Fight for the future!

What people want from technology is usually pretty clear…

People love huge open libraries of music, books and video. They don’t like censorship and legal landmines that get you sued for making amazing things. They love privacy and open platforms to create and invent. They’re happy to pay for good stuff, but hate being coerced to pay for mediocrity and middlemen.

7 Quick & Easy Headline Formulas – Part 7

Formula #7: Fill In The Blanks
This formula is amazingly simple to use. Just take any or all of the samples provided and adapt them for your own use. Simply fill in the blanks with the appropriate description, expression, action word, or benefit. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll want to refer to this section again and again. Not only is it easy, it’s also a lot of fun.

Don’t feel limited by these suggestions. You could literally adapt any headline found anywhere, and do the same thing. Simply transfer your benefits, offers, guarantees, etc., to a headline that grabs your attention. This is a great way to generate a dynamite headline in a matter of minutes. Any one of these fill- in-the-blank  formulas could help you create a winning headline for your product or service.

We’ll start with the easiest first. All of these formats assume that you’ve clearly identified the major benefits of your product. If you don’t know what the big benefits are, you’ll have a tough time—even with these easy, fill-in-the-blank headline formats. Several examples are provided immediately following each headline format..

7 Quick & Easy Headline Formulas – Part 6

Formula #6: Use Your Customer’s Own Words
The actual words of satisfied customers holds a lot of weight with prospects in virtually all markets. Somehow, the words of others —people who once were in the same situation, as the prospects themselves—has greater power to influence a prospect’s decision to buy.

Gather any feedback that you may have already collected from customers. Review all the letters, faxes, words or appreciation and general comments you’ve heard in the past. Survey past customers for additional feedback or solicit a review by a well-respected authority in your field. The more material you have to draw from, chances are, the better and more explosive your headlines will be.

If you don’t have such a collection, now would be a good time to start one. Record all words, phrases, reviews and comments and attach the attributed real name of the actual person who made the statement. Jot these comments down on a card, and send it off in the mail to the customer requesting permission to use their words in your marketing material. Most customers are happy to help out this way and they appreciate being asked for their permission first..

7 Quick & Easy Headline Formulas – Part 5

 Formula #5: Forget Your Product—Deliver The Dream!
What do your prospects want most? You already know the answer. It’s always the benefits that they seek. They want an advantage or a better way of doing things. Solutions to problems and new alternatives that save time, money, and effort. And there’s no better option for prospects than the one that does it all. This product is the solution to their dreams.

The idea of this headline technique is to transform your product into an ideal answer to your prospects deepest desires and aspirations.

In order to supply the dream solution, you have to know what your prospects want… their likes and dislikes… their frustrations and disappointments with other apparent solutions. What is it that annoys prospects most regarding your type of product, service or industry?.

7 Quick & Easy Headline Formulas – Part 4

Formula #4: The Power-Packed Combination
Here’s a technique that adds extra power to any single-benefit headline. It can be used in several different ways, all with the multiplied power of several components working hand in hand. A combination headline could include multiple benefits, a benefit plus and offer, even a benefit, offer and a guarantee. With the “Combination” headline, your options are plentiful, and the one you select should be the one that packs the biggest punch and works well in a particular situation.

The benefit combination approach simply stacks one major benefit on to another in a sequence that usually consists of three separate benefits. The result is a headline with three times the power of a single benefit..

7 Quick & Easy Headline Formulas – Part 3

Formula #3: The Brainstorm Technique

The brainstorming technique is an excellent way to generate innovative, breakthrough headlines. This technique can be performed as a group exercise, or individually. Both applications can work well to produce original ideas and concepts that can lead to awesome headlines.

The idea of brainstorming is to completely free the minds of all participants and to simply let the ideas flow —unrestricted and unencumbered—without limitations of any kind. This free-wheeling, creative activity lets you generate an infinite amount of possibilities.

The best way to brainstorm a headline is to think in terms of customer benefits and stick to short descriptions of one to five words. Open up your mind and let the creativity flow. Try to think of single words and phrases that describe the benefits of your product or service.

It’s a liberating experience, one that can often provide a fresh new horizon from which to base your promotional efforts upon..

7 Quick & Easy Headline Formulas – Part 2

Formula #2: The “Borrow It” Approach
This technique “borrows” ideas, words, phrases, and formats from other headlines and adjusts these to suit. It takes individual components from existing headlines and re-packages them to suit your product, service, or offer. Here, you choose different headlines that you like, combine features of several to create a hybrid. This technique works for both simple and complex headlines. You simply string together a few parts that you like, and substitute your benefit or offer to suit.

Never copy someone else’s headline, word for word. That’s theft. But no one can take exclusive ownership of any word or phrase. You’re always free to use any word or description in your own unique way.

It’s an easy way to put together a solid headline in just minutes. The key is to find lots of headlines that you like and to have them ready, in front of you. You’ll find plenty of examples within this manual package, but remain on the lookout for others.

You never know when you’ll want to adapt a phrase or technique for a headline of your own. With your own file of collected headlines, commonly referred to as a “swipe file”, you’ll have a virtual resource center of adaptable ideas and techniques..

7 Quick & Easy Headline Formulas – Part 1

Formula #1: The Ultimate Benefit – FAST & EASY!
When you’ve taken the time to list all the benefits of your product or service, it’s much easier to begin formulating some excellent headlines. Decide on the most attractive benefit your product offers. What one great advantage does your product give customers? What unique advantage does your product offer? Don’t just guess at it—talk to prospects and customers. Give them a short list of 2 to 5 solid benefits your product delivers on, and then ask them to choose just one.

What you hope to achieve with this little exercise, is to get actual prospects and customers to identify the one benefit that is of supreme importance to them . It could be a single benefit or, more likely, the “ultimate benefit” of your product. Try to narrow it down to one powerful benefit and then use that as your starting point.

A headline that’s centered around the most appealing benefit has a good chance of attracting far more interest and attention than any non-benefit headline..