Advertising | Local Business Marketing Consultant

Give Your Testimonials a Reality Check

After reading and re-reading the latest FTC guidelines, I’ve come to some important conclusions that I want to share with you. Particularly as they relate to testimonials.

Last night, my good friend and top copywriter John Carlton called me up, and we had an interesting discussion on this whole FTC thing and the hysteria it has created.

I expressed to John my opinions about them, along with a very simple solution. And John agreed with me.

It’s a huge benefit to those who understand copywriting, because they can actually turn around and use the FTC rulings to their advantage. Even make more sales as a result.

Part of the solution is actually simpler than you think. And it doesn’t involve tearing down all your testimonials, plastering a bazillion disclaimers around them, or conducting painful, mental contortions to decide what is typical or not.

You can start by doing this one simple thing…

Now, before I give you my opinion, I must preface this post with several key points.

First, this is my opinion only. I’m not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. Consult with a competent, legal professional first. I encourage you to check out attorney Mike Young’s latest FTC report, as well as attorney Kevin Houchin’s well though-out synopsis.

Second, the guidelines are still confusing to some degree. My opinions are not final and they may be wrong. But as more clarifications are made public over time, and given that the FTC won’t prosecute first-time offenders, we will see if I’m right. Eventually.

(After 20 years in this business, I’m pretty sure I am.)

My opinions are not made as a direct result of reading the guidelines themselves, but after reading, dissecting, and interpreting some of the examples included in the report, as well as some post-publication interviews given by FTC representatives.

In fact, the FTC’s example scenarios are far more telling than the guidelines themselves.

Finally, this is going to be my last post on this issue. Enough has been said already. Since the FTC clearly stated they won’t prosecute first-time offenders but rather give them a chance to comply, I’ll wait until they shed more light before I return to this topic.

OK, enough blather. On with the show.

The biggest gripe most people have is with the “typical versus atypical” conundrum, especially because of the challenge they have in adequately determining, measuring, and publishing what is considered typical and what people can normally expect.

In some cases, this is virtually impossible to predict. Therefore, my opinion in here will be particularly useful in those cases. Of course, all disclaimers above apply.

First off, I think people are needlessly freaking out.

Admittedly, my post, “Is This The End of Affiliate Marketing?” didn’t help as it stirred up the pot. So I’m just as guilty as the best of them. But my concerns are real and justified.

In my defense, I did add updates at the end of the post, including links to supplemental interviews given by the FTC. It is from these updates and example scenarios from the FTC themselves that I’m drawing these conclusions in this post.

(Plus, aside from testimonials proper, affiliate marketing still remains a problematic issue as it relates to the guidelines. It only takes one rogue affiliate who doesn’t comply to cause you more headaches and grief than you can possibly ever imagine.)

Nevertheless, testimonials don’t necessarily need to be “typical.” The point I believe the FTC is getting at is to ensure people have reasonable, realistic expectations.

Since time immemorial, there have been truth-in-advertising laws. The latest FTC guidelines don’t really change much, except that they’re catching up to realities and technologies of today, such as blogs, social media, and the Internet in general.

Here’s what they’re saying, in a nutshell.

The truth is no longer good enough.

What the FTC wants is more than just telling the truth. Because, while something can be technically true, it still can be misleading. Deceptive. Delusive. Even downright false.

Until now, you can post a testimonial that’s 100% accurate and true. But it might still be misleading if it lacks enough context so that people can understand and appreciate what they can generally expect from using your product. After all, expectation is key.

From what I’ve read, it’s not about making sure the testimonial is typical. It’s making sure it doesn’t mislead readers into thinking such results are typical when they’re not.

For example, say you sell a marketing program. Someone tries it out and makes $5,000 in one week. This might be true, but what the testimonial failed to include are the circumstances, which are unique, under which those results were achieved.

Specifically, if the person who made $5,000 is not your typical user — such as someone well-versed in marketing, has an established business, and possesses a list of 20,000 subscribers — then the testimonial must insure that people know this from the onset.

Any newbie, without any business or marketing experience, and particularly without any list, may not achieve “$5,000 in one week.” Therefore, the testimonial might be true, but it is still misleading because people now generally expect this result to be the norm.

See the problem?

You’ve heard of the saying “lying by omission?” This is the case, here. While accurate, the testimonial is inherently misleading and false. Or false by omission, to be precise.

So testimonials need to be both real and realistic.

In other words, if the testimonial’s results are atypical, it needs to be stated in the testimonial itself or near it — not as a disclaimer but as qualifying information that puts the testimonial in proper context so people know what to generally expect.

