Pulitzer prize winner, Don Murray, said you should write 50 ledes (opening sentences) for your articles. By the time you've done that, you've totally explored and understood the story from every angle and found the most engaging way into it. If you don't get hung up on writing the 'perfect first draft' this approach can produce surprising, serendipitous bursts of creativity and doesn't take as long as it sounds. You can't *think* your way to a good headline, subject line or lede. You have to *write* your way there.
Story-telling is one of the most effective ways to capture the interest of your reader. When you use anecdotes effectively in your copy, you can hook your audience and convince them to read the rest of your piece. In story-telling, start in the middle of the scene. Stories need not be grand or epic. You can use vignettes of your life, something relatable that will make them say "Hey, me too!", and then connect them to the main topic.
One way to write an attention-grabbing headline is to make it into a question that will elicit curiosity or hint at something that can make the recipient's life quickly and tangy easier. Now, it's easy to slip into clickbaity titles that are tricky and ultimately come off as sleazy. Thus resist the temptation as those might pump up the open rates but eventually erodes any trust you want to establish and grow. Thus for starters, make sure that the ad copy (or body of the email) answers the question because while everyone enjoys a great build-up, every story needs a resolution. Finally, the more universally intriguing (think human needs, desires, etc.) or immediately beneficial (free shipping, limited edition, problem resolving) the question is, the better. Ultimately, you want the reader to silently nod and say to themselves, "you've got my attention, so go on...I definitely would like to find out more."
Use analogies to capture your target audience’s attention. It’s a unique and brief way to explain your ad copy that prevents readers from feeling bored, which is ideal since most people have a short attention span in this day and age. Analogies are memorable because it sparks a reader’s curiosity when reading your ad copy. An example would be an ad copy about walnuts showing that it benefits and looks like your brain.
Be clear and specific about what you’re offering. Whether it’s information regarding a potential discount, changes to your products or services, or even some basic understanding of your skills to a potential employer, the best way to get your email opened is by providing clear and specific information about what you offer. Generic emails that start with “general update,” “daily review,” or even “resume,” don’t carry the same urgency that more specific subject lines do.
A subject line needs to stoke curiosity and motivate the recipient enough to click on it there and then. The average person is bombarded with so much information and content every day that one of the only ways to grab and hold attention is by implying urgency. Phrases like “For a limited time only!” or “Only X number remaining!” accomplish this by taking advantage of our reluctance to lose an opportunity. To find out what might work, pay attention to what grabs your own interest when scrolling through a backlog of email notifications. Words like these are likely to catch your attention: Limited, Now, Only, Exclusive, Fast, Quick, and, Ending.
It's a free tool from CoSchedule (https://headlines.coschedule.com/headlines). I try and get as high as score as possible. The tool gives you better wording ideas. The upgraded version has more features. After a while, you learn which are the eye-catching "power" or "emotional" words that work. Write a good, enticing headline, then deliver on the topic with your email, blog or ad.
You should approach your subject line the way you would a newspaper headline, only keep it shorter. You want to induce the reader. You don’t have to tell the story in the headline, just keep them wanting more – and the fewer words the better. Be “punny” if you can. If you’re a travel writer who visited Virginia and you think it’s a great place for a family outing. Your headline could be, “Hey kids, meet Virginia.” Or you could write, “Virginia is for lovers, and history buffs.” Give readers the sense of what the content covers. Be witty, clever – and concise with your subject lines and headlines.
The most reliable way to keep a reader engaged is by putting the benefit in your hook, be it an email subject line, or an ad headline. Regardless of what medium you are writing in, if you can't get the reader past your headline, they won't know the story you're sharing. An easy way to keep yourself honest is to take a look at what you've written and ask yourself, "What's in it for me?" If that benefit isn't readily apparent you've failed to give the reader a good enough reason to open the email or read the body copy.
The best tip for writing an attention-grabbing ad copy is to use the right keywords. SEO optimization is essential for copywriting, too, as it helps attract your relevant customers. Crafting ad copies with keywords enables you to maintain the balance. Also, the specific keywords target your persona, and the general ones help target a broader audience. While crafting an ad copy, you need to focus on readability and never try to stuff the keywords into your ad copy. As you have minimal words to convey your message, overwhelming words can scare them away.
