They Laughed When I Said There Was a Secret to Writing Good Headlines

Did I get your attention? That was the plan. An effective headline is the most important aspect of any successful print ad.

And it is only fitting that I pay homage to the first-person-story appeal made famous by John Caples more than 75 years ago when he penned the headline: “They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano, But When I Started to Play!”

Arguably one of the best copywriters of the last century, Caples blended creativity with scientific study and tested every aspect of the print ad.

Most print ads are composed of three fundamental parts: an image (or images), a headline, and the copy. I will attempt to shed some light on the most critical aspect of the three—the headline.

I've seen experts rate the importance of the headline anywhere from 50% to 90% of the advertisement. Regardless of the percentage, one thing is very clear: if your headline does not interest the reader, your copy will never be read.

The Purpose

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John McMahon Mr. McMahon(jmcmahon@solid-impact.com) is the founder of Solid Impact (www.solid-impact.com), a firm that helps its clients improve sales.