So what you can do, which is that simple solution I was alluding to earlier, is something I’ve been teaching for many years in copywriting. Even on this blog. And it is this…

Convert your testimonials into case studies.

Case studies are more powerful than blatant testimonials. They give testimonials clarity, context, measurability, and weight. And best of all, case studies make testimonials more believable and concrete, which may even boost your sales.

(I know. I’ve tested this thoroughly.)

As John Carlton mentioned on that call we had, when the FTC forced advertisers to put ‘this is an advertisement’ near an advertorial in magazines and newspapers, marketers rushed to denounce the practice, saying it would kill their sales.

But in many cases, quite the opposite happened. It actually bumped up response.

I think the same thing is going to happen here. In the hands of a skilled copywriter, which is why good copywriting is going to be even more important as time goes on, these new requirements will become powerful tools that will dramatically boost response.

Now, let’s use the FTC’s own examples to illustrate this.

In their document, the FTC listed a ton of example scenarios. I’m going to base mine on their “WeightAway Shake” scenario (i.e., example #4 under guideline § 255.2, titled “Consumer Endorsements”). Here’s a possible testimonial you might come across:

“I ate two WeightAway shakes each day and lost 15 pounds in one week!”

First, the question to ask is, can someone really lose 15 pounds in one week? Let’s say it is true. The testimonial is not misleading only if people can expect that to be the norm (i.e., losing 15 pounds in one week by eating two WeightAway shakes a day).

But let’s say that person did a bit more. More than what her testimonial revealed. Let’s say she walked three miles every day and ate sensibly (e.g., nothing fatty or fried) during that time. With the help of those two shakes a day, she lost 15 pounds.

Therefore, the testimonial, while true, is misleading because it failed to highlight that the person also walked three miles every day and ate sensibly. The testimonial lacks context, and can therefore be interpreted, by itself, to be realistic when it is not.

So either the testimonial needs to state that, or you need to have copy on or around it that says, “Along with eating sensibly and waking three miles a day, Janice had this to say: ‘I ate two WeightAway shakes each day and lost 15 pounds in one week’.”

That, I’m gathering, is what the FTC really wants.

The advertisement accurately describes the woman’s experience, and such a result is within the range that would be generally experienced by an overweight individual who consumed WeightAway shakes, ate sensibly, and exercised as the endorser did.

As the FTC notes within that example (I’ve edited parts to reflect my example above):

Because the endorser clearly describes the limited and truly exceptional circumstances under which she achieved her results, the ad is not likely to convey that consumers who use WeightAway under less extreme circumstances will lose (15 pounds in one week). If the advertisement simply says that the endorser lost (15 pounds in one week) using WeightAway (or using WeightAway together with just “diet and exercise”), however, this description would not adequately alert consumers to the truly remarkable circumstances leading to her weight loss.

So by adding context, the ad is likely to convey that her experience is not representative of what consumers will generally achieve, unless they have those same or similar circumstances. Sure, it might communicate the product is effective. But it’s not misleading.

In short, it’s about either setting up realistic expectations, or avoiding unrealistic ones.

Again, a testimonial needs to be not only real but also realistic.

At best, couple your testimonial with results one can realistically expect. This is what the FTC wants, as stated in their guidelines. It’s what consumers want, too, I’m sure.

The goal is to convey what is generally expected from using your product. To make people aware of what is typical. If you can state what your program or product can reasonably achieve in the hands of the average consumer, then you must add it.

My initial contention is that, in some cases, such as the case of a training program, all results are arguably atypical — as results vary tremendously with every individual.

Then the best way is to ensure those exceptional circumstances are clearly delineated. Not with some blanket disclaimer, which is no longer enough. But with a clear understanding of how, and under what circumstances, those results were achieved.

If there are no “typical results,” then add context so people can understand the endorser’s unique or exceptional circumstances, as to prevent them from coming to the conclusion that such results are realistic and expected in all circumstances.

Again, I might be wrong. I’m sure you will point it out to me, if you think I am. Remember, I’m not a lawyer. But I think that, as time goes on, we’re going to see more and more testimonials presented in the form of case studies. Mark my words.

It’s simply commonsensical. For one, converting your testimonials into case studies help to create realistic expectations. Second, they make testimonials far more credible and believable. And third, doing so will, I believe, dramatically boost your sales, too.

Ultimately, in the hands of a good copywriter, this can become potentially powerful.

The Michel Fortin Blog.

