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Don’t get me wrong: Every part of your sales message is important. Your opening is crucial. Your presentation of product benefits … of proof and credibility elements … of the offer and premiums … of your guarantee … and of your closing, “ask-for-the-sale” copy are all critical.

But of all the things you do to produce a sale, nothing equals your headline when it comes to pushing response through the roof.

In my 37 years in this business, I’ve often seen great new headlines produce 25%, 35%, even 45% lifts in response and ROI. And of course, I’ve seen them add months – even a year or more – to the lifespan of an aging control.

Why are heads so important? Two reasons:

FIRST, your headline is the demurely raised eyebrow … the whisper in the ear … the tap on the shoulder … or the shrieking air raid horn (remember those?) that at the moment of impact, make it impossible for your prospect to look at anyone but you – or more precisely, anyone’s ad but yours.

SECOND, your headline is the gateway to your sales copy. More than that: It’s the sales copy that persuades your prospect to read your sales copy.

In short, great headlines have only two functions: 1) To grab your reader’s attention, and 2) To convert that attention to readership of your sales message.

When you study the most effective headlines ever written, you can’t help but notice that each one accomplishes these twin tasks by offering the reader a BRIBE: A compelling practical and/or emotional benefit in exchange for reading your sales message.

Whether explicit or implicit, shouted or whispered, the best heads you’ll ever read – or write – will be a proposed transaction: “Read this,” they say, “and this very specific, very wonderful thing will happen for you.”

The World’s 3 Most Powerful Headline Techniques

There is no “right way” to write a killer head. In fact there are as many headline techniques as there are copywriters, products and services, benefits and consumer emotions to be addressed.

Let’s take a look at three of the most powerful headline techniques ever – approaches that have produced huge winners for John Caples, Gary Bencivenga, Jim Rutz, Bob Hutchinson, Arthur Johnson – and yes, for me, too …

PURE BENEFIT HEADLINES present only the primary practical benefit offered by the product.

Some examples …

“Who else wants a whiter wash
— with no hard work?”

* * * * *

“Great new discovery kills kitchen odors
quick — makes indoor air “country-fresh.”

* * * * *

“Super Spy Lets You See Through
Walls, Fences, and Locked Doors.”

* * * * *

“Who Else Wants to Get At Least
TWO TIMES RICHER
In This Bear Market?”

* * * * *

“What’s Wrong With Getting Richer QUICKER?”

* * * * *

NOTE: Once upon a time, pure benefit headlines were all the rage. They were a huge leap forward from the days when most ads had no headline, or simply touted a product feature.

But today, in our over-advertised-to society, our prospects are being offered identical benefits by dozens, scores, or hundreds of competing advertisers.

Unless the benefit you’re offering is truly unique – or presented in a very unique and intriguing way, you’ll probably need to do more than just present or imply a benefit to win.

Here’s how John Carlton turned a benefit lead into something absolutely unique and made his ad a must-read:

“Amazing Secret Discovered
By One-Legged Golfer Adds 50 Yards
to Your Drives, Eliminates Hooks and Slices … and Can Slash Up to 10 Strokes
From Your Game Almost Overnight.”

* * * * *

PURE EMOTION HEADS directly address the emotional need, frustration or fear that the product’s primary benefit addresses – only hinting at the practical benefit.

Examples …

“Lies, Lies, Lies
We investors are FED UP
with everyone lying to us
and wasting our money!”

* * * * *

“Tell The “Health Police” To Take A Flying Leap –
And Return To Life’s GUILTIEST PLEASURES!”

* * * * *

“You can laugh at money worries —
if you follow this simple plan”

* * * * *

NOTE: Pure emotion leads have always worked very well for me. But ONLY when they are followed immediately with a strong presentation of the benefits you’re promising the prospect in return for reading your copy and (ultimately) buying your product.

COMBINED BENEFIT/EMOTION HEADS present the product’s chief benefit and either imply or state the emotional pay-off for the reader.

For example …

“They laughed when I sat down at the piano, but when I started to play …”

* * * * *

“Laugh All The Way To The Gas Pump!
How rising gas prices can make you up to 307% richer in 2005″

* * * * *

“To men who want to
Quit Work some day”

* * * * *

“FORBIDDEN CURES!”
“Remarkable Cures CENSORED By Knife-Happy Surgeons
and Greedy Drug Companies:

Medically Proven Remedies That Heal Without Drugs or Surgery!”

* * * * *

“The Amazing Face-Lift-In-a-Jar
Used by Hollywood Stars Who Don’t
Want Plastic Surgery”

* * * * *

Join millions who are saying…
“Thanks For NOTHING, Wall Street — I’d Rather Do It MYSELF!”

“10 Ways To Grow MUCH RICHER Without Touching A SINGLE STOCK”

* * * * *

To me, these kinds of combined benefit/emotion leads are the best of all worlds, and have given me some of the biggest winners of my career.

