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Fishing for Prospects: Why Headlines are Important

Written by: Yolanda Allen

Article Overview: Headlines are like going fishing. With good bait, you can catch more fish. With good headlines, you’ll get more prospects who could become paying customers. Learn why headlines are important for reeling in your prospects.

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Fishing for Prospects: Why Headlines are Important

When you go fishing, you bring the right kind of bait to catch the fish you want. Advertising works the same way. If you want someone to read your ad, you have to catch their attention. You do that with your headline. Headlines are important because headlines are your bait. They are critical to getting potential prospects to read your offer. If your ad can win an Oscar but your headline stinks, your ad doesn't matter. Just like going fishing, if you bring the wrong bait, you won't catch any fish. You might as well have not spent the time fishing ( or writing).

People are living very busy lives. They don't have time to sort through the multitude of ads they receive every day. People scan headlines, and if your headline doesn't catch their attention, your ad will get tossed aside (usually in the circular file). (Hmm? I wonder if fish lead busy lives. Maybe salmon since they have to travel upstream when their ready to lay eggs, but I digress.)

Headlines are about connecting with (and hooking) your prospect. People search the Internet because they are looking for information. Even if they want to buy a product, they're initially looking for information about that product before they make a buying decision. To catch your prospect's attention, your headline needs to answer a question or need they have, even if it's unconscious.

Ultimately, when people search, they are asking "what's in it for me?" Your headline needs to tell them what they'll get when they read your ad. What's the benefit to them? This is why keyword research is such a critical skill. Keyword research will help you get to the heart of your prospect's need.

Hopefully you now understand why headlines are an important component of your ad. In fact, headlines are the most important part of your ad. Your headline is the bait. Get your prospects to read your ad by giving what they want, whether they express directly or unknowingly. Good headlines, just like good bait, will increase your odds of success.

Happy Fishing...er I mean, Business Building,

Yoli

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Article Tags: good headlines, headline writing, why headlines are important, writing headlines
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