Is This The End of Affiliate Marketing?

by Michel Fortin Leave a Comment

The FTC finally published its revisions to the 1980 testimonial and endorsement rules. Some bloggers, copywriters, and marketers, even lawyers, have talked about this, sometimes a lot more eloquently than me.

It’s obvious the FTC’s intent is to curb, control, and go after those nefarious flogs (i.e., “fake blogs”), like Google Money and Acai Berry. But the language is left to be desired and, if not clarified, can lead to some serious repercussions.

Especially for affiliate marketers.

Based on what I’ve read, I can easily interpret “affiliates” and “vendors” falling in what the FTC dubs as “endorsers” and “advertisers.” (According to TechCrunch, the FTC has responded and clarified this somewhat, which I will come back to in a moment.)

In its new rulings, they make two powerful points. Points I agree with. At least, in intent. TechCrunch did a great job fleshing out the changes and its implications. The most important of which is the fact that the FTC can fine you $11,000 per infraction.

But these two biggest changes, which also may become problematic, are…

1) Authenticity

We must be authentic in our claims and testimonials. That’s common sense, and I applaud the ruling. But also we must show they are atypical, and to buttress any claim or testimonial with one that the consumer can reasonably expect from using the product.

This, in itself, opens a huge can of worms.

If a product is new, untested, or not used as intended by the user — which is, sad to say, what the typical user fails to do most of the time and over which we have no control — then how can we share what we believe the user will reasonably expect?

Let’s say you sell a diet pill. There is only one way to consume it. Plus, there’s only one result. You either lose weight or you don’t. Simple. And in this case, you can carry out scientific analysis to measure the results in order to discover what is typical.

For instance, you simply get 100 people to take your pill, measure their results, and post the average. And you can make them aware of the average result. Easy, peasy.

But in the case of a marketing or business-building training program, which teaches multiple strategies, multiple concepts, for multiple types of businesses, in multiple markets, the problem is that there is no “one size fits all” of using this product. It’s impossible.

(And most how-to or do-it-yourself information products fall in that category.)

Every single user of that training program will have a different result. There is no such thing as “typical.” In fact, by the very existence of such a training program, all results are atypical. So the question is, how do you comply with the new legislation?

That said, if you do offer a one-size-fits-all product, or one with a singular, measurable result, then can you simply say, “If used as directed, you should get [typical result]?”

According to the FTC, you no longer can.

The older rule said that having a blanket disclaimer (somewhere, such as a link at the bottom of a sales page), to show that results are atypical and that individual results may vary, is no longer possible. The FTC says we “no longer have this safe harbor.”

The next problematic issue is the one of liability. If I’m an affiliate and point to or reprint testimonials given to me by the affiliate vendor, and they are “atypical,” am I therefore liable? According to the FTC, I am. And that makes sense. In theory.

But in practice, it’s a potential nightmare waiting to happen. (I’ll come back to this in the second point below, as it is an important one we need to look into and cannot ignore.)

2) Disclosure

If the endorser has a relationship with the sponsor, they must disclose it. Even if it’s a payment “in kind” or any material connection between endorser and advertiser, such as an exchange of exposure, free products or services, even contests and joint ventures.

(How about if it’s just buying them a beer? But I digress.)

Again, this makes sense. But does that mean we have to tell everyone when an affiliate link is an affiliate link? What about other media, such as social media like Twitter? (The FTC did mention “social media,” too.) How can you do this in 140 characters or less?

What will be interesting is to see how the FTC clarifies these rulings (on a “case-by-case basis,” they say). But liability is an important issue and not to be taken lightly.

For example, let’s say one of my less-than-ethical affiliates blogs about me. They lie in their endorsement or review, exaggerate some of the claims I make, or simply fail to indicate their affiliate relationship with me. All of which are things I have little control over.

Now, here’s the rub.

The new rule stipulates that the advertiser and endorser are both liable. Does “advertiser” mean “vendor?” That is, the affiliate program owner? Meaning, are we, as vendors, also liable for what our affiliates say, sell, promote, or blog about?

Again, it makes sense that we should. To a degree. But what if the affiliate goes rogue, and uses unacceptable practices to bump up their sales? Sure, they broke the terms of their affiliate agreement. We can cancel their accounts and forfeit their commissions.

But the damage is done. And believe me, the government has a long memory.

Here’s my question. When the FTC says that the “advertiser” and “endorser” are liable, do they mean exclusively? Or inclusively? In other words, do they mean that either one is liable, specifically the one who engaged in unethical (and now, illegal) practices?

Or do they mean both are liable, regardless of who’s at fault?

