The document outlines strategies for writing effective headlines that serve as essential marketing tools by engaging customers and communicating key benefits. It emphasizes understanding customer demographics and product attributes while using creative language and humorous elements to capture interest. The writing process involves brainstorming, creating multiple drafts, and refining headlines for clarity and impact.

1. How to Write Great Headlines
with: Sarah Fletcher

2. Sarah Fletcher
President/Creative Director
Catalog Design Studios, Inc.

3. WHY HAVE HEADLINES?

4. Headlines are the voice
of your salesperson

5. • Create personality
• Help with navigation
• Spark interest
• Telegraph key benefits
• Help with ease of shopping
• Amuse
• Engage
• Reinforce offers
• Reinforce key brand attributes
• Story
• Testimonial

6. WHAT IS A GREAT HEADLINE?

7. They Laughed When I Sat Down
At the Piano
But When I Started to Play!

8. Sunblock You Wear

9. Savored by 5 Presidents
and 31 Academy Award Winners

10. Make an extraordinary gift
in 10 minutes

11. WHERE DO YOU START?

12. BENEFIT, BENEFIT, BENEFIT

13. • Creates a personality
• Helps with navigation
• Sparks interest
• Telegraphs key benefits
• Helps with ease of shopping
• Amuses
• Engages
• Reinforces offers
• Reinforces key brand attributes

14. American Craftsmanship

15. “The Best Click Pen I have Seen”

16. Help Your Minions Conquer
(The slopes, not the lodge – that could get awkward.)

17. Let’s practice with a Pencil

18. • Write, erase, repeat. Eureka!
• Essential tools for hardworking writers
• Why are the best pencils yellow?
• Quick do-overs, even upside down!
• Best Sellers and Customer Favorites
• Bite me! I can take it.
• It’s not a mistake, if you can erase it
• Save 20% On These Office Essentials
• Making Perfect Pencils Since 1815
• Preferred by Cosmonauts like Yuri
• “I love these pencils!”

19. Know your customer
• Age
• Income
• Interests
• Preferences
• Cheap or Chic
• Social Influences

20. Know your products
• Attributes
• Price
• Sales (best seller, customer favorite)
• Benefits
• Stories

21. The Process
• Image yourself talking to your
customer
• Benefit, Benefit, Benefit
• Random thoughts-just start writing
• Run through the Great Headlines
Cheat Sheet
• Write lots of bad headlines
• Write a good headline

23. The finish
• Have someone else read the headlines
• Read the headlines in the whole
catalog for flow and repetition
• Write more headlines