Ted Nicholas Headline Challenge
I am browsing my pile of emails and i came across this interesting headline challenge from Super Copywriter Ted Nicholas, way back in July last year.He is one of the best copywriter that i learn and model from.The email that i received from Ted on that day is something special.
He throws me a challenge on the subject on copywriting.
Yes, a challenge!
The subject of the email is “A Tiny Change Can Triple Response”
Ted Nicholas emphasize on the importance of how a slight change in the use of words can drastically improve your sales by 300% or more.
This really captures my attention.
I do not have to second guess that it will also draw your attention, if you are a copywriter or Internet marketer.
You do not need me to tell you that as Internet marketers, we want more sales. To increase our sales, we need to polish and refine our copywriting skill so that we can write persuasive sales letter that convert a high percentage of readers to buyers. (That’s where we get our sales)
My mentor, Jo Han Mok outsources most of his online tasks (he outsources to someone to write content for his blog), but there is only two tasks that he will NOT outsource but do it himself (he cannot trust anyone doing this two tasks for him).
Can you guess them?
It’s copywriting and promoting. As you can see, copywriting is THAT I-M-P-O-R-T-A-N-T.
Now back to the Ted Nicholas’s challenge. In the email, Ted shows me some examples of how a change in the headline can increase the conversion rate of your sales letter. The headline read:
Put More Cash Into Your Pocket
The first headline is:
Puts More Cash Into Your Porker
He said that the additional “s” to the word “Put” bring a 300% increase in sales.
This is really amazing.
For this example, it is difficult to tell why this is so. Don’t you agree?
Maybe “Puts” pre-suppose the preceding word “More” with greater intensity.
Let’s look at the next example:
The second headline:
Learn the Secrets of Millionaire Copywriters
New headline:
Discover the Secrets of Millionaire Copywriters
Ted told me in the email that the new headline more than doubled the response.
This example is quite obvious, isn’t it?
Learn implies hard work whereas Discover is “lighter” and feel easy.
Now come the Ted Nicholas’s headline challenge:
1. (a) The Ultimate Tax Shelter
(b) Tax Shelter for all Incomes
2. (a) How to be a Successful Consultant
(b) What Makes a Consultant Successful?
3. (a) Do You Suffer Joint Pain?
(b) Do Your Joints Feel Like They Are on Fire?
For Challenge #1, i will take (a).
My reason?
Well, the first headline is more dynamics. The word “Ultimate” telegraph something spectacular, something extra-ordinary.
For Challenge #2, i will take (a).
Headlines starting with “How to…” are proven winner and i will stick to headline that are tested winner.
For Chanllenge #3, i will go for (b) simply for the extra picture words at the end of the headline “…Like They Are on Fire?”
Pschologists acknowledge that people create images in their minds with every word spoken, sound heard and feeling experienced.
This way in which people experience the image, are what make it personal to them.
“…Like They Are on Fire?” make it more personal as a picture of my joints burning with fire is inscribed in my mind when i read it.Finally, Ted Nicholas revealed the result of his Headline Challenge two weeks later.I got it wrong for one of the qeustion.For question 1, the winner is “(A) The Ultimate Tax Shelter”
I got this one right.
For 2, alas, the winner is “(B) What Makes a Consultant Successful?”
I got this one wrong. After second thought, i think i know why B is the winner instead of A.
“What Makes a Consultant Successful?” are more personal and it speak right into the desire for a consultant seeking to be successful.
As for “How To Be A Successful Consultant”, it sounds like that is a lot of work involved to be successful as a consultant. Even though the “How To….” headline are proven winner, this time round, it failed.
As for 3, the winner is “(B) Do Your Joints Feel Like They Are On Fire?”
This one i got it right also. The headline is more emotional and will definitely attract more attention.
