I love good sales headlines. It is the epitome of what we do: take a product or idea and present it to readers in a short, compact format that will turn heads almost immediately.
It tests our ability to understand potential customers, target the right keywords, and really get someone’s attention in the smallest space possible.
But, for a newcomer to affiliate marketing, getting those sales headlines the right way is the hardest part of a very long learning process. How can something as seemingly simple as 10-15 words at the top of your page really take so much time and energy to get right?
What headlines need to do
Good headlines should get attention, hold it, and then turn that attention into action. The initial headlines that appear at the top of your page are designed to get people to read the page, but there are other headlines as well, which will drive the action down the page.
It will ask them to sign up for their lists, keep reading, suspend disbelief, and finally click on an affiliate link and hopefully make a purchase.
But how do these headlines do all of that, and what can you do to make the action easier? To get started, you need to spark curiosity and also tap into a specific need or crisis your reader may have.
Presumably, they have a problem that the product you are reviewing or promoting can solve.
The headline should describe exactly how they will be able to solve your problem while highlighting why your problem is important – you are directing their attention and then using it to drive the need for whatever it is you are promoting.
I like to do this with keywords like “secrets”, “insider information”, “solve”, “discover”, “revealed” and more. These words make it seem like they are into something they shouldn’t be and that they will receive a special offer for moving on.
Examples of effective title formats
So what do good headlines look like? It depends on the niche and the needs of that audience. Here are some examples of formats that have always been effective:
* The little known form of _______
* Who else wants _______?
* Discover my well kept secret for _____
* Long Time Insider finally reveals _______
* Finally stop worrying about _________ and learn to ________
As you can see, the point here is to drive the type of action that will turn into additional reading. There has to be a promise in your headline, something that shows you what you’ve been looking for.
Ask yourself what the keywords they used to get to your site are related to and what they search for. Now, try to answer that problem.
If you can provide a small answer and the promise of more, it will draw their attention down the page, generating more clicks and the possibility of a conversion.
Good headlines don’t require the mastery of the world’s best copywriters. You don’t need a $ 10,000 writer to spend three weeks getting it right. You simply need to know your audience and what they want to hear the most.
Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be that much closer to getting exactly what you need from your sales copy – hard and cold conversions at higher rates than ever before.