My friend, Armand Morin, in a personal exchange, said this…

The way I read it as well is that the vendor is ultimately responsible. If you have a rogue affiliate and they do not disclose that it’s a promotion and they are being paid to do so, then you are the responsible party as well as they are.

It reads, though, that the ($11,000) fine comes to to the company and not the actual affiliate. I may be wrong on this, but it looks that way. Bottom line, it’s not a good thing.

Either way, “this is a game-changer,” says Armand. And I agree.

This could literally mean a ton of affiliate programs shutting down, if this is the case. For some marketers, their entire businesses, which rely heavily on affiliate promotions, would die — or at best, be forced to make huge overhauls to their affiliate systems.

Because it’s now too risky to operate an affiliate program.

Or in an attempt to comply with the new rules, they must carry out an expensive, labor-intense application and review process, where they must vet, qualify, and monitor every single affiliate. And do so with hundreds, even thousands, of existing ones.

Logistically, it’s another nightmare.

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen. Clarity is going to be key. Some people have blogged about their concerns and need for clarity. For example, this blogger posted a rather interesting, and somewhat sarcastic, open letter to the FTC. And it makes sense.

Sure, it has less to do with affiliate marketing, but some questions are relevant — and applicable — to our industry as well. For instance, the third question in that open letter can be easily extrapolated to the affiliate space just as well. It says…

If an unpaid blogger at the Huffington Post “endorses” a consumer product without meeting the FTC guidelines for disclosure of “material connections” to the makers of that consumer product, who’s liable: the blogger or the Huffington Post?

However, in the TechCrunch post linked earlier, the author posted a response from the FTC, which did not appear on the original blog post. The FTC clarified a few points, but at the same time they opened up several new questions. Here was their response…

Update: The FTC responds

When asked if the FTC views bloggers equally and whether or not it recognizes levels of authority on par with traditional media, Mary Engle, associate director for advertising practices, clarified its position and perspective, “All bloggers aren’t the same and we are not saying that all bloggers are marketers. Most of them are ordinary folks musing or sounding off. The question as we put it in the notice we published today is whether, viewed objectively, the blogger is being sponsored by the advertiser. (We list a number of factors to consider.) Independent product reviewers, whether offline or online, would not be viewed as sponsored by the company whose products they are reviewing.”

Engle further observed the distinction between expert and consumer bloggers, “But if bloggers regularly receive free products from a company, the blog audience might view their reviews differently than if they went out and bought the products on their own. Under those circumstances, bloggers should disclose they got the products from the company. This is consistent with the WOMMA code of ethics. And, companies who use bloggers to generate buzz about their products by sending free merchandise should have a policy that their bloggers should disclose.”

I think this clarifies it somewhat, because those who create blogs and, on occasion, have product reviews such as affiliate marketers who are, according to the FTC, “independent product reviewers,” are not the ones who are targeted in this case.

But are affiliate marketing vendors still safe?

Granted, the FTC appears to be aiming for blogs where “the blogger is being sponsored by the advertiser.” And that “independent product reviewers, whether offline or online, would not be viewed as sponsored by the company whose products they are reviewing.”

But it’s still a little muddy. For example, is affiliate marketing considered “sponsored advertising?” Or is an affiliate marketer an “independent product reviewer?” I think — and hope — the FTC will be clarifying its position soon. I know they will as we go along.

We’ll just have to wait and see, I guess.

But for some people, waiting, taking the risk, and possibly becoming the target of the FTC who wishes to make an example out of them, may be too much to bear.

Update: To those who think my intent is to fearmonger, be alarmist, or bring non-issues to the forefront (as some people pointed out that the FTC is not going after affiliate marketers but singling out the “rogues”), please think again.

My intent was to simply express my concerns, as the lack of clarity can become problematic for legitimate marketers. It may change affiliate marketing as we know it.

It wasn’t too long ago, when a now-famous Internet marketer — he wasn’t so famous at the time — was hit by an FTC lawsuit, over $250,000 in fines and penalties, including seizures of his property, accounts, and his business, just because of a “rogue affiliate.”

In this case, it was a rogue resell-rights owner. He unethically promoted this marketer’s product, which contained marketing materials and templates from the original marketer. When they were caught, they went after the one whose name was on the salesletter.

The original marketer, not the rogue who broke the law.

That’s how serious this could be. Just my three cents.