Four Easy Ways To Supercharge Any Headline

Regardless of whether your headline is pure benefit, pure emotion, or a combination of the two, there are dozens of ways to give it greater selling power.

Here are just four …

1. Present a proposition: Great propositions make a statement that the reader already believes and tantalize him with the implications of that statement.

For example …

“For every illness, there is a country
where it simply doesn’t exist …”

* * * * *

“A Healthier BRAIN Is the Best Doctor Your BODY Will Ever Have!”

“Introducing the single greatest health breakthrough of our generation.”

* * * * *

“As soon as you realize that
Wall Street is wrong, wrong, WRONG …

You’ll get rich, rich, RICH!”

* * * * *

2. Propose a transaction: Transaction leads add credibility to your headline benefit by disclosing that you’re asking something from the reader in turn for the promised benefit.

For example …

“Read This Now …
Or Kiss Your Money GOODBYE!”

* * * * *

“If you’ve got 20 minutes a month,
I guarantee to work a financial
miracle in your life!”

* * * * *

“Give me 90 days and I’ll help
you disease-proof your body
and add many good years to your life!”

* * * * *

3. Use specificity to create credibility: Include specific facts that make your headline instantly credible, or connect it to a current news event for credibility.

For example …

“1,384 “ENRONS” Are Now
Racing Towards BANKRUPTCY”

* * * * *

“Shameless Two-Faced Cheats!”

“While urging YOU to buy their shares,
MICROSOFT executives are quietly dumping BILLIONS of dollars-worth of their companies’ stock!”

* * * * *

“Has Greenspan Lost His Mind?”

* * * * *

4. Get the prospect’s natural curiosity working for you: Intrigue and curiosity heads tease the benefit or begin the conversation by telling a fascinating story.

For example …

“How I Made a Fortune With a ‘Fool Idea’”

* * * * *

“How a Bald-Headed Barber Helped
Save My Hair”

* * * * *

“How Doctors Stay Well
While Treating Sick People All Day”

* * * * *

“Weiss Better Shut Up
or Get a BODYGUARD.”

* * * * *

“The Great Vitamin Hoax”

* * * * *

“Are you and your doctor making these
common mistakes with your health?”

* * * * *

How can these concepts help give YOU bigger winners, more often?

Why not try this: Print this article and sit down with a headline you’re working on now. Then, ask yourself these six questions:

• Does your headline offer the reader a reward for reading your sales copy?
• What specifics could you add to make your headline more intriguing and believable?
• Does your headline trigger a strong, actionable emotion the reader already has about the subject at hand?
• Does your headline present a proposition that will instantly get your prospect nodding his or her head?
• Could your headline benefit from the inclusion of a proposed transaction?
• Could you add an element of intrigue to drive the prospect into your opening copy?

Spend 15 minutes on it and I’ll bet you’ll come up with something great!

Until then, here’s wishing you …

Yours for Bigger Winners, More Often,

Clayton Makepeace
Publisher & Editor
THE TOTAL PACKAGE

“Paul, I’d love to get Jeff Walker’s Product Launch Formula, but I do not have that kind of cash. Do you know of anything else out there that can help with launches?”

Yep.

This isn’t a replacement of PLF but it is good. And it is cheap. check out Jason’s Poor Man’s Product Launch.

I own and use them both.

Success is NOT an Accident,

Paul

Congratulations - Affiliate sale

I was just checking email and several with that subject line came into the inbox.

The other day I wrote about email subject lines I hate.

Well, I love it when the subject line is true and is letting me know about some money.

I bet you feel the same.

Success is NOT an Accident,

Paul

These are the three email marketing subject line tricks I see most often. And I hate them all.

Hated Email Marketing Trick #1 : Can You Give Me A Call?

Basically it a teaser that makes you think you are going to talk to the person personally. Most of the time it’s an invitation to a teleconference.

Hated Email Marketing Trick #2 : You’ve Got A Commission Payment

Nope. Open the email and it says, “Wouldn’t you love to get emails like that all day long?” And then there an advert for the magic system that will turn your inbox into an ATM.

Hated Email Marketing Trick #3 : CANCELLATION

This one is new, but will be used for a while until it becomes ineffective.

It’s supposed to make people feel they are about to lose something important. Maybe a credit card is cancelled. Maybe a membership they actually like. Instead, it’s some sorry freebie that’s about to “go away forever.” Hallelujah!

You do not need to use tricks to get your targeted emails opened.

Use a blatant headlines like…

“Nicheology Six Year Anniversary Giveaway”

Use curiosity headlines like…

“Summer Fun Day”

And them give people what the headline promised.

Success is NOT an Accident,

Paul

4 Quick Writing Tips to Make the Most of Your Article Marketing Efforts

Writing an article for article marketing purposes is a great way to market your product, service, blog or website. Content is what makes the Internet world go ‘round. Without information, the World Wide Web would be a boring place. The net is ever growing and expanding and it’s because of content it will continue to do so.

