Ah…
So, you’ve come up with the killer angle for your native ad… you’ve got it all mapped out in your head… and you’re just ready to get it into production and start getting a TON of clicks…
But – oh no!
You can’t write a headline.
But that’s about to change ☺
At the moment, here at NativeAdBuzz, we’re running a 4-part series on creating the ‘perfect’ native ad.
Last week we looked at how to create a winning idea for your advert, and in today’s post, we’re going to look at how to formulate the perfect headline – so let’s get started!
Instant Appeal
OK, so if you’re following close, you’ll remember that the ‘instant appeal’ element was featured in last week’s post, when we talked about creating the perfect angle.
It was super-important there, but it’s even MORE important now.
You can have the perfect image…
But if your headline doesn’t speak loud and clear to the reader, then they will NEVER click it!
The best thing to do when creating your headline, is to focus on one idea. You might think it sounds all clever and fancy talking about multiple things within one sentence, but this gets your readers off track – instead, hammer one idea, and mould it so it really speaks to your reader.
Below, you’ll see two native ad headlines found inside NativeAdBuzz. Let’s analyse them, to see what works, and what doesn’t.
OK. So let’s look at the first example. The concept is OK – it’s telling us that people are going to form an opinion on us based on what video games we play (although it doesn’t specify WHAT opinion they’ll have) …
But this headline uses really bad language. ‘Totally’ is a very poor choice of wording – it sounds really childish, and really whiney American (sorry to all the American reader’s, but come on… it does!)
It also doesn’t really do enough to make us WANT to click. It’s not intriguing enough.
It would work better if it focused on a specific point, like…
‘5 Video Games That Will 100% Stop You Getting Laid’
See how it’s more to the point, and actually delivers a strong message?
Ok, so we’ve seen a bad example…
Now let’s look at good one.
This is an amazing headline. Short. Sharp. To the Point. Intriguing. AND…
It offers a ‘scare’ factor. It ticks every single box on the headline scale, and really is one of the strongest headlines seen in a while.
Notice the difference between the two?
The first is lame. It reads like it’s being read out loud by someone who’s had a bit too much of the ganj, and is ‘chillin’…
The second sounds authoritative. Fierce. Dominant.
Ok, let’s look at another cool way to form killer headlines:
Numbers!
Numbers area great. Not only can numbers help to instantly make something stand out…
But they can be a really good way at ‘breaking up’ your content.
For example, take a look at the adverts below found inside NativeAdBuzz…
Those are all super-successful ads… doing REALLY well on a number of platforms.
And see how they offer a broken-down list, of what would otherwise be a pretty boring and mundane bunch of info?
Think about it…
Imagine if the motorcycle ad was titled…
‘These motorcycles are all a huge waste of money’
See how much weaker that is?
Or…
‘Upgrade your look with all these smart watches’
They’re lame.
And that’s why breaking up your content, and using numbers, can be REALLY beneficial to your campaigns!
Let’s look at another way to structure your headlines;
Fear.
We touched upon fear briefly in the ‘6 gym fails that can kill your progress, and you’ ad, but it’s a really powerful tool in advertising, so it deserved its own section.
Fear is one of the most powerful human emotions. We ALL get scared.
The good ‘ole ‘fight of flight’ response.
Below, you’ll see three examples of fear-based ads we found inside NativeAdBuzz.
See how the ads provoke an immediate sense of interest… even if they’re not directly relevant to us?
The car ad is fantastic – it works on EVERYONE. Almost all of us drive. If we have kids, we drive them…
Damn right we wanna know if our car is dangerous!
Those are simple breakdowns of how you can use fear in your headlines, but it works. It’s proven. And you can do it in your campaigns to see results, as well!
Conclusion
Now that’s just three of the elements that can go into forming a headline. Remember, more than anything, the headline needs to match your image, and your overall message. That’s important.
Disconnect can lead to a reduction in clicks, so while it can be tempting to use a really cool and unique headline concept…
If it doesn’t match the image, or the ‘theme’ of the ad, go back to the drawing board.
Hopefully you’ve got some ideas from today’s post…
Next week, we’re going to look at choosing the perfect image for your native ad, so stay tuned!
Remember, if you’re not already a NativeAdBuzz member, you can claim a $7 trial by clicking here.
Talk soon!
Peter