Update #2: The folks over at FastCompany interviewed FTC representatives to clarify some of its rulings, and it did make some of it a little clearer to appease certain fears. The gist from the interview comes down to three important clarifications:

1) Complaint-Driven

The FTC stated they won’t have reviewers scouring the web on a regular basis searching for violators. They will work mostly on a case-by-case basis, based on complaints. They will rely more heavily on education and voluntary compliance than prosecution.

2) Three-Strike Process

They will not fine offenders at first. Again, prosecution won’t be their first aim. They will instead follow a three-step process with which they give offenders some time to redress and comply. Even with the most flagrant offenders and “wost-case scenarios.”

They will start by issuing a warning. If that doesn’t work, then they will send a cease and desist. And finally, if all else fails, then they will fine the offender up to $11,000.

3) (Perceived) Authority

Casual affiliate links or product reviews are fine. What the FTC seems to be really going after are blogs that are more extensive, either as recognized authorities themselves, or perceived as authorities by blogging about one particular product or business.

I’m not a lawyer. But my guess is, if your blog is all about reviews but has multiple affiliate links, you should be fine. But if you’re an authority, or if your blog is all about a particular product or business, you must clearly disclose your relationship and compensation.

For instance, TechCrunch does reviews on a regular basis. They are considered an authority. So they are expected to disclose. Same with blogs dedicated to entire products, such as those Acai Berry blogs or Google Money blogs.

Remember the Wal-Mart “trip around America” fiasco, where a couple was blogging about their experiences by driving to Wal-Marts from state to state? The flak that followed was because they failed to disclose they were being paid by Wal-Mart.

Their blog was entirely focused on their travels. Hence, it had perceived authority.

The bottom-line?

If you own an affiliate program, I think most of your affiliates are safe. But if you have one affiliate who decides to set up an entire blog or website dedicated to a single product or business, they must disclose their relationship as there is perceived authority.

That makes perfect sense. While these clarifications help a lot, and now a clearer picture is emerging, some questions still remain unanswered. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Update #3: My good friend Jim Edwards grilled FTC Director Richard Cleland on the new laws coming into effect on December 1st. Absolutely golden information. If you’re confused or worried about these new laws, you must watch this video. It’s excellent.

The Michel Fortin Blog.

Write Magnetic Headlines With These 7 Tips

by Michel Fortin Leave a Comment

I already talked a lot about headlines. There are quite a few blog posts about them here. But here are some additional tips.

There are two huge mistakes people make when they write headlines. Either they are too bland and don’t say enough (such as when they attempt to simply summarize), or they say too much to cover all the bases.

In both cases, you will lose readers.

1. The True Purpose of The Headline

The headline is more than a mere summary of the sales copy. Unlike the title of a book, for instance, it’s not meant to summarize, encapsulate, or introduce the story. And most headlines I’ve seen seem to list all the of the greatest benefits from the copy.

No. A headline is meant to generate readership and pull people into the copy.

It’s the first thing that people see. Just like front-page headlines of a newspaper are meant to sell the paper, the copy’s headline is meant to sell people on the copy.

If a headline does not instantly give an indication — i.e., an idea or hint, not the entire story — of not only what the page is all about but also the reasons why people should read further the moment they read it, it will actually deter prospects.

In fact, headlines that do not communicate any benefit in reading the next paragraph, diving into the content, or navigating further into the website will dissuade readers from reading more and, of course, taking action on whatever the copy is asking them to do.

So the true purpose of a headline is not to summarize or advertise the website, the salesletter, or the business behind it. It’s simply to get people to read further. That’s it.

In advertising parlance, a headline is the “ad for the ad.” For instance, a resume is not meant to land a job but to land an interview. A headline is, in the same way, meant to land the reader’s attention and arouse their curiosity — not the sale.

If a headline does not achieve this quickly, efficiently, and effectively, people will simply click away, throw away the salesletter, or skim over it without giving it much thought.

You may have heard of the famous “AIDA Formula,” which stands for, in order: Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. Ads must follow this formula in order to be successful.

They must first capture the reader’s attention, then arouse their interest, then increase their desire, and finally lead them to take some kind of action. In that order.

Other than “grabbers” like photos, pictures, graphics, pop-ups, liftnotes, and multimedia, the first part of the formula often refers to the headline.

(Look at direct mail marketing, where liftnotes, envelope copy, and “lumpy mail,” where advertisers and mailers add trinkets to grab people’s attention and get them curious.)

But online or off, grabbers provide eye gravity. They are meant to draw the eyes to that most important element: the headline. If the headline does not command enough attention both effectively and, above all, rapidly, then the rest of the formula will fail…

… No matter how great your copy is.

