Let us help you create a breakthrough test campaign.
If you want the best results possible, let our team at CDMG create, write, test, and analyze your headline, offer, and multichannel campaign.
For 40+ years, we’ve perfected direct-response testing:
• 124 major marketing awards
• Over 10,000 variables tested
• Complete campaign strategy, copy, art, mailing list, digital ads, media buying or printing, and analytics
• No agency in America offers this level of accountable advertising expertise
Action:
Call Michael at 615-933-4647 or email [email protected] and let us set up your test campaign now—so you can increase leads, sales, and profitability immediately.
FAQs:
Q: Why do benefit headlines consistently win?
A: Because prospects only care about one thing: “What’s in it for me?” A direct benefit answers that instantly.
Q: How many headlines should I test?
A: We usually recommend 3–7 variations. Enough to find a winner without slowing the campaign.
Q: How fast will I know the winner?
A: In digital channels—often within 24–72 hours.
In direct mail—usually 7–14 days.
In CTV and radio—response trends show quickly once rotation begins.
Q: Are long headlines better than short ones?
A: Often yes. Long headlines allow more clarity, more benefits, and more promise—leading to higher response.
Q: What should I test besides headlines?
A: Testing hierarchy:
1. Headline
2. Offer
3. Illustration/thumbnail
4. Lead paragraph
5. CTA
6. Audience segments
Q: Is testing expensive?
A: No. Not testing is expensive. A bad headline can cost you 3–5x more per sale.
About Craig Huey:
Craig Huey is a leading direct-response marketer, author, and creator of winning multichannel campaigns for over 40 years. He has helped hundreds of companies increase leads, sales, and ROI using data-based, accountable advertising. Craig publishes Direct Marketing Update (DMU) and speaks nationwide on AEO, direct marketing, CTV, digital targeting, and breakthrough testing strategies.
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