If you use Traffic Exchanges as a marketing tool, you should know that you only have a measly few seconds in which to capture a prospect’s attention.  So no long sales letters here.  You should be using a splash page or lead capture page.  The headline on your page is perhaps the single most powerful tool you have with which to capture your prospect’s attention.  There are several keys to a compelling, and selling, headline and a few tips to help you get the job done.

• Tap into Your Prospects’ Emotions.According to psychologists our buying decisions are based first and foremost on our emotions.  Use headlines which offer your readers a strong emotional benefit or reaction.  Some possible emotions are:

  For example, The 20-Minute Step that Will Make You a Business Genius taps into readers’ desires to feel smart and powerful.

  Other emotions you can tap into are a desire to feel:

• Attractive
• Sexy
• Assertive
• Confident
• Energetic
• Pampered
• A sense of belonging
• In control of their own destiny
• Wealthy
• Proud
• Respected
• Safe

• Make it Active.To compel your prospects to take action you need to use active language – language that shows movement and commands attention.

  For example, “Stop Your Sugar Cravings Today With This Simple Step,” is an adequate headline however it doesn’t command action nor does it really tap into any emotions.  However, “Conquer Your Sugar Cravings With This Simple Step” is a good headline.  Conquer is an active and emotionally powerful word.  Readers receive the benefit of feeling powerful and in control and it commands action.

• Your Reader is Important – Let Them Know It.One of the most powerful words in the English language is the word YOU.  Use it with your readers and it let’s your reader’s feel as if you’re talking to them specifically and interested in solving their problems, issues and helping them achieve their desires.  Instead of using I, Me or We in your headlines, use You.  Using the headline example above compare the two options

  “Conquer Your Sugar Cravings With This Simple Step.
  “Conquer Sugar Cravings with Our System”

  People want to know what’s in it for them and when they can assess that information in the headline, they’re going to be compelled to continue reading your copy and making a purchase.

  Here are three more ideas for powerful headlines:
  * Make a promise – Earn $1000 a day
  * Make it newsworthy – New program guarantees you’ll earn $1000 a day.
  * Ask a question – Do you want to ensure your financial future?

Three Simple Steps to Write Headlines That Sell

So at this point you have some ideas regarding what types of headlines sell, how do you begin to write those powerful headlines?

Step One – You need to get to know your audience intimately. What are their hopes, dreams, desires, and problems?  Understanding your audience will help you create an emotional and powerful headline aimed specifically at your audience.

Step Two – Find out how your products or services are going to make your prospects’ lives better or solve their problems.  For example if you sell fitness equipment and your audience struggles with feeling attractive then you can create a headline that highlights a specific benefit your fitness equipment offers to solve that problem.

Step Three – Write ten to twenty, yes twenty, possible headlines.  Not only will this give you practice writing compelling headlines, it’ll help you hone in on that perfect headline.  And if you think you have a few winners you can always test them for conversion rates to find out which headline is more effective.

I must admit that I cheat a little bit.  I use a little program called the Headline Creator.  I answer 4 questions and the program comes up with a variety of headlines.  It has helped me improve on my own headline writing skills.

Many marketing and copywriting experts consider your headline to be the most import element of any effective marketing piece.  So take the time to craft a compelling, and selling, headline and you’ll reap the benefits for years to come.

This article on Some Tips for Generating Compelling Headlines That Sell is brought to you by www.sonnybernal.com

Do you have what it takes to start your own online home business?  Do you know what it takes?  Too many people just jump in without knowing what they are getting into.  Let me touch on some things that may help you.

Not everyone can be an athlete.  It’s the same with being a business owner, not everyone can be one or should be one.  Understanding certain things can help you decide whether you have what it takes or not.

Evaluate Your Strengths and Weaknesses: The first thing you should do is to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. By evaluating your strengths and weaknesses, you can then ascertain if you have what it takes to run your own online home business.

Risks Taking: What ever business you start will have its own problems and risks.  You can not do away with such risks since they go hand in hand with any business undertaking, both for online and offline businesses. The only thing you can do is to attempt to reduce the risks that you’re bound to deal with in the future by choosing the best business that you feel comfortable with.

Self-Starters: As a self-starter, you need to be able to organize your time.  It is not easy but you need to do it if you want to run your own online home business.  Remember, you’re the boss.  It’s your business and you have a responsibility to it at all times.

Work Alone: You should be able to work alone because now you’re the boss and all business decisions will be made by you.

People Skills: There will be times when you will have to deal with people.  Perhaps you will encounter difficult customers, moody vendors if you have them, or unreliable staff.  Having people skills will help you address the situation correctly.

Excellent decision Maker: You are the boss, thus, the decision maker. So you should be able to make quick, effective decisions.   There will be times when certain situations will be filled with pressure.  Nevertheless, regardless of the pressure, you still need to make an informed and wise decision. As owner of your online business, you have no one else to depend on when it comes to business related decisions.

Energy and Superior Work Ethic: You must have lots of energy and superior work ethic in order to be an effective online business owner. Owning an online business may require working late hours and on the weekends. Think about them as challenges and strive even harder. Your hard work will be rewarded when you see the profits rolling in.

Running an online home business does require dedication and hard work.  It helps if you have some of the traits I mentioned above.  The more traits you have, the better your chances of succeeding in your online home business.

This article on Do You Have What It Takes to Start Your Own Online Business is brought to you by www.sonnybernal.com