Copyright © Robert D. Boduch All rights reserved worldwide. email: rboduch@rogers.com

Introduction…………………………………………………………………......…1
11 Specific Skills You’ll Acquire From Reading This Manual…………...6
 

Chapter 1: The Purpose Of Headlines & Why Creating A Powerful, 
Irresistible Headline Is The Most Valuable Thing You Can Do! ……….. 7  

What Is A Headline, Anyway?        7
What Is It About Headlines That Make Then So Important?     8
We’ve Become A "Headline Society"        9
The Most-Read Part Of Any Ad, Article, Letter, Or Report     10
What The Experts Say About Headlines       10
What Great Headlines Do         12

1)   Get Attention         12
2)  Identify A Target Audience       13
3)  Deliver A Complete, Benefit-Packed Statement     15
4)  Examples Of Features And Benefits      15
5)  Entice The Reader Inside        17
6)  Hint At The Promise Revealed In The Body Copy    18

What Happens When The Headline Fails?       19
Headlines Set The Tone         19
The Most Visually Dominant Text        20
Your One Big Chance To "Hook" Your Reader’s Attention     21
Headlines Tell Your Audience Why They Should Be Interested    22
Summarize Your Benefits Or Offer        22
Communicate What Sets Your Offering Apart From All Others    23
Without A Headline, There’s Nothing That Jumps Out At The Reader   23
Without A Headline, There’s No Reason For Reading The Rest Of The Piece  24
A Headline Is A Tool Of Convenience That Makes Life A Lot Easier For Your Reader 25
Headlines Are "Telegraphic" Messages       26
A Great Headline Makes The Rest Of The Writing A Breeze    26
The Headline Is All That Most Viewers Ever See      27
 
 

Chapter 2: The Underlying Secret Behind Successful Headlines…….. 28

Emotions Are The Key—Here’s Why        28
The Six Basic Motivators Of Human Action       30
103 Appeals You Can Use To Emotionally Turbo-Charge Your Headlines And 
Magnetically Attract Far More Interest In Your Message     31
The Right Mental Mindset For Creating Powerful, Emotionally-Charged Headlines  33
 

Chapter 3: 22 Types Of Headlines For Endless Creative Possibilities….. 35

There Are Many Ways To Use Headlines To Your Advantage    35
1)  The Direct Statement Headline        37
2)  The Question Headline         37
3)  The Testimonial Headline         39
4)  The Command Headline         40
5)  The How-To Headline         40
6)  The Indirect Headline         42
7)  The Guarantee Headline         43
8)  The Frustration/Problem Headline       44
9)  The Deep Discount Headline        45
10)  The Personalized Headline        46
11)  The Benefit Headline         47
12)  The "Reasons Why" Headline        49
13)  The Short Headline         49
14)  The Case History Headline        51
15)  The News Headline         52
16)  The Numbered Headline         53
17)  The "Not This-- But This" Headline       53
18)  The "If… Than" Headline        54
19)  The Invitation Headline         55
20)  The Offer Headline         55
21)  The Attachment Headline        56
22)  The Combination Headline        58
 

Chapter 4: What Do Great Headlines Promise Or Offer?……………….. 61

Guarantees           61
1)  Guaranteed Results        61
2)  Money-Back Guarantee        62

Instant Gratification          63
A New, Improved Alternative Or Solution       64
An Easy Way To Try-Out A Product        65
"Secret" Information          66
Something Of Vital Interest To A Specific, Targeted Audience    67
Believable Results With Actual Figures       69
 

Chapter 5: Techniques And Strategies For Creating Headlines 
That Work Every Time!……………………………………………….….......… 70

The Starting Point Of Great Headlines       70
Think Benefits           72
The "Ultimate" Benefit         73
Multiple Benefits          74
Understanding Human Nature         75

1)  Most people are filled with hope       75
2)  Its difficult to resist something that’s both appealing and free   76
3)  People generally like to reciprocate      76
4)  Nobody likes to be misled        76

