Why A Highly Provocative Headline Is Important

This week on Marketing Monday, Angus Pryor the Practice Growth Specialist will share with you why a highly provocative headline is important.

Now, my provocative title – Aliens Abduct Three Dentists, I Have Proof. What I wanted to talk to you today about is headlines. Of course, I’ve gone with a highly provocative headline, because I want to get people’s attention. And as it is for me and my business, so it is for you in your business.

The reality is the level of kind of noise about the place is at the all time worst. If you’re in business and you assume that you can send someone an email and they’re going to be sort of all over that, that’s just not the reality.

I’ve seen data on open rates on emails when a bulk email is sent out, even if it’s got high quality content, open rates can be often only 30%. You’ll send an email to 1,000 people and 300 of them will open it. And therefore, whether you are trying to get a message across by email, on your website, in video, on Facebook, whatever it is, the headline.

The headline is absolutely critical.

What I’m going to suggest you do, next time you’re in the supermarket. When you’re in the supermarket, have a look at magazines, have a look at newspapers and have a look at the headlines. These guys spent ages agonising.

I’m not suggesting for a second that you become sort of gutter journalism or anything like that, but just be aware of those … The headlines are just so important. I mean, in terms of, I think my number one message really is, A, pay attention to them.

Secondly, don’t be boring. You don’t need to be outrageous. But don’t be boring. What is the benefit for the person reading this that’s going to get that? And sometimes the benefit, like in this one, is kind of entertainment or interest. So I think that’s probably the key thing.

When we do newsletters for our clients, I have never ever sent a newsletter out that says welcome to our newsletter. I see so many practices that have websites that say, welcome to our website. And I’m like, boring, boring, boring. What’s in it for me? And it’s the same thing with any of this. Anyway, I hope that makes sense.