Ultimately, the headline is not meant to do anything other than to create readership. To “grab people by the eyeballs” and pull them into the copy. Period. Enough said.

2. The Gapper

Usually, there is a gap between the prospect’s problem and its solution — or a gap between where a person happens to be at the moment and the future enjoyment of a product’s benefits. In sales, you’ve probably heard it being called “gap analysis.”

It works because many prospects either do not know there is in fact a gap or, because it is one, try to ignore it as a result. Therefore, a headline that either communicates the presence of such a gap or implies it can cause people to want to close the gap.

And the obvious way to do this is to read further.

Using a headline that immediately conveys either a problem or a potential benefit not only makes the reader aware that there is a gap but also reinforces it in the mind.

(And this doesn’t mean writing all the benefits in the headline to cover all the bases, as in the case of long, needlessly wordy headlines. Those long headlines often backfire.)

Some headlines are newsy, others are sensational. Some make claims, others make statements. Some arouse curiosity, others provoke controversy. Some are intriguing, others are inspiring. Either way, it doesn’t matter.

All that matters is that the headline gets the reader to start reading. And if you created, communicated, or, better yet, widened the gap mentioned earlier, then after reading the headline readers will want to know, by browsing further, how they can close that gap.

Widening the gap will not only appeal to those who can immediately relate to it but also cause those people to want to close the gap even more.

Famous sales trainer Zig Ziglar said that people buy on emotional logic. They buy on emotion first but justify their decision with logic. So emotionally-charged headlines help to widen gaps. The wider the gap is, the greater the desire to close it will be.

For instance, rather than saying “Lose 40 Pounds In Just 6 Weeks,” you can say, “Shed 40 Pounds Of Stubborn, Ugly Fat In Just 6 Weeks.” Or, if you prefer a health-conscious angle, say “killer fat,” “unhealthy fat,” “disease-causing fat,” or “life-shortening fat.”

3. The Pain-Pleasure Principle

While your copy should focus on the solution rather than the problem, adding a negative (or a potentially negative) situation to the headline is often more effective because it appeals to stronger, deeper, more dominant emotions and motives.

Granted, this might seem somewhat unusual or contrary to what you have learned in the past. So in order to understand this, let’s take a look at how human emotions work.

In the late 1960s, psychologist Abraham Maslow developed the hierarchical theory of human needs. In essence, Maslow stated that the foundation of all human needs is our need to survive. The next one in that hierarchy is our need for safety and security.

After that, it’s the need for affection, to be loved, to feel a sense of belonging. Then, the need for attention, or to feel valuable or respected, is next. And finally is our need to outdo ourselves, to get to the next level, to achieve, to be all that we can be, etc.

The important thing is to look at this hierarchy from the bottom up and pay closer attention to the more fundamental human needs, which are survival and safety needs.

Now, another principle is called the “pain-pleasure principle.” It states that people want to either avoid pain or gain pleasure. In anything we do, we want to either move away from pain (i.e., solve a problem) or strive towards pleasure (i.e., gain an advantage).

But when given the choice between the two, which one is stronger? Naturally, the avoidance of pain is the stronger motive, because our need to survive and be safe takes over. The emotions attached to pain are far superior than those attached to pleasure.

So a headline that communicates a problem (i.e., a painful situation they feel right now, or a potentially painful one that could arise without the benefits you offer or without at least reading the copy) will have more emotional impact than a pleasurable one.

It also instantly communicates to those who associate to its message and qualifies them on the spot. Thus, it isolates the serious prospect from the curious visitor.

For example, when I work with plastic surgeons, rather than saying “Do you have wrinkles?” I tell them to use as a headline, “Suffering from wrinkles?” Prospective patients who can instantly relate to the headline will more than likely read the ad further.

They do so for two reasons.

First, the headline appeals to those who have wrinkles. But not all people are bothered by them. That’s why the headline also appeals to those who hate wrinkles (i.e., people who have them and also want to do something about them).

Therefore, think of a negative situation that is now present, or one that will occur without your product or service. Even better, one that will happen if they don’t read your copy.

Now, sometimes this pain can be implied. The implication can often be a lot stronger than the one specified, because readers can draw up their own negative scenarios in their heads. As a mentor once told me, “Implication is more powerful than specification.”

For example, in a recent headline split-test for a salesletter I wrote that promoted a marriage counseling information product, the headline “Save My Marriage!” won over “Stop My Divorce!” In fact, it won by a huge margin. The conclusion?