Arouse Curiosity          77
Use Proven Techniques         79
Write As Many Different Headlines As Possible      80
Study The Masters          81
Think Of Your Headline As A 2-5 Second Commercial     81
Stand Apart With Your Most Unique, Competitive Advantage    82
What Doesn’t Work And Why        83

1)  Weak Openings         83
2)  Creating Confusion By Attempting To Be Clever    83
3)  Company Names And Logos As Headlines     84
4)  Vague, General Descriptions That Could Easily Be Tied To Other Products 85

6 Simple Rules For Writing Captivating Headlines      86
The Attraction Of The Specific        87
Talk To Your Prospect One-On-One        88
Don’t Present The Product—Present The Reasons Why Prospects Should Be Interested 89
Your Primary Objective Is To Convince The Prospect To Read On    90
Make It Believable          91
Job #1: Capture Attention         91
2 Important Keys To Success: The Venue And the Appeal     92
Get The Reader To "Mentally Experience" The Enjoyment Of All The Benefits  92
Offer Useful Information In The Copy Below      93
What’s The Big Idea?          93
Idea Starters           94
 

Chapter 6:  69 Tips For More Effective Headlines……………………..… 96 
 

Chapter 7: 7 Simple Headline Formulas………………………………….. 105

Formula #1: The Ultimate Benefit – Fast And Easy!      106
Formula #2: The "Borrow It" Approach       108
Formula #3: The Brainstorm Technique       110
Formula #4: The Power-Packed Combination      113
Formula #5: Forget Your Product—Deliver The Dream!     115
Formula #6: Use Your Customer’s Own Words      117
Formula #7: Fill In The Blanks        118
 

Chapter 8: Extra Enhancements That Turn Any Headline Into A 
Turbo-Charged, Attention-Getter That Pulls In More Prospects 
And Customers!…………………………………………………………......…. 126

Add "Quick & Easy" To Your "Magical" Solution      126
Combine A Strong Benefit With An Irresistible Offer     127
Convey Your Unique Advantages Over Other Available Options    128
Add Original Character And Flair To Your Headline      129
Replace Unnecessary Words         130
Multiply The Value Of The Offer        131
 

Chapter 9: Magical Words and Phrases For Winning Headlines…..... 132

What Kind of Words Work Well In Headlines?      132
Words And Phrases          132
Proven Effective Headline Words        134
Eye-Catching Words          134
Action Words           135
Some Additional Favorites         135
Favorite Headline Word Combinations And Action Phrases     137
Words To Avoid          140
 

Chapter 10: Using Design Techniques To Add Extra Impact…………… 141

Font Sizes, Styles And Colors         141
Choose A Format That’s Easy On The Eyes       144
Using A Graphic Image Along With A Headline      145
Turning Your Headline Into A Graphic       147
Keeping Your Message Clear         147
Key Word Emphasis          148
First Letter Visual Enhancements        149
How To Modify Longer Headlines For Maximum Effectiveness    150
Other Presentation Enhancements        152
A Few Simple Design Concepts That Can Dramatically Improve The Impact And 
Results Of Your Headlines         153
 

Chapter 11: A Brief Word About Some Of The More Common 
Headline Applications……………………………………………….....……… 156

Sales Letters           156
Display Ads           158
Postcards           158
Door Hangers           159
Classified Ads           160
Brochures           160
Envelopes           161
Direct Mail Packages          162
Yellow Pages Ads          163
Fax Broadcasts          163
Catalogs           165
Books, Tapes And Other Information Products      165
Business Cards, Letterhead And Advertising Specialties     166
Newsletters           167
Articles           168
Press Releases           169
Web Sites           170
Banner Ads           173
Signature Files           174
E-mail Messages          175
Discussion Board Postings         176
 

Appendix A: Interviews With The Experts………….………………...…… 177

Monique Harris          177
Ken Silver           180
Wanda Loskot           184

Appendix B: Checklist For Effective Headline Writing…………….……. 187