I was talking with a copywriting coaching client the other week. During our session, I mentioned that he needed to anchor back to the headline as he wrote his copy. This is a point where most people get derailed when writing. Let me explain.
The headline is – by far – the most important element of any copy, online or off. It is the most read part that must capture the attention of your prospects in order to cause them to continue reading. Many copywriters, however, develop excellent headlines, but then veer off into left field while writing.
Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Days
For someone that wants to drop a few pounds quickly, this headline would be a big draw. Your copy might start by empathizing with your target customer, letting him or her know that you understand where they are coming from and that you have a great solution for his/her weight problem. “Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Days” is what hooked your reader. How do you think they’ll feel if – after the first bit of copy – all you talk about why losing 10 pounds is a desirable goal? Or why losing 10 pounds will make them more healthy? Those are excellent benefits to include with relation to losing 10 pounds, but that information doesn’t support the headline in and of itself. It doesn’t reinforce the promise you made… the promise that the reader can lose 10 pounds in 10 days.
As you write, look back at your headline and ask yourself, “Is this information supporting the headline?”
If you’ve added a few bullet points to the copy, you might work it this way:
Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Days
It seems like an easy task, but losing 10 pounds can be as big a challenge as losing 50 unless you understand these fundamental mistakes most dieters make. Losing 10 pounds is a very desirable goal. You may even have all the right motivation: to be healthy, to look better, to increase your energy. But failure still looms for most people. That’s precisely why Henry’s Weight Loss System was created.
Through this unique system of gizmos, your body supernaturally adapts until – at the end of 10 days – you miraculously find you have dropped 10 pounds without even trying.
Etc., etc., etc.
Did you follow that? The last sentence reinforced the headline. Yes, I empathized. Yes, I gave benefits. But I also anchored all that back to the headline so I could remind readers of the original promise that they were interested in.
If you made a promise, support the promise. If you asked a question, answer it. If you don’t keep your prospects engaged, they will leave. Whether you’re writing an ecommerce product description for a coffeemaker or long-form copy for a new type of software, anchor back to the headline, support the hook that captured your readers’ attention, and you’ll greatly increase the chance of converting them into buyers.
The headline is – by far – the most important element of any copy, online or off. It is the most read part that must capture the attention of your prospects in order to cause them to continue reading. Many copywriters, however, develop excellent headlines, but then veer off into left field while writing.
Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Days
For someone that wants to drop a few pounds quickly, this headline would be a big draw. Your copy might start by empathizing with your target customer, letting him or her know that you understand where they are coming from and that you have a great solution for his/her weight problem. “Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Days” is what hooked your reader. How do you think they’ll feel if – after the first bit of copy – all you talk about why losing 10 pounds is a desirable goal? Or why losing 10 pounds will make them more healthy? Those are excellent benefits to include with relation to losing 10 pounds, but that information doesn’t support the headline in and of itself. It doesn’t reinforce the promise you made… the promise that the reader can lose 10 pounds in 10 days.
As you write, look back at your headline and ask yourself, “Is this information supporting the headline?”
If you’ve added a few bullet points to the copy, you might work it this way:
Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Days
It seems like an easy task, but losing 10 pounds can be as big a challenge as losing 50 unless you understand these fundamental mistakes most dieters make. Losing 10 pounds is a very desirable goal. You may even have all the right motivation: to be healthy, to look better, to increase your energy. But failure still looms for most people. That’s precisely why Henry’s Weight Loss System was created.
- No drugs.
- No caffeine.
- No exercise.
- No group sessions.
Through this unique system of gizmos, your body supernaturally adapts until – at the end of 10 days – you miraculously find you have dropped 10 pounds without even trying.
Etc., etc., etc.
Did you follow that? The last sentence reinforced the headline. Yes, I empathized. Yes, I gave benefits. But I also anchored all that back to the headline so I could remind readers of the original promise that they were interested in.
If you made a promise, support the promise. If you asked a question, answer it. If you don’t keep your prospects engaged, they will leave. Whether you’re writing an ecommerce product description for a coffeemaker or long-form copy for a new type of software, anchor back to the headline, support the hook that captured your readers’ attention, and you’ll greatly increase the chance of converting them into buyers.
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