My guess is, “Stop My Divorce” is a negative, but it’s specific. And the implication is that the product may only stop the divorce but may not necessarily get the relationship back on track and stop the marriage from disintegrating — which is the true problem.

“Save My Marriage!” implies so many things. And the positive benefit is also implied — the marriage (i.e., the love, passion, relationship, happiness, etc) can also be saved. Because not saving those, too, can be labor-intense, painful, and too difficult to bear.

(Another reason may be that in “Stop My Divorce!” the message might indicate that the divorce is imminent. If this was the case, people would probably be more interested in how to win in a divorce rather than stopping it. But I digress.)

4. The Director

Incidentally, the last headline uses another readership-enhancing technique: it starts with a verb. Verbs direct visitors and take them by the hand. Some examples include “claim,” “discover,” “find,” “get,” “read,” “see,” “earn,” “visit,” “surf,” “join,” “sign up,” etc.

But go a step beyond that. Instead of plain verbs, use action words that paint vivid pictures in the mind. The more vivid the picture is, the more compelling the headline will be. (For example, “zoom past the confusion” is better than “get more clarity.”)

Ultimately, don’t let visitors guess what they must do or what they will get from reading further. You can also tell them in the headline. Also, you don’t need to be direct. You can, in this case as well, imply what they must do.

Say you’re selling an accounting software. Rather than “Poor fiscal management leads to financial woes,” say, “Don’t let poor fiscal management suck money right from your bottom-line.” People can picture the action of “sucking” more than they do “leading.”

Headlines that communicate something worth reading will cause people to read further. But the important thing to remember is, you only have a few seconds — if not a fraction of one — to connect with you reader. That’s why being pithy is vitally important.

Think of an “elevator speech.”

Like with a potential client you’ve just met in an elevator, you only have a few seconds during that short elevator ride to get their attention, introduce yourself, and make a memorable impact until you or the other person leaves the elevator.

So your elevator speech must be good enough and concise enough to capture, in just a few short moments, the attention and interest of that person. Headlines are no different.

Sometimes, headlines need a little push. Just making a bland statement is not going to get you anywhere. For example, forget those hackneyed introductions, like “Hi, my name is Michel Fortin, and I’m a copywriter. Do you need one?” Boring. Bland. Busted.

Don’t just tell them who you are and what you do. Tell them what you can do for them.

But even that may not be enough. You need to compel your readers. You need to not only capture their attention but also keep it. You may need to shock, surprise, be intriguing, pique their curiosity, even be sensational, and not just introduce or inform.

For example, think of the types of headlines you see in tabloid-style newspapers or grocery-line magazines, like The National Enquirer, The Globe, Cosmopolitan, Vanity Fair, Men’s Health, and more. And the reason is simple.

Just like the short elevator ride, the brief wait in the grocery checkout line is all these magazines have to work with to get your attention and get you to buy their publication.

Some of the highest paid writers in the world are front-page headline copyeditors!

For example, which headline is better: “Ancient Mediterranean Diet Boosts Metabolism”? Or a headline, riding on the buzz created by the recent movie “300,” that says “2,000-Year Old Weightloss Diet Used By Ancient Greek Warriors Finally Unearthed”?

5. The Ziegarnik Effect

In 1927, Bluma Zeigarnik, a Russian psychologist’s assistant and one of the early contributors to Gestalt Psychology, discovered something peculiar. Almost by accident. She found that people remember unfinished tasks better than they do finished ones.

After observing waiters who seemed to remember orders and forget them once the food was served, she realized the incomplete task created a certain tension, discomfort, or uneasiness that caused the brain to “hook” onto the unfinished task until it was done.

You see, we have an intrinsic need for closure.

We get a certain feeling of disconcertedness when something is left unfinished. Often called the “Zeigarnik Effect,” we not only remember interrupted tasks best but also the tension tends to create curiosity to an almost excruciating level.

Achieving closure is part relief and part release. When something is left unanswered, unopened, or incomplete, we either passionately attempt to complete or close it, or feel a certain discomfort until it is and often go to great lengths to get it done.

In copywriting particularly, this tension can be created in a headline.

For example, to the headline “How to lose 30 pounds in 6 weeks,” you add “with these 7 tips,” it will push people to read further to find out what the heck those “7 tips” are.

(That’s why the headline of one of the world’s most lucrative ads, “Do You Makes These Mistakes In English?” worked so well. People wanted to know, “What mistakes?”)

With a headline like “Inside Britney Spears’ Divorce Settlement With Kevin Federline,” it doesn’t really open up anything. But with “Uncover The Shocking Reason Behind Britney Spears’ Divorce,” people want to know, “what secret” or “what’s so shocking about it?”

