Get ready for some hard-as-headboards teaching. To set it up, let me give you some example headlines:
A. Retire in 15 years
B. How to have a cool, quiet bedroom
C. Key to fitness at any age
Decent headlines, right? All of them have a benefit, all of them are clear, all of them are short.
However, let’s say for the sake of argumance that you wanted to do better.
How might you tweak the above headlines to increase the number of grateful readers who fall into your ad and start reading your copy?
Take a moment and really think about it.
I’ll tell you in a second, but think about it first.
All right, thought some?
Well, here are alternate versions of the above headlines. All of these alternate versions outperformed the versions listed first. And if you look carefully, all of these alternate versions have something in common:
A. How a man of 40 can retire in 15 years
B. How to have a cool, quiet bedroom — even on hot nights
C. Key to fitness at any age for men and women
We know these alternate versions outperformed the originals because these were all case studies reported by the great John Caples in his book Tested Advertising Methods.
So what’s the lesson contained in Caples’s case studies?
Well if you look at the alternate headlines, you could slice the changes in different ways:
– calling out the audience
– addressing objections
– intensifying the promise
But I think all of these different slices can be put under the single, powerful, and shady umbrella of:
Specificity.
Sure, “Retire in 15 years” actually implies “How a man of 40 can retire in 40 years.”
But that’s not how people read ads.
You’ve got a fraction of an unconscious second to wake up your slumbering prospect and get him to hear what you have to say.
Don’t count on his tired brain to do any calculating in your favor.
Instead, use as much specificity as you can. Even if it’s redundant or not actually specific, such as saying “Key to fitness for men and women.”
So that’s my hot tip for copywriters.
Or others, such as business owners who hire copywriters.
And if that’s you, and you are looking for more specific copywriting tips (that have to do with increasing sales), then you might like the following: