High Impact Headlines

The headline of an advertisement is perhaps the most important component for it is this that either draws the attention of your reader or repels it.

Before you begin writing your headline, have a look at other advertisements in the media you are planning to advertise in. You don't want yours to be proclaiming the same as your competitors, and you may find a unique selling point you can press that your competitors don't have.

The following do's and don'ts are rules-of-thumb to deploy when writing advertising headlines. There is no black and white to it as such, but tests have revealed what works best.

Do

  • Keep it as concise as possible
  • Make it as big as you can
  • Get Emotional
  • Be provocative
  • Use bold colors
  • Experiment
  • Set it apart from the ad copy
  • Challenge the reader

    • Don't

  • Use jargon or slang
  • Use punctuation
  • Use light colors
  • Follow grammar rules
  • Stick to one headline per campaign
  • Use exclamation marks

    • We hope you will find this useful in planning your ad campaign. For more tips see the links at the bottom of this page.

    For a fail-safe method to getting the best results guaranteed have a look at The 9-Step Plan to Advertising Success, available at http://www.advertsuccess.com

    A host of resources for maximizing your returns from print advertising are available at http://www.advertsuccess.com

    This article may be reprinted in full as long as all links are kept intact.

    Copywright Datsmart Ltd. 2005