ENGAGEMENT.

As marketers, before we can generate interest and compel a response, we must get our audience’s attention.

That’s the job of the headline copy, which can come in a variety of forms:

• It can be the subject line of an email
• It can be the heading of an article or press release
• It can also be the opening sentence of a note written by hand

Whatever the situation, a single fact remains constant: No sentence on the page is more important than the headline.

“On average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy,” said David Ogilvy, the Father of Advertising. “When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.”

Point being, make sure your first words are incredible. Make them so fantastic — so pertinent and useful — that they are impossible to ignore.

This is the only way to ensure that the rest of your information is ingrained.

First thing’s first, you need to know who you’re writing for, so make a list of things to do.

If you’re unsure what it is that your audience are interested in, how can you start writing for them? You wouldn’t know where to start.

Before you start writing, you need to do your homework.

After that, when you know what your readers expect, use any one of these proven tactics to craft an angle that commands their attention:

People experience curiosity in two ways: perceptually and epistemically.

Perceptual curiosity is the desire to grasp something strange or puzzling, such as an optical illusion or magic trick. Epistemic curiosity is, put simply the inclination to learn something fresh, to obtain new knowledge. Of these sensations, the latter is more pleasant.

“Our brain and our mind assigns value to this [new] knowledge,” explains Mario Livio, an astrophysicist and curiosity researcher, “so this is usually experienced as a pleasurable thing, with an anticipation of reward in the form of what we learn.”

This moment of satisfaction and delight is what makes these “curiosity gap” headlines so captivating and ever-present: used across the internet, particularly in social media marketing.

Headlines that utilise the curiosity gap are specific enough to bond with the reader, but not so specific that they affect the reader’s epistemic curiosity — their desire to learn something new and get that pleasure rush.

If the reader wants that rush, then they’ll have to devote their attention.

People are hardwired to prize things and experiences that they view to be rare — or at least in short supply. Psychologists and economists refer to this tendency as the scarcity principle.

It’s an evolutionary trait, established to ensure that we get what we need. Millenia ago, early humans leaned on it for survival. Today, copywriters capture those same gotta-have-it feelings by employing words and expressions like:

“Don’t miss out!”
“Offer ends soon!”
“While stocks last!”
The scarcity principle is also tied to our self-esteem. Obtaining something exclusive or in demand makes us feel powerful.

Want to stop scanners in their tracks? Use a number in your headline.

Whether your headline appears in a newsletter, a popup, or a YouTube banner, a number will make it stand out.

Numbers work this way because words and images make up most of the content we see each day. Webpages, magazines, billboards, emails: They’re all dominated by words and images.

So when our eyes spot a number, it sticks out. It pops, focusing our attention. Simple, but effective.

Numbers also signify finality, a definitive beginning and end, which is comforting to readers.

Understanding the psychology of the reader is key when constructing content. Knowing what buttons to push in order to be both memorable and engaging, is a skill that not only relies on the choice of words, but the intent. You want you readers and your customers to be interested in you and what you have to say, so in turn, it is paramount that you be aware of what it is that they want to hear and show an unmatched interest in them.

So, why you’re really here. 5 million new visitors is an enticing prospect right? Well while it is absolutely attainable should you choose to implement some of these strategies, the number in itself is representative of more than just following these steps. These are just 3 of a wide variety of techniques and tools used to reach such a staggering number of new visitors, and not only that, but executed over realistic and measurable period of time. The some total amount of time, planning, hard work, and diligence that is required in order to achieve results like these is no easy task…but it can be done, and with our help -it can be easier than you’d ever thought possible!

Well that’s up to you. If you follow these guidelines and implement them thoughtfully, you will see better results. If that’s all you choose to do, the short time that you;ve taken to read through all of this would be well worth your time…but why stop there? Why not get involved with us so that we can show you steps 4, 5, 6, 94, 603, as many steps as you need in order to get the results you know that you’re capable of and that you truly deserve. Let’s work together, and see if we can make that 5 million your 5 million!