Realty Innovator

The headline is your “ad for the ad.”  Your headline does not need to sell, it simply needs to grab your prospects’ attention and compel them to read the rest of the ad.  The average person spends 2.8 seconds scanning your ad.  You need to make your appeal quickly and succinctly in order to grab their attention.

Quality headlines either reveal or promise an offer that attracts the interest of a targeted audience.  One of the biggest mistakes unseasoned marketers make is that they try to appeal to a mass audience. They do not define their target audience. Your ad should address only the prospects you seek.  This strategy will strengthen your appeal to your desired audience and generate a higher rate of return than a general offer to an unspecified audience. 

Consider the following analogy: If you were going fishing, would you be more successful if you simply cast a line into the ocean or if you used a specific bait to attract a specific fish and then cast your line in a specific part of the ocean?

The obvious answer emphasizes the fact that the more specific the appeal, the more likely you are to attract the desired prospect’s attention.  Specifics always win out over generalities.  For example, if you are going to appeal to homebuyers, narrow the target down to:

·         First-time homebuyers

·         Buyers making an upgrade

·         Luxury homebuyers

·         Investors

“Yes, That’s Me!”

Once you’ve defined your target, use descriptive copy to “paint a word picture,” visually placing the prospect in a location where you can make an effective appeal.  When done properly, the prospect will identify with your message and say, “Yes, that’s me,” and then they will continue reading. 

Whether they are negative (pain), positive (gain) or reassuring (pragmatic), emotions cause us to respond.

Words emotionally relevant to “pain”

• Quit

• Stop

• Fail

• Cease

• Tired

• Warning

• Alert

• Naïve

Words emotionally relevant to a “pragmatic” person

• Safety

• Comfort

• Knowledge

• Protection

• Security

Words emotionally relevant to “gain”

• Accomplishment

• Achievement

• Success

• Reward

• Benefit

• Deserve

• Earn

• Finally

Tips To Help Get You Going:

1.        Don’t wait for inspiration.  You are writing ads for the sole purpose of generating income. This is a learned art, not a skill with which you are born.  Just start writing; improvements will come quickly. 

2.        Decide whom you want to target and focus on that demographic.

3.        List all of the benefits that are compelling, appealing, and unique.  The headline is in that list.   

4.        The headline is the most important aspect of your ad.  Spend a greater amount of time considering your headline choices than any other aspect of your ad. 

5.        Be resilient and patient.  Accept that you may initially fail.  But once you learn the art, it will pay dividends for the rest of your career.

6.        While the only responsibility of your headline is to generate interest, do not make the offer misleading, as this will engender mistrust and alienation.

Continue on to Creating Value