Run the headline test + 2 more …
1. Run the headline test. “By the time you’ve written your headline, you’ve spent 80 cents of your communication dollar,” said ad man David Ogilvy.
- Read your headline. Does it deliver 80% of the message you’re trying to communicate? If not, keep working.
- Need headline help?
2. Use your reader’s favorite word: YOU. It’s the most shared word in the English language, and it’s been proven in the lab since 1934 to boost reading. (We, on the other hand, reduces reading.)
- Check your message. Are you writing about the reader? Or are you writing about your organization and its stuff? If the latter, stop We-We-ing on your readers.
- Want to connect with readers?
3. Write leads that draw readers in. Here’s one: Florence Storch is a 101-year-old Alberta woman with a unique hobby and a lofty goal. A javelin thrower, Florence has her sights set on winning a gold medal at this year’s Canada 55+ Games.
- Review your lead. Does it include a centenarian with a pointy stick who knows how to use it? Do you have a single detail that might engage any reader other than your CEO? If not, rewrite.
- Looking for new lead ideas?