Page 118 - 100 Great Copywriting Ideas: From Leading Companies Around the World (100 Great Ideas)

You either give an explanation:
How to make more money in a month than most people
make in a year

Or a story:
How I discovered the secret of looking younger for longer

Or a promise:
How you can retire at 40

At any rate, it occupies the gold-laden subsoil called Practical
Advice. Dig down a few feet and your spade clangs on a cabbage-
sized nugget that will make you or your client rich.
People are intrigued by “How” headlines. They want to know what
comes next. If you’ve chosen the right problem, or the right dream
for your prospect, “How” allows you, almost forces you, to engage
them with your body copy. Practical advice is a useful thing. Models
want advice on staying thin. Anglers want advice on catching
monster carp. Athletes want advice on the best training regimes.

In practice

• When writing a “How” headline, remember to link the advice to

a problem relevant to your reader. Offering to tell monks how to
make a million probably won’t entice them to read on.

• Make it personal by using a “How you could . . .” opening.

100 GREAT COPYWRITING IDEAS • 109