The Three Cs of Writing an Excellent all Purpose Headline – Writing
The Three Cs of Writing an Excellent all Purpose Headline
Steven Boaze
Since the headline is the first contact your readers have with your message, it must reach out to them. Promise them a benefit. Tell them how they will be better off if they read the rest of the ad. Use action verbs. Save ten dollars is a stronger heading than Savings of ten dollars because of the verb.
Headlines can be classified into the following five basic types; effective headlines frequently combine two or more of these kinds.
News Headlines
This form tells the reader something he or she did not know before. Using the word news does not make it a news headline. "Now - a copy machine that copies in color" is an example of this type headline.
Advice and Promise Headline
Here you are promising something if the reader follows the advice in your ad. "Switch to Amoco premium, no-lead gasoline, and your car will stop pinging."
Selective Headline
This headline limits the audience to a specific group. For example: "To all gray-haired men over forty." Caution! Be absolutely sure you do not eliminate potential customers with this type of headline.
Curiosity Headline
The intent here is to arouse the readers interest enough to make him or her read the ad. The danger is that this headline often appears "cute" or "clever" and fails in its mission. An example: "Do you have trouble going to sleep at night"
Command or Demand Headline
Watch out for this one as most people resist pushiness, especially in advertising. "Do it now!" or "Buy this today!" This headline generally can be improved by changing to less obtrusive wording such as: "Call for your key to success!"
One common misconception about headlines is that they must be short and easy to understand. This is not always true. Here is a headline that was used extensively in print ads by Ogilvy and Mather for one of their clients: At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in this Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock.
Illustrations
There are three primary reasons for using illustrations in an advertisement.
To attract attention to the ad.
To illustrate the item being featured.
To create a mood in the mind of the reader.
Everyone has heard, A picture is worth a thousand words; in advertising, the illustration frequently helps the reader visualize the benefits promised. You can almost feel the warmth of the tropical sun when you see the photos in January travel ads. Cost and practicality may dictate whether your ad uses photographs, artists drawings or merely canned artwork. Any of these can make the ad more appealing to the readers eye.
Copy
If you follow the three principles of good copy, your ads will be effective:
Good copy should be clear.
Good copy should be crisp.
Good copy should be concise.
Clear, crisp and concise . . . the three Cs of copy writing suggest that the words in your advertising message merely do a good job of communicating. Do not use big words when small words can make your meaning clear. Use colorful, descriptive terms. Use the number of words necessary to make your meaning clear and no more-but also no less! Selecting the right words is critical to the success of the ads. Recent research conducted at Yale University found that the following 12 words are the most personal and persuasive words in our language.
You Discovery Safety
Money Proven Results
Love Guarantee Save
New Easy Health
Notice the overused word free is not on the list.
REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOUR MESSAGE IS PRINTED IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS INSTEAD OF UPPER- AND LOWERCASE LETTERS, IT IS FAR MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE READER TO FOLLOW AND REMAIN INTERESTED. EVEN IN HEADLINES ALL CAPITAL LETTERS SHOULD BE AVOIDED.
About The Author
Steven Boaze Chairman is The Owner of The Corporate Headquarters Boaze.com Which houses and controls 5 websites including Web Development services. Steven is also the author of "Hidden Secrets To Business Marketing" and "12 Step Remedy To A Successful Ezine" along with numerous articles on Marketing and Advertising published by Boaze Publishing. http://www.boazepublishing.biz
http://www.speedresponderpro.com
Copyright 1998-2003 Boaze.com
owner@boazepublishing.biz
All about Minibikes and Pocketbikes – Recreation
All about Minibikes and Pocketbikes
Gisbert Oskam
For those who were too small or too young to grip the handles of a motorcycle, minibikes were a worthy alternative. Minibikes were about 4 feet tall, weighed as little as 65 pounds, and had wheels about 10 inches in diameter. With a frame like that, they didnt go very fast - but no one seemed to care.
As minibikes progressed, they soon came available with engines, brakes, suspension and headlights. They became more popular for off-roading than to race. Minibikes managed well in rough terrain and were not damaged with a fall.
Because of the small size of the bikes and the young age of the drivers, minibikes were outlawed on main roads. Children began seriously injuring themselves by driving on streets where cars could not see them. By 1973, with the law was much stricter with minibikes and with the first generation of enthusiasts graduating to real motorcycles, minibikes purchases slowly started to fade.
Now however, there is a whole new generation that has discovered the fun-factor of the mini bike or pocket bike. The latest trend is to get a minibike and then totally customize it into a super pocket bike. All kinds of accessories are available to facilitate this. Think custom saddles, headlights, chrome -everything- and of course engine kits to increase the power of the mini motor bike.
With these fun mini bikes getting more and more faster and more popular then ever, some cities have banned the mini motor bikes on city streets and sidewalks. Others have adopted strict safety rules. For instance, California requires riders of motorized scooters be at least 16 years old and wear helmets, and the state does not allow riding after sunset.
Although there has been an increased number of complaints about the motorized "pocket rockets", for instance the pocket bikes would be "low to the ground and hard to see around cars and trucks", and "theyre noisy", the new pocket rockets and super mini bikes have never been more popular, and probably will be for some time...
Copyright 2004 Gisbert Oskam
About The Author
Gisbert Oskam is webmaster and editor of About Minibikes:
http://www.about-minibikes.com