Why are you reading this post? (you are reading the post aren’t you?) Is the answer curiosity? If you answered yes, you have just discovered one of the 3 psychological trigger points of good marketing: arousing curiosity.
The human is a curious animal. We want to see the World’s Heaviest Man at 1,200 lbs. and The Wolf Brothers (you clicked the links didn’t you?). These are called psychological triggers. They are used primarily in advertising headlines to attract attention, draw readers into the marketing copy and ultimately sell a product or service. Let’s face it, no matter how convincing your marketing message is, it means didley if no one reads it. So create headlines that arouse curiosity and people will read on.
Another psychological trigger is the question. It seems the brain is more engaged by a question than a statement. The very sight of a question mark makes the reader want to know more. Do you know why? You’re reading this sentence to find the answer aren’t you? Well, the reason may be tied to early learning and kids’ questions (or maybe Socrates). Want to Know The Short Skirt Guide to Blogging? click here. Ready for number 3?
A third psychological trigger is the problem solving headline. The brain seems to enjoy puzzles and finding answers to problems. How to Fix a Leaking Faucet in 5 Minutes Using No Tools. Combine that with a question and you have a double whammy brain trigger: Did You Know You Can Fix a Leaking Faucet in 5 Minutes Using No Tools?
Remember that the curiosity, question and problem solving triggers should address human wants and needs. Some of these include:
- saving money
- making money
- saving time
- making things easier or more efficient
- improving safety, security and health
- improving quality of life and achieving happiness
- self-improvement
- having fun and being entertained
There are other marketing triggers such as the Drop Cap Headline. Make the first letter of the paragraph larger (and bolder) so it drops down one or two lines. Like an image, it jumps out at the reader (h/t jonathan cardella). Seems some smarty pants named David Ogilvy discovered the drop cap headline worked better than other ad copy headlines, increasing readership rates by 13%.
Images are also triggers and, according to working journalists, considered very important to the story. The efficacy of using pretty faces, or other body parts (like the one I chose), is debatable and success depends in large part on the product or service being marketed. (hot coffee?) We do know home searchers love to see lots of pretty photographs of the home and these listings get the most views.
Bonus: The colors red and yellow draw the most attention. Just ask McDonald’s.
Related Posts:
How to Write an Ad That Sells Real Estate
Why 80% Don’t Read Newsletters
Sources and Further reading:
Are Your Headlines Misssing These Precise Pscychological Triggers (Sean D’Souza)
Discover Which Sales Triggers are Most Effective When Mixed with SEO (John Alexander, Search Engine Workshops)
What are 7 Psychological Triggers that Make People Buy (Arina Nikitina)
Top 10 Ideas for Testing Your Headlines (Josh Hay, Future Now)
Online Copywriting 101: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet (GrokDotCom)
Technorati Tags: marketing tips, headlines, sales triggers, advertising, copywriting
Joe ~
For some strange reason, I cannot seem to scroll down below that first image
Phil
Ok, I have to admit that the photo of the girl in the short skirt caught my attention! But what can you expect from a healthy, hetero male? The headline worked on me too. . . But my question is, what makes this headline a “Drop Cap Headline”. I thought that drop cap was when you capitalize, bold, and enlarge the first letter of the first word in a paragraph so that it takes up at least two lines or more, thereby making the cap (capital letter) drop below the first line and really stand out or pop. How is this headline “Drop Cap”? I have to admit that it has been a while since I read Ogilvy’s books on advertising. . .
Great article and works just fine in IE 7!
You are correct jonathan. The drop cap first letter is larger and bolder and drops down the paragraph.
Great post!
I didn’t want to read your post but the angry monkey in my closet told me to read it… and I listened.
Damn Angry Monkeys!
Good points actually and presented in a convincing way. I’m not big on using photos like your first one, but, using questions and problem slolving are very grabbing.
“Did You Know You Can Fix a Leaking Faucet in 5 Minutes Using No Tools?” Interesting combination of the question form and the problem solving triggers. Great marketing tips you gave us there.
If I may add to the topic, once we’ve succeeded to attract the viewer’s attention, we have to make sure that our story sticks. Which reminds me of the book “Made to Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath. Have you guys read it? It reveals the anatomy of a sticky idea. Also really fun to read.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. You have many good points and marketing tips.
Best wishes