That’s all fine and dandy, but because of this fact, there is a lot of information on the same topic flowing around out there. How do you make yours the information people find, read and continue to come back for? Give your readers content full of quality information they are actually looking for – that’s how!

There are many ways to get your article noticed and in the hands (or on the computer screens) of your target market. I’m going to give you four specific areas to focus on that will greatly improve the odds that your article will be read, and, at the same time you will create a relationship with your prospects that can last a lifetime.

Know What You’re Talking About

Research is a word that many people dread. Most of those who shy away from research have yet to recognize its true value. If they did, I’m willing to bet they would change their tune on the subject. In order to come up with quality information for your reader, you will want to do research to come up with new ideas and find the latest theories and trends in your niche.

A lot of people assume reading a few blurbs about a subject here and there is enough to write a quality article. That is far from the truth. In order to really give your readers what they want to know, you’ll want to dig deeper. Determine who the experts in your specific area are, find out what they have to say on the subject and take a look at the items they are recommending. Do as much as you can to get background information and facts.

Researching your content improves credibility and expertise. You’ll be able to present quality content people will want to read and continue to come back for. If you don’t have time to research a topic in depth, find someone who does.

There’s a reason they say “Knowledge is key!”

Clear the Cobwebs & Stay Focused

Hopefully you know what you want your article to sound like and what you want your reader to do after reading it. Do you find yourself struggling with transferring what resides in your brain into an informative, smooth flowing article that gets the results you want?

One of the smartest steps you can take when writing an article is to create an outline before you begin. This will help you to stay organized and on track. It works wonders for focus too.

An outline doesn’t have to be extremely in depth or comprehensive. Start off by planning the introduction, add a few key points for the body, and finish it up with a conclusion or miniature summary of your article’s main points. Here’s a little trick writers use to create their outlines.

1. Tell your readers what you’re going to be talking about. (Introduction)

2. Talk about it. (Body)

3. Recap what you just told them. (Conclusion)

If you’re thinking putting together an outline will only create more work for yourself, think again. In all actuality, it will save you time in the long run. Your thoughts will be organized and you’ll be able to focus on each individual piece of the puzzle that when complete will flow together nicely.

Spice Things Up with a Dash of Copy

The most important function of any article is to inform its reader. But, your article must get and keep their attention in order to inform, right? Absolutely!

Many people neglect to focus on the fact articles need to be compelling, but they also need to sell if you’re trying to make money online. There are many elements of copy you can include to make your articles compelling and lead people to a certain action. You can create interest and increase action with things like:

• Attention grabbing headlines and subheadings (These draw the reader in and leave them wanting to know more)

• A hook line (This will keep them reading)

Keep in mind that everyone is very busy these days, if you want to get your article read from beginning to end, you will have a higher chance of success when you add a bit of creative copywriting.

Lead Your Readers Onward

If you remember nothing else about people who buy online, remember this:

You will make more money when you TELL your reader what to do next!

Yes, we humans are fickle creatures. Even if your reader thinks she knows what to do next, that doesn’t mean she will do it. Always remember to tell your readers what to do or where to go after they’ve finished reading your article. Because, believe it or not, even when they know what they want or what they should be doing next, Internet users are indecisive. Like a child who is just learning the ways of the world, your reader needs to be taken by the hand and led to the next step.

For instance, if you want your reader to visit your website to learn more about your product or service; send them there. If you would like your reader to complete a survey or give their opinion on the topic they just finished reading about, tell them where to go to do so.

This is where your author or resource box comes into play and can quickly become your best friend. Use this area to tell a bit about yourself or your website, and give your readers something to do. Give them a clear call to action.

Writing an article is not difficult as long as you put the right strategies in place. Know what information is relevant to your target audience. Be as well versed in the area you’re writing about as you can in order to provide superior information. Next, create an outline to help keep you organized and focused. Throw in a bit of captivating copy to create interest and keep them reading. Finally, tell them exactly what you want them to do next to achieve maximum benefits from your article marketing efforts.

Success is Not an Accident,

Paul

In sniper school you learn…

DOPE

Data on Previous Engagements.

That’s dead on!

If you want to hit the target, you shoot.

Take the data and make adjustments.

Then shoot again.

You continue examining the data and adjusting.

Do the same in business and you’ll find success.

Success is NOT an Accident,

Paul

A couple of month’s ago fellow mastermind friend Brad Semp called and asked, “Hey man, could I put together a CashMap about private label rights?”

“Of course,” I replied.

We brainstormed over what it should cover.

http://budurl.com/plrcashmap

Little did I know he was going to put together an incredible package of cool treats for people like you and me who love private label content.

The first map is free. You can decide if you want to take it to the next level after that. But regardless I would definitely download the above map right now.

http://budurl.com/plrcashmap

Success is NOT an Accident!

Paul