Headlines are the #1 key to copywritng success. If your headline tanks, the rest of your ad or sales letter is largely irrelevant! If you don't first pull your prospect inside -- you don't stand much of a chance of making the sale!

Here are fifteen tips that help you to write effective and attention-grabbing headlines.

(1) Deliver your main message immediately. You only have 1 to 3 seconds to lure serious prospects with your headline.

(2) Use benefit-oriented headings at the top of every ad or marketing communication. Never use this most valuable space to announce your company name. Even the most basic, benefit-oriented headline will command more attention than a name, unless the name itself conveys a strong, unique benefit.

(3) Grab your target prospect by the jugular. Don't beat around the bush. Reach out daringly, provocatively and directly in a way that's impossible to overlook.

(4) Make your headline tempting, teasing, and tantalizing. Touch a nerve in your prospect. Generate a headline that's difficult to resist.

(5) Think benefits. Benefits are helpful or useful advantages that are clearly spelled out for the prospect. A good headline strategy to use is to deliver the biggest, most unique and desirable benefit possible. The strongest benefit you can isolate is prime headline material.

(6) Keep it clear and concise. Refine... rewrite... reduce... and otherwise modify until you have your headline down to a brief statement with an unmistakable message. Craft a handful of words that resonate with your prospect. Most people today prefer information in quick, easy to digest, bite-size pieces.

(7) Compose your headline with an understanding of the sheer volume of competing messages that are all vying for the same prospect's attention. You want people to perk-up... to pay attention to your message... so you need to develop a headline that advertising-weary eyes will find appealing. Entice prospects into the rest of your message with a riveting opener.

(8) Consider it an "ad for an ad", a line or two you run at the top of a display ad or marketing piece to lure attention. In effect, your targeted headline says this, "Here's something important, unique and of value to you, dear prospect. Pay attention here or you'll miss out."

(9) Stick to a single, coherent idea or concept with your headline. Focus on one powerful thought that is easily understood and absorbed in an instant. Think of your headline as a "grabber" that must be compelling enough to interrupt the busy prospect and get him or her to notice your message. Your headline does it's job when the otherwise indifferent reader is pulled into the body of your message. One strong idea is all you can expect busy people to grasp in a quick glance.

(10) Summarize your main selling message as a headline. Readers should get the gist of what your entire message is about by reading headlines and sub-headings only. By offering your strongest selling point up-front, you help attract prospects who are genuinely interested and you'll help turn away the "tire-kickers."

(11) Capture attention quickly. The single, most important task of any headline is to get noticed. One way to get noticed is to stand out from the crowd. Think of your ad as a telegraphic communication, conceived for the purpose of attracting qualified attention from the maximum number of prospects. Your headline needs to hit hard and hit fast.

(12) Beware of making statements that others could easily claim as their own. Generic benefits that others offer are too common to be effective. Add an original twist with a specific promise or result.

(13) Convert facts into meaningful prospect benefits. Avoid headlines that are mere factual statements about a product or service. The facts are only features and features by themselves, don't sell. Prospects are attracted by what those facts mean. It's the sizzling benefits and mouthwatering descriptions that draw larger crowds.

(14) Be upbeat and positive. Paint a bright future. Offer workable solutions that provide hope and inspiration to your audience. Avoid gloomy, negative headlines. Raise the spirits of your audience with an upbeat approach.

(15) Simplify your message so it's easy to grasp. Don't force people to stop and think about what it is you're trying to say, or you'll quickly lose the audience. Your prospects won't waste any valuable time trying to figure it out.

For more information on how to write effective and sure-fire headlines, please visit http://www.HeadlineTips.com to learn more about the "Giant Headline Swipe File"