It’s a Beautiful Piece of Content… And No One’s Going to Read It

By Guest Blogger Colin Martin

The headline of a piece of sales copy or advertising is the most important part of the entire ad. That’s because it’s the first point of contact and the single element that ‘pulls’ the reader in further. You can’t sell to someone if they don’t read the ad. The headline needs to be well t

What are some important elements to look for?

• Does it relate to them? – TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO WRITE — BUT CAN’T GET STARTED
• Do they imagine it could be them? –  THOUSANDS HAVE THIS PRICELESS GIFT — BUT NEVER DISCOVER IT!
• Does it create a fear? – LAST FRIDAY…WAS I SCARED!—MY BOSS ALMOST FIRED ME!
• Does it create a sense of wanting to change? – OFTEN A BRIDESMAID, NEVER A BRIDE
• Does it ‘personalize’ and identify with someone else? – IMAGINE SOMEONE LIKE ME…HOLDING AN AUDIENCE SPELLBOUND FOR 30 MINUTES

These are emotional ‘triggers’ that stir curiosity in the reader and will make them want to read further. It’s important to try and put a point across without sounding to salesy. You want them to focus more on the information: What’s in it for them? What benefits will they get? … rather than making it look like something’s for sale.

Writing ads will never go away. There are even more places on the Internet to compel people to buy: squeeze pages, videos, articles, banner ads, etc… and each one has a certain element that makes it stand out to your visitor.

Colin Martin is the Marketing Manager for Tom Antion and Associates. He works with authors, speakers, coaches and entrepreneurs to effectively bring their content marketing to life through storytelling and engagement. He is the author of the novel Secondhand God available on Amazon and Nook.

Make more fans and close more sales by touching the hearts of your website visitors. Join Colin & Susan on April 12, 2012 for the complimentary Ultimate Persuasion webinar and discover the simple steps of emotional engagement and visitor curation. Online content is more than communication; it’s an experience.

Check out our PR and Media Training Workshop to Jumpstart your Publicity