Headline writing ideas.

1. #OUJ3700
Headlines

2. Headline overview
• Tell them what you’re going to tell them.
• Tell them.
• Tell them what you told them.

3. Headline overview
• Headlines are telling them what
you’re going to tell them.
• If you do well with a headline, you
don’t need to do anything else.
• If you mess this up, you won’t get a
chance to tell them and tell them
what you told them.

4. Headline overview
the first two things we
notice are…..
•Color
•Shape
• Create headline that are design
friendly.
• If they aren’t, make them.

5. Headline overview
1. You will spend lots of time
thinking about them.
2. Most of your ideas won’t be
good.
3. They magically appear.
4. This is a failure-based
business. It’s OK.

6. Writing tips
• Write for the headline skimmers.
• Your readers are busier thank you think.
• Winning ads combine good headlines
with good illustrations.
• Some look for copy.
• Some look at pretty pictures.
• The best meshes both.

7. Writing tips
• Direct headlines
•Use one or more sales features to
attract attention to the product.
• Indirect headlines
•Grab attention in order to keep
you reading.

8. 8 kind of headlines
• Slogal/label/logotype
• News
• Emotional
• Direct Benefit
• Directive
• Offbeat
• Curiosity
• Hornblowing

9. The fastball
use 75% of the time

10. slogan/label/logo
• Better for more established brands.
• Better for name recognition.
• Better when the brand is the story.
• Guts, Glory, Ram
• Just Do It
• Most companies can’t rely on a logo.
• Company logo should be in every spot.

11. 8 kind of headlines
news
• This is a workhorse
• No-nonsense
• Focus on new
• Make sure it’s believable

12. 8 kinds of headlines
news
• Doctors prove 4 out of 5 children have
healthier teeth using Crest.

13. 8 kind of headlines
emotional
• Empower the reader
• Accuracy matters. Not everything is
life and death.
• Create a direct benefit to your
action.
• Show that a direct benefit comes
from using your product.

14. 8 kind of headlines
emotional
• Only you can prevent forest fires!

15. 8 kind of headlines
direct benefit
• Create a direct benefit to your action.
• Show that a direct benefit comes from
using your product.
• Q-Vel prevents nighttime leg cramps

16. 8 kind of headlines
direct benefit
• Q-Vel prevents nighttime leg cramps

17. Indirect headlines
use sparingly 25%

18. 8 kind of headlines
directive
• Don’t ask, demand.
• Exercise more in less time!
• Don’t let this child go hungry!
• Stop a burglary before it starts.
• How many like being ordered around all
the time?
• We overuse this. The sky isn’t always
falling.

19. 8 kind of headlines
offbeat
• These are indirect
• These play off puns
• Jokes aren’t funny when the audience
doesn’t pay attention
• Roads Scholar (for a car)

20. 8 kind of headlines
offbeat
• Connect to art.
• Rush hour traffic in New Zealand

21. 8 kinds of headlines
curiosity
• Tell just enough of a story to pique reader interest.
• The most interesting man in the world.
• Hartmann has an interesting angle on luggage…the right
angle.

22. 8 kinds of headlines
curiosity
• At Saab, we call this a beautiful car.
• Remember attention span. Don’t
confuse your reader.

23. 8 kinds of headlines
hornblowing
• Only use when you are the best.
• Added source validation is key.
• This can be a dicey legal
process; be aware that will slow
down the project timeline.

24. 8 kinds of headlines
hornblowing
• Best Chicken Wings:
Wings Over Athens

25. New headline writing theory via
@griner
great for content marketing
• Headlines must be shareable.
• Think about how you will make me want to know
more.
• This means being personal and insightful.
• It doesn’t mean selling.
• You need to be provocative.
• You need to deliver the goods.
• This isn’t easy to manage.