How To Get People To Read Your Ads     

Rule One:-  The Headline

The  headline should summarize the whole offer.  It should
grab the eye, and  make you want to read the subheading.

The  headline  should  intrigue  and captivate the reader.
It's sole aim is to make the reader continue on to read the
body text.  You should take great time and trouble over the
headline.

Lets  say  we're  selling  a  book on home security, yes, I
know, boring and you might start with something like this:

"CRIME FIGURES UP"

This  is very bad, but typical of an amateur.  People don't
care  about  'crime statistics'.  That's boring, they only
care  about their own house or car being broken into.  OK,
how about this:

IS YOUR HOME AT RISK?

A  bit  better,  but not brilliant.  it does personalize it
and  does  play  on  peoples fear.  It's still pretty weak
though.   What we need is a headline that will grab you by
the throat and force you to read on.  How about this:

HOW TO BURGLE YOUR OWN HOUSE AND STEAL YOUR OWN CAR

Now  that's  what  I call a 'killer' headline.  You've just
got to read on, haven't you?

Always  think  very carefully about your headline.  Make it
extremely  intriguing, interesting or exciting.  If you're
selling a 'straight' product, then use a slightly different
approach,  the  headline should state what the product is,
with  a  few  adjectives in front.  Say for a Tea Trolley,
your headline would be:-

New, Italian, Fold-away TEA TROLLEY

There should also be a picture of the product.  the picture
and  the headline simply act to grab the eye of anyone who
is remotely interested in purchasing this type of product.

 Rule Two:-  The Subheading

The  subheading  should expand upon the story hinted in the
main  heading, and draw the reader inexorably into reading
the body text.

Subheadings  for  straight products should outline the main
features  and benefits of the product.  Again, boring, but
this  is  what  works,    A subheading for the Tea Trolley
would be:

"New   from   Italy,  Lightweight,  Fold-away  Trolley  is
available in your choice of three colours."

As I say, boring, but this is what works, so don't try and
get clever or 'arty'.

Here's the subheading for the security book:-

"I've   nicked  hundreds  of  cars  and  done  over  fifty
burglaries.   Would you like to know what I've got in mind
for YOUR place?"

Brilliant,  or  what??!!  You've  just got to read into the
body text, haven't you?

Remember  this  is  the  MAIN  function  of the heading and
subheading.  Notice the quotes, it seems as though the guy
was  talking  to  YOU,  the reader  of the advert, but the
quotes  imply  that it is just something that this burglar
said, some time ago, to whoever it was he was speaking to.

 Rule Three:-  The Copy

Always  overstate  the  product,  but  within the bounds of
truth and reasonableness!

For  some  reason  long  copy,  sell  books.   People  will
actually read an entire page of text if the story is strong
enough.  for straight products, the body of the text really
just gives the feature and benefits, together with a slight
allusion to an improvement in lifestyle.

A classic piece of rubbish for the security book would be:

"We at ACME security have been leaders in the field of home
security  for over seventy years, winning the Queens award
for industry on at least five occasions."

So what? Who cares? What's that got to do with ME?

Here's  an  important little technique which can be used to
fascinate your readers.  it's the 'reverse' technique.  In
this technique, you take what is considered an obvious and
well know fact about your subject, and then state the exact
opposite in your advert.

We  all know that in order to keep burglars out, we have to
lock  doors. Right? I mean, that's obvious. OK we're going
to  take  this  obvious  fact  and  simply state the exact
opposite.  like this:

Why  leaving  doors  UNLOCKED  can sometimes be better than
locking them.

"How can this be?" you ask yourself.

Why fitting a car alarm can sometimes result in car thieves
flocking to break into your car.

"What's  that?!!  surely with an alarm fitted, they'll give
your  car  a  miss?"  Well  it depends.  There are several
reasons  why  sometimes (which is all I said) the opposite
might  be true.  For example, if you have a car alarm then
that  means  you  have something worth stealing.  also car
thieves  are  full  of  machismo  and  they  like stealing
difficult  cars,  they stay clear of the easy ones because
there's not enough danger and excitement.  Most car alarms
can be bypassed. Get the idea?