According to most advertising and marketing experts, 50% of the value of any advertisement is made up of the headline itself. In fact, many less conservative experts give the headline of an ad as much as 70-80%. No matter the actual value, great headline writing is absolutely critical to the success of any magazine, newspaper, direct mail or other printed advertisement. It isn’t enough to write perfectly compelling body copy or promote an amazing offer. Some of the most tremendous flops in the history of advertising contained powerful information and significant written material, but the writer failed to present an enticing headline. The otherwise flawless ads weren’t even noticed.

David Ogilvy, the father of modern advertising was quoted as saying:

“It is the headline that gets people into the copy; the copy doesn’t get them into the headline. In other words, the copywriter’s aim in life should be to try to make it harder for people to pass up his advertisement than to read it. And right in his headline he takes the first, and truly giant, step on the road to that goal. On the average, 5 times as many people read the headlines as read the body copy. It follows that unless your headline sells your product, you have wasted 90% of your money.”

Imagine boosting the response of your dental advertising efforts by 100% after changing only the first two lines of your ad. Is it really possible? You bet! Here are some tried and true secrets from decades of testing that can help to make sure your headlines achieve the best results possible.

Ask yourself these 3 simple but important questions:

What do they care about?

What is the biggest problem they face?

How can you help them solve it?

As a dental professional, you must be very targeted and deliberate about whom exactly you are trying to reach. Trying to reach every kind of patient with every kind of dental need is futile… and it’s the short route to a boring ad. Use these three questions to focus your message and create a profile of your target patient. Be as specific as possible and you’ll create a message that best resonates with their dental concerns and situation. Always refer back to this exercise and clearly ask yourself if you are designing or writing with this patient in mind.

Unless you are a seasoned marketing veteran, (and most dentists I’ve met aren’t) NEVER write your own headlines without analyzing other successful ad campaigns and applying winning formulas and trends that work for other products and services. This is what all great headline writers do. You should too. Study the ads in national newspapers and magazines. Look closely at billboards as you drive to work. World-class headlines are literally all around you. And the more you pay attention to the world of advertising you’ll notice these headline formulas are repeated over and over because they work. It’s not wrong to copy something that gets results. You can rest assured that there is very little completely “original” advertising.

1. Give Me Just [short time period] and I’ll Give You [blank]. This headline promises a strong benefit to a prospective patient, like all good headlines do. But this one is even more effective because it promises to deliver in a given time period that’s hopefully short. Here’s an example: Give Me Just Two Weeks – And I’ll Give You the Smile You’ve Always Wanted!

2. If You Don’t [blank] Now, You’ll Hate Yourself Later. Consumers respond well to the idea of missing out on something. Whether it be a huge discount on a favorite product or the concert event of the year, most of us simply hate the idea of getting left out. Here’s an example: If You Miss Out On Free Whitening For Life, You’ll Hate Yourself Later.

3. The Lazy [blank’s] Way to [blank]. This headline style works well with time-pressured people, which is almost everyone today. Even though no one likes to think of themselves as lazy, everyone likes to save time and effort. Here’s an example: The Lazy Person’s Way to Whiter Teeth.

4. Do You Recognize the [number] Early Warning Signs of [blank]? More and more this type of headline is being effectively used to get the attention of the ever-distracted consumer. Here’s an example: Do You Recognize the 4 Early Warning Signs of Oral Cancer?

5. See How Easy It Is To [desirable result]. Consumers will always respond to the idea of quick and easy when it comes to a new product or service such as dental care. Here’s an example: See How Easy It Is To Straighten Crooked Teeth.

6. You Don’t Have to Be [something challenging] to Have [desired result]. People almost always have preconceived notions about things, and this can be a barrier to taking action. Remove the barrier that stands between them and the desired result with your headline, and people will flock to read what you have to say. Here’s an example: You Don’t Have to Be a Celebrity to Have Perfect Teeth.

1. You
2. Save
3. Money
4. New
5. Easy
6. Results
7. Health
8. Guarantee
9. Love
10. Proven
11. Discovery
12. Safety
13. Free

Writing effective headlines can be a creative diversion, challenging and a great way to improve the return on your advertising and marketing investment. As always, I’d love to hear from any of you. Send me a headline that you think is a sure winner and we can have some fun discussing it. Happy writing!