Writing an compelling copy headline is a challenge if you plan to issue a call to action only at the end, as that action that people may be reluctant to do be it subscribing to an email newsletter or buying a product. If you want your readers to do something, you need to persuade them from the start, and begin with the first words of your headline.

Offer Something Right Away

If you have something to offer to your readers that they may want in exchange for what you’re going to ask them to do, make it immediately clear with your headline. When people start reading something online and they aren’t actively seeking information, they want to know what they’re going to get if they continue reading and they don’t want to waste their time and prefer to know immediately.

Make It Urgent

People are likely to act when they know they’re running out of time, when there’s scarcity. Create a sense of urgency with your headline by telling your readers that your offer only applies to a certain date or that you’re fast running out of stocks. Also make it a do-or-die offer; if they let this opportunity slip away, it’s gone forever.

Be careful when using this type of headline as it comes with consequences. Make sure you withdraw your offer at the stated time. If you’re going to extend the deadline, you should have a good rationale so as not to lose your credibility.

Keep It Simple and Powerful

Typically online copy should be simple and easy to follow. This also applies to the online headline, as lead in and as part of the copy, it makes sense that headlines should be simple and easy to understand..!

Don’t use long and difficult words. Aim for shorter powerful words instead. These words inspire action and bring powerful images to mind. “Help Your Business Last Longer” as a copy headline can be improved, for instance, if you replace passive-sounding words with forceful ones. “Make Your Business Survive” has greater impact compared to the previous headline, don’t you think?

Keep It Short

Another guideline for online copy headlines is brevity and conciseness. Headlines should follow the same rule. Typically, readers online scan what they read and so they’ll be able to understand a five-word-headline more quickly than a ten-word one.

For good copy headline, try to reduce the use of particles, prepositions, linking verbs, and other words that may dilute the message

Don’t Try Too Hard

Naturally, funny and witty headlines are better but trying too hard to be funny can backfire!  If there’s no way to make a headline funny or clever then make it simple. If you manage to get your message across then you’ve done your job.

Use Numbers

Numbers can be memorable and lend authority to the copy message. Instead of simply headlining a copy with “Tips for Gardening”, you can greatly enhance it by adding a digit. “6 Tips for Gardening” encourage people to read more because they know they have six (more than one’s many!) tips to look forward to in a single article.

Review and Refine

You may think you’ve made a perfect headline upon typing the last word, but give it a minute or two and you’ll be able to view it more objectively. Good luck on writing those headlines!

Find out more about great copy that sells at Stephen’s PowerCopy club:

https://stephenomearaonline.com/powercopy

Writing Freely: 6 Ways to Make Your Copy Fly

Writing copy can be like travelling on a journey. There are times when everything works perfectly and goes super smoothly, other times the journey gets delayed and you don’t make it, other times it can be a tedious process, and then there are times you can get lost and spend ages to find your way there. If this happens, it can be frustrating, particularly if you have a copy submission deadline to meet. So how do you make your copy flow freely?  Here are some tips you can use to help guide your writing…

Apply an outline

Before you begin a writing project or an article, write a short, simple outline about the topic. Use headlines, sub-headings and a list of topics under each one. This will work as a guide or or map to assist you on what to write. This is also a good reference if you wish to have an overview of how the article progresses and is unveiled to your reader.  This will help make your copy flow just when you need it most!

The outline will also help discipline your writing. Oftentimes we can get carried away by emotions, mood or inspiration. The result – you produce too much content that you don’t need and it risks making your copy less concise and appealing.  With an outline, you have a much better sense of ideas you want to keep and use and also those that do not belong.

Use a notebook to capture your ideas

Inspiration can come from anywhere. So be prepared! When it does, you want to ready to capture it – regardless of time or location.  It happens to artists, writers and musicians like Paul McCartney of the Beatles, when he was travelling. The music and lyrics to a song came to him but since he couldn’t write music and had no recording device with him, he experienced the trip with the music ringing in his mind. As he had a notebook he was able to trace down the key chords, melodies and lyrics.

Have you ever been inspired by a big or compelling idea only to find out that you have nothing to write it down with because you’re in the middle of doing something else away from your home or normal environment?

