Hang out with me and you’ll hear me say this all the time: The most valuable real estate in copywriting is your headline. But it’s important to remember headlines don’t always have to be a single line, or a single line coupled with a subhead.
Headlines can also be a series of lines that comprise a headline stack. A headline stack is a great way to paint a picture of a clear benefit your prospects will experience when they use your product, utilize your service, read your book, or purchase your program.
This technique is a great way to tease, titillate and build curiosity.
By painting a scenario in your headline stack that describes a benefit prospects will receive through your product, they’ll be motivated to dive into your body copy to find details on how they’ll experience this benefit.
Here is a simple 4-step process that will help you create an effective headline stack.
- Have a strong understanding of a problem for which your prospects need a solution
- Paint a picture in your headline stack that describes this problem being solved
- Include in your solution real human value – not just a mechanical victory
- Reveal the solution and the human value it provides, but don’t describe exactly how the solution is achieved…save that for your body copy
Here is an example of a headline stack I created for a sales landing page to promote a health and wellness one-day seminar. The target audience was baby boomers who are 55 and older.
EXAMPLE
Imagine this Exciting Vision for Yourself
The wisdom and insight that comes with age.
The vibrant energy and physical vitality you enjoyed back in the day.
It’s the best of all worlds – and you really can have them both.
In fact, this ideal vision and the freedom that comes with it can be your everyday reality.
Well into your 60’s, 70’s and beyond!
The proven secrets to achieving this dynamic lifestyle are presented in extraordinary detail in Dr. Jerry Johnson’s groundbreaking new seminar…
…Boomer Wellness!
Set this stack up with larger fonts, some color and a nice image—and you have a headline treatment that will create curiosity, and drive prospects deeper into the body copy of your sales letter or website landing page.
Once again, headlines are the most valuable real estate in sales copy, and the headline stack can be a powerful way to leverage this space to the fullest.
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