I was driving down the highway recently and saw a billboard partially obscured by some trees.
The headline said:
Billboards work.
And underneath:
Even behind trees.
I laughed.
Because they got me.
If the job of a billboard is to get your attention and convey a message…they had just proven their point.
It reminded me of those bus benches that say:
Bus bench advertising works.
You can’t really argue with it.
You’re reading it.
But there’s a bigger lesson here about headlines.
A great headline doesn’t need to appeal to everybody.
It needs to stop the right person.
I’ve probably written thousands of headlines in my journals over the years. Pages and pages of them.
And looking back at some I wrote in 1997, I noticed how many still work today:
How to find out what your house is worth for free over the phone.
Why buyers love model homes and how to make your house show like one.
When to put your house on the market to get the best possible exposure.
How a 25-cent upgrade could net you an extra $500 to $1,000 when you sell your house.
There’s a reason so many start with “How to…”
It forces you to articulate a transformation.
How to get something they want.
How to avoid something they don’t want.
How to do something they already want to do better, faster, easier, or with less risk.
A good headline gets on the side of your prospect.
It says:
I know what you want.
And if you can’t get their attention there, it doesn’t really matter what comes next.
So here’s a worthwhile exercise:
Take two blank sheets of paper and write 25 headlines for your business.
Don’t try to write the perfect one.
Just write 25.
How to…
When to…
Why…
A little-known way to…
How to ___ even if ___.
You might be surprised what you discover.
Because sometimes figuring out the headline is really figuring out what you’re selling.
And remember…
Billboards work.
Even behind trees.