Free Internet Marketing Lessons

by Craig Garber

If you want a guaranteed way to increase your cash-flow, regardless of what kind of marketing you are using, then this is the most important message you will ever read!

Listen up: According to the experts, you've got 0.7 seconds to convince your prospects to read your marketing information.

And what happens in those 0.7 seconds? Well, the truth is... in that split-second of time, your prospect is looking at...

Your Headline!

That's why you'd better be darn sure your headline is compelling, and "hooking" your prospects right then-and-there, otherwise your ad never gets read... and you wind up wasting every one of your hard-earned advertising dollars.

Your headline is, by far... the most important part of your ad. In fact, my friend Gary Halbert, one of the most successful and sharpest minds in direct marketing, says... your headline accounts for as much as 80% of the marketing success of your ad or letter (yes, even your letters must have headlines).

You see, your headline is sort of like... an "ad" for your "ad". Meaning, if your headline isn't powerful... doesn't push your prospect's "hot buttons"... and doesn't stimulate curiosity and interest, then guess what's going to happen?

Correct! Your prospect is going to skip over your ad and go straight ahead to the next thing on their mind.

Your headlines must be grabbing your prospects by the shoulders, shaking them up, and saying:

"Hey! Read This Now Or You'll Be Missing Out On The Deal Of A Lifetime!"

Sadly, most advertising isn't doing that. Instead, it's doing exactly the opposite! It says "Run!" "Go Away!" "I want your money!"

Here's what's usually going on: First, there's almost never a headline. Instead, there's something more like a "heading" that says either the name of your company... the kind of business you have... or some kind of "cutesy" slogan you feel really expresses the "core values" of your business.

Listen: I hate to burst your bubble, but your prospects don't give a hoot about your "core values" and they have no interest in your "mission statement" either.

However, they do care deeply about...

Themselves! And... how you can help them!

Most headlines say "what you do" -- when they should be saying...

"What you do for your customers", instead!

And the key is, you want to be talking about "benefits", not "features". Here's an example to show you what the difference is: "Only 75 calories per slice" is a feature (Not to mention, but what does that even mean to most people?), however... "You can eat 3 times as many slices as usual, and still take in less calories than 1 slice of ordinary cake." is a benefit.

Do you see the difference?

"Features" describe your product or service.

But "benefits", describe what your product or service is doing for your prospects.

Got it? Here are some examples of really bad headlines.

This one comes from a full-page ad in the Fort Lauderdale Yellow Pages (which costs more than $2,000 Dollars a month!), and the headline is: "Fed USA Insurance". Pretty bad, huh?

But wait, it gets worse!

The next line underneath says "Financial Services".

Golly gee willickers! Can you believe? They're not just insurance, but insurance and financial services.

All you need now is a warm cup of cocoa, a good book... and you're ready to snuggle up under your covers and take a cozy little nap!

Don't get me wrong: What this business does is not boring -- in fact, it's very important if you have a family you're taking care of. But, how they market what they do... is incredibly boring.

Here's another ad from the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. This ad's for a plastic surgeon. The doctor has her picture in the ad and the headline reads: "Dr. XXX A Woman Knows What's Best For A Woman"

I'll tell you right now: There is absolutely nothing compelling about this headline, and there's absolutely nothing beneficial in it, that would make you...

Waste even one minute of your time to drive down and see this doctor!

If you'll notice, these headlines didn't mention any kind of benefits you get from using these services.

You've got to understand -- your headline is the first... and sometimes the only thing... your prospect's going to look at.

Without a "killer" headline that's compelling, and provoking at least some curiosity... your ad is dead in the water. Period.

Make No Mistake About It!

And what could the insurance company and the plastic surgeon have said, so their headlines would compel their prospects, to respond to their ads?

Well, without knowing anything more about these people, you could have said something like this for the insurance company:

"FREE Report Reveals How Any Broward County Resident Can Easily Avoid Overpaying For Their Homeowners Insurance... By As Much As 41.7%!"

And for the plastic surgeon, you'd also want to be using a free lead-generation report (called a "2-step" marketing plan), along with a headline that says:

"Attention! Women Over Age 35: Don't Even Think About Having Cosmetic Surgery Until You Read This FREE Report: The Top 5 Mistakes Cosmetic Surgeons Make And How To Avoid Them! Discover How To Steer Clear Of Unpleasant Scarring And Pockmarks... Before Going Under The Knife!"

See, those headlines transmit direct benefits to your prospects, and promise them something positive.

On the other hand, your name, or the name of your company, or the kind of product you sell, tells your prospect... literally... nothing!

The truth is, people are as interested in the name of your company, about as much as they're interested in your license plate number.

Listen, your competition is fierce! So you must make sure your headline is getting your ad the attention it deserves. Not doing this is a sure-fire guarantee, to being... eliminated!

And remember, the only headlines worth anything, are the ones that clearly and specifically, show the benefits your customers or clients are getting, from using your products or services. Also...

Your headlines must provoke curiosity... and... they must be straight and to-the-point!

If you do this, your headlines will be reeling in customers for you, and... consistently making your cash register go "ka-ching"!

Remember, your prospects want to know "What's in it for them?", and showing benefits instead of features, is the key to getting your prospects opening up their wallets and giving you their business, and NOT your competition.

Another thing is, the more outrageous, sensational and enticing you can make your headlines...

The Better Response You Will Get From Your Ads!

So remember, your headline is "The Ad For Your Ad". It's your biggest, and best promise... summed up in a handful of well-thought-out words.

And by the way, famous ad man Claude Hopkins, author of "Scientific Advertising", tested the response rates of different headlines... and his results were nothing shy of astounding! He found, a difference in headlines can mean...

As Much As... A 2,100% Difference In... Response Rates!

That's right. A well-crafted headline directed at the right audience, and with the right message, can deposit as much as 21 times more cash into your bank accounts!

The bottom line is, your headlines must attract attention... they must be compelling... and they must transmit at least one HUGE benefit to your prospects.

So spend as much time as you need, coming up with a powerful headline that will compel your prospects to do business with you... now!

P.S. If you want to see the list of 37 headlines I wrote for this article, before I settled on the actual headline I wound up using, shoot me an e-mail and I'll send them to you straight-away.



Why aren't you making nearly as much money as you think you should be? 99 times out of a hundred... it's your copy. Craig Garber is a direct-response copywriter and a direct-marketing consultant whose marketing methods are currently bringing in over 7 figures. Craig lives in Plantation, Florida and can be reached at 
craig.garber@comcast.net or 954-723-0677. 
Copyright © 2004 Craig Garber. All rights reserved.

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"How To Make As Much As 21 Times More Money... Using A Little-Known But Incredibly Powerful (And Proven) Secret!" by Craig Garber