Use a Strong, Compelling Headline

Okay, so you caught their attention. They’re emotionally involved. They’re ready to buy and they are concentrated on your ad. Job done, right? Not quite yet, they haven’t started reading. The next two or three seconds will be crucial.  

Do you read the newspaper front to back, or do you scan the headlines to choose which stories you will read? Choosing a newspaper article to read from an array of articles printed on several pages is very similar to choosing a Yellow Pages ad to read from an array of ads printed on several pages.  The overwhelming majority of people scan headlines. Newspaper editors know this fact, and act accordingly. You should too.

They’re ready to buy,

Now they’re looking for a reason not to.

When faced with many choices, it is human nature to agonize over the decision. Cold-feet crop up. Are we doing the right thing? How do I know I can trust this company? Will they solve my problem? What makes them better than the next guy?

A strong compelling headline makes them read your ad. It must solve a problem, show a major difference between you and your competitors, grab attention, or, best of all, do all three. Which of these headlines would you be more likely to act on?

Steve’s Laptop Repair

Or…

Fixed and on your way, in 1 hour or less!

I recently needed tree pruning. My local Yellow Pages had four pages of tree pruning services ads. Only one had a headline which read, “Free Estimates with 48 hours.” Who do you think I called first? Interestingly enough, although they all offered free estimates, none of them mentioned the fact in their ads. One of them even had an employee who did nothing but estimates and did most of them within hours! Talk about differentiating from your competitors and an opportunity missed.

Your company name and/or logo is NOT a Headline

The Yellow Pages are a directory. Ads are placed within headings that are common for everyone in a particular industry. Having your name and logo dominate your ad only tells shoppers that you did not mistakenly list in the wrong heading. If you have and ad under “Computer Repair,” we already know you are in that business and not a dentist. If your company name is so strong that it can provide an attention-grabbing, emotionally involved, “I just gotta call this guy,” type of reaction all by itself, then why the heck do you need the Yellow Pages? Your white pages listing will do the trick all by itself. Fortunately for us, and Yellow Pages publishers everywhere, we’ve never come across any company like that.

Consult your local Yellow Pages. Don’t look at your heading. Go to any other busy heading. How many ads use headlines? Of the few, if any, that do, how many headlines solve a problem, show a major difference between them and their competitors, grab attention, or do all three? Now go to your heading and do the same exercise. Sobering isn’t it?

This is where most Yellow Pages Ads fall flat. Your headline must solve a problem, show a major difference between you and your competitors, grab attention, or, best of all, do all three. It is your headline that leads the buyer to read your ad. It must scream, "Read Me!"

Don't fall into the trap of using your business name and/or logo as a headline. It just does not work. Even if you are well-known in your market, how many people will instantly recognize you and associate you with the qualities you wish? Ten percent? Twenty? More likely, it's less than ten percent unless you are truly dominant. You don't need to market heavily to those who already know, trust, and respect you... it's the other 80-95% you need to attract.

All consumers, including you and me, want value. We want to do business with people we can trust. We want to know that we can rest easy when th ejob is their hands. We want to deal with people who understand our problems and are ready, willing, and able to help. Use your headline to meet as many of these needs as possible.