1. Headline: On the average, 5x more people read the headline as the body copy. If people like
the Headline they will continue to read the body copy. The Headline is what pulls them in. The
headline should be simple and clearly state a benefit.
2. News and headlines: Consumers
read news stand magazines or news papers to get news. Real news or innovations can be placed in the
headline, consumers may even find it a service. They very well could increase readership.
3. How many words in a headline? Research conducted with cooperation from a large department
store found that headlines of ten words or longer sold more products than short headlines. In terms
of recall, headlines between eight and ten words work the best. On average, long headlines sell more
goods than short ones - headlines like David Ogilvy's "At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in
this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock." have been remembered for years.
4.
Talk to Your Prospects: When a specific group consumes your product; Speak to them in your headline
- boaters, Seniors, business owners?
5. If the Reader is Interested THey Will Read Long
Copy: Readership declines rapidly after fifty words, but continues steadily between 50 and 500
words. Potential buyers will read further into an ad. Spark their interest with the headline, Give
them a reason to buy in the copy. We have included many articles from John E. Kennedy and Claude
Hopkins on Writing Headlines
6. Before and After Ads: Before and after ads are above
average at grabbing the consumers attention. Contrast tends to work well. Readers also seem to have
an above average understanding of what the ad is saying.
7. Photos vs. Art: Photos work
better than drawings most of the time. Consumers prefer to feel things are "genuine." The photo
should help pull readers in. It must be related to the benefit of to the goods you are selling. The
photograph has to have story appeal.
8. Captions: Twice as many people read the
captions under photographs as read the body copies. Never place a photo without a caption. Because
Associated Press Style calls for captions under photos people expect it.
9. Editorial
layout vs. Addy Layout: The more the ad looks like the editorial in the magazine generally the
higher the readership. The addy layout is much easier to get approved by the CEO of the company you
are representing. A good ad agency will take the time to explain to the CEO that they know much more
about their product that the consumer.
10. Test and Retest Readership has been known to
increase with repetition. Continually test new ads against the old ones and run the winner.
