The best copywriters on the planet know that headlines matter… so much that they routinely spend 50% of their writing time just to craft the perfect headline.
You might have experienced a really powerful line of copy that grabbed you by the guts and wouldn’t let go, until you read the sub-headline, the first paragraph… all the way to the buy button.
That’s the power of a sales page headline that works, and today I’m going to share with you some of my best tips for writing killer headlines.
Sales Page Headlines – A Mini Training
1. You shouldn’t come up with your sales page headline out of thin air
Because you’re likely not coming up with exactly what your ideal customers and clients are feeling / thinking / wanting.
Don’t use your words, use their words.
For example, as a doctor, you might talk about adrenal fatigue… when a patient might complain about zero energy. Those two things might mean the same thing to one person, but to the person who is looking for a solution to their lack of energy, it makes a huge difference.
You’ll want to mine forums, run surveys, and most importantly talk to your ideal customers directly… so you can get the *exact words* that they’re using.
Don’t summarize, categorize, or rationalize their responses. Focus on the words you keep hearing over and over again, because those are the ones that will grab their attention.
2. Take a look at some sample headlines or cheat sheets and pick something that’s proven.
Staring at a blank screen is not going to create the best headline, and most successful copywriters know that having a “swipe file” to work from can save them lots of time.
Take screenshots of your favorite sales pages across the web, and start to study headlines that move you.
There are definitely headline formulas that you can borrow from and fill in with the words of your ideal customers, so don’t think that you need to reinvent the wheel. Stand on the shoulders of giants, or magazine cover copywriters.
For example, I love this headline by Vivian Lou – Wear high heels 4x longer without pain. I was sold immediately, and I knew that this was speaking directly to me, as someone who likes the look of heels but not the pain.
3. You can ask for feedback, but the best way to know if it works is to split test it
You can do that via a quick Facebook ad or on your sales page to see which one gets more clicks or more sales.
It’s easy to get attached to a clever headline that you spent a ton of time on… but numbers don’t lie. If you’re able to split test a headline through simple software or on an ad platform, then you can take the ego out of writing headlines.
Some headlines convert better than others, and there’s no telling what will connect best for your market or clients until you try them out.
So now my piece of Off The Charts homework for you is to pick one sales page that you want to improve your headline for… and start asking your customers what their frustrations are around your topic of expertise.
Let them help you write your next headline, take a look at some sample headlines below, and start testing!
Sales Page Headlines That Work…
I can’t wait to hear how your next headline helps you connect and convert better than ever before.
Leave a comment below and ask your headline questions or share your favorite headline examples.
