There are two kinds of headlines. Those that sell directly and those that sell indirectly.
While a direct sell uses one or more of the most important sales features of your product, an ‘indirect selling‘ headline stops the reader long enough to get him to read further.
Headline For a Contest
This for a contest in a lingerie store where the prize is a trip for two to Mauritius –
"So where are you going to wear it?"
And a direct selling headline –
"Answer a few questions and win a trip for two to Mauritius!"
The indirect headline plays on the emotion of curiosity and the fact that the woman spoken to is out to buy or thinking of buying lingerie. Surely she must have a special occasion in mind? After all, the lingerie being sold in this store is a luxury item.
The second headline, that sells directly, draws attention to the direct benefit and is newsy.
Writing the Newsy Headline
When the copywriter writes a newsy headline such as –
"For the first time in India, a car that follows the sun"
He must ensure that the car he's talking about is indeed India’s first solar-powered car. The headline evokes a visual metaphor of sunflowers. Place the car in a field of sunflowers? Sure, but don’t try and transform the car itself into a sunflower. Cars need to be seen to be bought.
Another Example of an Indirect Sell Headline
"Hot New Shades from Anchor!"
The twist or surprise is not in the headline itself but in the visual metaphor – metallic threads from Anchor inside lipstick cases. The ad appearing in a women's magazine, is targeted at a woman who likes to embellish herself whether it is with embroidery or with lipstick.
The threads here were positioned as a fashion accessory and this made the ad original. The ad was so successful, the client decided to place it in a national magazine where it drew a lot of attention.
How did the idea come about? From the magazine itself which was full of lipstick ads.
The point being made here is this: The writer should know his target audience and talk to them directly. He should appeal to their self-interest. Not to his own interest or the client’s.
There are clients who insist that the name of the product or company that makes it should feature in the headline itself. While this brings the product up front, it can get dull for the writer. In such a case, the writer should compromise.
For instance, while the metallic headline is original, it also manages to please the client who insisted on the brand name in the headline. Or the brand name can appear in the subhead.
The Advantage of the Direct Benefit Headline
Beginning copywriters often shun the direct benefit headline in favour of the clever indirect one. This is a mistake. It may not be so interesting to the writer, but it is always interesting to the reader. A reader is looking for a benefit, not entertainment.
A copywriter can write –
"For the first time in India, a solar-powered car"
Anything new is always an attention grabber. This direct headline has news value, as well as the main feature of the product - the solar power.
Two Types of Headlines
The copywriter should know whether his headline is direct or indirect. While the direct headline gets straight to the point, the indirect headline leads the reader into the ad copy by using intrigue or surprise.
More on headlines: Writing Direct and Long Headlines Successfully, Headlines That Surprise and Build Credibility, and on how to tell whether a headline is built on a big idea.
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