Make sure that when you’re blessed with an idea, you’re ready for it. Keep a small notepad with you or around your work area. When an idea comes, write it down immediately. Don’t wait. Memory can be slippery so don’t depend on it…. Write the idea down, record it, paint it, illustrate it – anything that will help remind you later. So when it’s time to write, you can make the copy flow and not have any problems producing your full idea and copy.

Allow topics to transition

To make copy flow when writing, allow topics to progress and flow from one topic to another.  If you have an outline, this is easier to apply as you already have a sense of which topic to write about in the next sentence or paragraph.

Don’t worry or overstress about grammar… yet

You cannot make your copy flow if you keep getting distracted by other tasks such as editing or proofreading. Forget about these things at first. Your job is to write, so do it until it is complete. Don’t worrying about correct grammar or spelling at this point. If you’re using a word processor, making the corrections will be easy later. Write as the thoughts come to you and don’t interrupt your flow…

Review what you’ve written

In many cases, when you’re stumped in the middle of an article, you could refresh your mind by going through what you have already written. This will help remind your brain of the key message you’re trying to get across. 

Just write

Typically I find the best way to make your copy flow is to keep writing. Worry about the final product later.  You can always go back and make revisions. For now, just write what you know, unleash your creativity and keep on writing!

Find out more about great copy at Stephen’s PowerCopy club:

https://stephenomearaonline.com/powercopy

5 Ways to Make Compelling Copy for your Readers – without being an expert

Everything about an article or a review – its perceived value, efficacy and message – rests upon good copywriting.  Copy is substance and without it, even skilled and well-meaning writer and his article will be ignored, the article’s value be missed altogether. It is no surprise then why people go through great lengths in order to produce a good piece of copywriting…  Learn the ways you, too, can make copy good:

Know what you are writing about.

There is nothing worse than a writer who bluffs.  Some writers have well written, fictions that they pass off as genuine but they were able to do so only because they backed up their writing with plenty of research. 

If you were asked to write about criminology, for example, how much would you be able to write without using a single reference? Probably not enough to convince the average reader.

To avoid moving around blindly for your subject and to make your copy good, do plenty of research.  Use at least three good references for your write-up. If you think you need to interview someone knowledgeable for it, then do so. This will allow you to capture enough information to use for your article write-up.

Always think about your readers

Your readers have different perspectives. To make your copy interesting, consider carefully what it is they like and are interested in and then zoom in on those interests. Also speak their language, use plain and simple language, so they quickly understand and are comfortable with what you have to say. 

If you’re writing for teenagers aged 15-19, for example, you probably wouldn’t use the kind of language you write with if your audience were men and women in their 40s and 50s, right?  Remember that you’re trying to sell an idea through your writing, so speak to your readers in a way they can easily understand and relate to.

Watch your grammar

If you were a good listener during your grammar class, you might want to heave a sigh of relief. A high premium is placed on good grammar and if you want to make your copy interesting and flow, do ensure you avoid silly grammar and spelling mistakes. 

Be careful with subject-verb agreement, punctuation marks, tenses, sentence completion and clauses. Bad grammar is never viewed as good copy and is dismissed as amateurish and low quality, therefore unreliable, even if you are talking as an expert.

Find a good headline

The headline serves as the introductory statement to your article or review. It should engage their attention immediately. Without a good headline, there’s a strong chance your target readers might ignore your article and move on. This is something you don’t want to happen. Imagine losing the attention of 7 out of 10 potential readers just because your headline doesn’t work…!

Make sure your headline is effective, clear and concise. It should interest the reader, make them wonder, raise their curiosity, even intrigue them so that they have enough reasons to want to read more.

Make your copy easy to read

Finally, to make your copy good, it has to be relatable and easy to read. If you’re writing about planting roses for beginner gardeners, for example, don’t make it sound like an instructional material for producing fossil fuel. Read your work out loud – if it sounds like normal speech, then you’re on the right track.   Always mind your readers. They are, after all, the end users of your work and they should be able to like what you offer them.

Find out more about creating persuasive copy at Stephen’s PowerCopy club:

https://stephenomearaonline.com/powercopy