In fact, making some kind of sensational, controversial, or intriguing statement, even though it doesn’t open anything up in a direct sense, creates tension because people want to know what it is. (The “gap” mentioned earlier, in this particular case, is implied.)

Take, for instance, some of these other, well-known headlines: “Lies, Lies, Lies.” “The Ugly Truth About Low-Carb Dieting.” Or, “What Doctors Don’t Want You To Know.”

(Here’s a little test: take a look at these 100 of the most successful headlines, and see how many use the Zeigarnik effect. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.)

6. The Window Shopper

Erroneously, many people often look at their prospects reading their salesletters for the first time as qualified patrons. And they tend to do so by considering their visitors as being “physically” inside the store once they read the front page…

… Particularly with headlines that begin with that familiar word: “welcome.”

(While they may or may not be targeted, they’re still not qualified. They may be pre-qualified if they’re targeted. But they’re only window shoppers at this point.)

Have you ever walked by a retail store whose sign in the main window said “welcome to [store name]”? Not likely. But you’ve probably seen such a sign upon entering a store.

And there’s the problem: In both cases, you had to walk inside the store first before you were greeted or welcomed, and asked to browse further or if you needed any help.

When people read your headline, they’re not “inside the store,” yet. They’re still outside, window shopping, thinking about whether to go in or not. So there must be something that gets them interested in walking into the store to browse or inquire further.

It could be a variety of things.

It could be the display in the window, an outdoor sign touting some special, a banner announcing a special event, a sales flyer received in the mail, or a friend heralding the benefits from a product she bought at — or some deal she received from — the store.

Salesletters are no different. A headline is like the store’s front window or entrance — people are not inside yet. And this is especially true in the case of online salesletters.

Look at the web as one, colossal shopping mall.

When people surf the Internet, they’re browsing the mall, so to speak. When they hit your front page, they are only seeing the “outside” of your store. Your store’s window.

Think of the people reading your headline as merely “window shopping.” So your headline must be effective and efficient enough to instantly capture their attention, and compel them to enter your store and browse further.

Understandably, a salesperson’s ability to instantly capture the attention of her busy and incredibly preoccupied prospect is easier in the physical realm.

Most of all, her enthusiasm for, and belief in, her product are easy to convey in person. Her ability to instill confidence and create trust, as well as her unique set of sales and people skills, product knowledge, personality and expertise, are equally advantageous.

A salesletter is your salesperson in print.

And like a salesperson, a headline must grab the reader’s attention and qualify the reader, and it must do so by communicating those ideas (e.g., credibility, intrigue, proof, etc) and emotions that empower people to at least enter the store.

The responsibility therefore rests almost entirely on the words you choose. And words should appeal directly or indirectly to specific motives — whether it’s looking for specific products, deals, benefits, events, relief, help, cures, or solutions.

Just like what you’d put in a store’s window to draw traffic inside your store.

7. The Specific

One last tip. Vagueness, unless it is intended to create curiosity and readership by pulling people into the copy, will only confuse people. Avoid it like the plague.

So try to be as specific as possible. Use very specific, quantifiable descriptions. For instance, use odd, non-rounded numbers instead of generalizations. Odd, non-rounded numbers are more credible and have pulled more than even or rounded numbers.

That’s why, for example, Ivory soap was marketed as being 99 and 44/100% pure. If Ivory said 100%, it would not have been as believable. “Amazing new system helped me earn $3,956.75 in 29 days!” is much more credible than “$4,000 in 1 month!”

This tip may sound simple, but it is indeed very powerful. In fact, I have found that the best claims, benefits, or headlines, are those that have any one of three components:

They are quantifiable
They are measurable
They are time-bound

Any one of these three is better than none at all. But if you can have two or even all three components in your headline, the stronger and more credible the impact will be.

I’ve covered “quantifiable.” But being measurable means to add a baseline against which the quantity can be compared or contrasted. And being time-bound means there is a specific timeframe within which the quantity (or benefit, problem, or idea) was achieved.

For instance, if I can show you how to make “$784.22,” it may mean nothing. But if I tell you, “How I generated $784.22 in just 5 minutes,” that would be a lot more interesting.

In conclusion, ask yourself: does the opening statement beg for attention? Does it arouse curiosity? Is the language easy to understand by that market? And does it genuinely reflect and cater to the needs, motives, and dominant emotions of my market?

Remember, your headline is your magnet. It can pull people in or push them away.

The Michel Fortin Blog.