The best tip for writing compelling copies is to add relatable, witty, and humorous ideas to your copies. Use instants that are funny as well as relatable to your reader. Create something that astonishes the reader, so they read it once at least. A write-up, formal or informal, must always consist of the writer's style that readers catch up with. It's easy to write down the content after long research on it, but adding relatability and wittiness isn't an easy thing. It requires practice. So, practice as much as you can to be creative.
What is the question or problem you are addressing? What is the main point of your message? What is the cliche, potentially overused, or easily misunderstood way of stating your message? These are the questions that should inform the attention grabber. In some cases, you may want to avoid starting with your main point, and instead, attract attention with a great question or by pointing out a problem that is relevant to your target audience. In other cases, it may be appropriate to start with a shocking or big idea to grab attention and then explain it afterward. Finally, by considering potentially common ways of stating your point, you can avoid that language that might trigger someone else to think less of your message before they even read it. Although, in some cases, you may intentionally use that language. An attention-grabber that indicates the start of a story, as long as there's a point, is also a great way to begin.
In my experience it is better to keep an attention grabber short and to the point. Especially considering modern audiences and their shorter attention spans. Most reader's attention span is conditioned for 3 seconds or less; at 4 seconds they have already moved their attention to something else if you haven't grabbed theirs. Long paragraphs and run on sentences are any copywriter's worst enemy. Keep it short, relevant, and direct, and you will have more success.
The best way to get someone's attention is to tell them exactly what you want to say. You can leave some space for the imagination to take over, but make sure they know what you’re article/email/ad will be about. Keep it brief. People only scan over subject lines. You want something eye-catching but short. Say something intuitive, shocking, unexpected, poetic, or punny. You can even be a bit controversial, just take care not to offend your readers. Just make sure it’s to the point.
Marketing & Outreach Manager at ePassportPhoto
Answered 4 years ago
Ideally, your attention grabber should be something controversial or unexpected. For example, you could start your subject line with a shocking statistic or an interesting anecdote. Another strategy is to ask a provocative question that will get your readers thinking. For example, you could ask them to consider an alternate point of view or to think about a problem in a new way. Whatever strategy you choose, make sure that your attention grabber is relevant to the topic at hand and that it hooks your readers' interest from the start.
Intros to ad copy don’t have to always be so formulaic. Instead of going straight into your topic, set it up with a story, or brief details on its' qualities and history—this can be done in a just a few short sentences or less, but can help bring life to your copy. This approach is an effective attention grabber because it builds intrigue and anticipation for whatever you’re advertising, whether it’s a product, business, or service.
Head of Customer Acquisition at MitoQ
Answered 4 years ago
Your subject line or title needs to be the hook. That is how you draw the reader in immediately. The first thing that you should focus on is the title of your copy. This helps make brainstorming and creating the outline easier in the long run as well.
Writing a good attention grabber comes down to knowing your audience, but it also requires the use of language that makes folks want to learn more. Your subject line should be enticing in the sense that it provides enough information to catch one’s attention, but not so much that they don’t have to open your email. For example, instead of drafting something like, “Our product helps lower cholesterol,” consider saying instead, “What’s causing your high cholesterol? Discover the solutions to your unique cholesterol challenges.” This simple adjustment not only connects more personally to the reader, but it also suggests that your brand has valuable information as well as a useful product for the issue at hand.
Remember that your email subject line is your first hook. It’s your first chance to grab your audience’s attention. Use a slightly controversial subject line, emotionally loaded language, or an interesting combination of words to reel your email recipient in.
Grabbing a reader's attention is easy when you apply the principles of FOMO. FOMO stands for "Fear of Missing Out." Making readers believe they will miss out is an effective marketing strategy. Use phrases like "limited time," "limited quantities," "going fast," "act now," and "while supplies last." Human nature dictates you WILL act fast to avoid missing out. This works well in an email subject line to get people to open your email.