Technology Toolkit

The Information Highway has turned into a Sea of Information. It’s teeming with information from every direction. So how does one make a difference in such a vast medium? If you don’t want your book and material in general to be lost in the sea of information streaming into your reader’s consciousness each day,
you must title them well. In fact, all marketing material from your 5 page sales letter, tri-fold brochure or email campaign to the 2 line classified ad needs the attention grabbing power of a great headline.

Create sizzling titles designed to hook your potential readers. One of the most important skills to develop as a marketer of your book, product or service is the skill of creating attention-grabbing titles. When you master this skill you may use it in every aspect of your writing to attract more readers, more sales, improve your cash flow and increase your profits.

You will need title writing skill for your book titles, chapter titles, sub-heading. Even bullet points will have pulling power if they are developed correctly. Your website will need passionate headings to capture the attention of your web visitors.

Titles set the stage for your potential audience. They either will work to grab your potential reader by the collar and pull them in for the read or they don’t. Top titles create excitement, anticipation and enthusiasm for more. You want your titles to express the heart and passion of your message. Here are 7 top title templates to help create your best titles:

1. The Command.
“Write Your Best Book Now!”
Most will say they don’t like being told what to do. But our human psyche seems to respond in spite of what we like. The command has an immediate effect. Why? It connects with the “Yes, I want that” spot within us all. Commands reassure you that helpful advice will follow that help you get what you want from the advice. It tells the readers it’s possible to achieve the benefit the author is claiming.

2. The How to.
“How to Make Your Article Go the Extra Mile”
People love to learn with simple steps and fast. Combine it with a powerful benefit and you will reel your reader in every time. You decide. Does the title above, “How to Make Your Articles Go the Extra Mile” or “8 Ways to Format Your Article”

3. The Provocative Statement.
“5 Mistakes to Avoid That Drive Your Web Visitors Away In Less Than 2 Minutes”
You mean my site could be driving my visitors away that fast. Especially, if you have been working hard to get site visitors you would want to know what would drive them away fast. Provocative statements pull at our attention like an electric shock. They make us curious. They sometimes make us mad. They make us feel a lot of different things but most of all they make us read.

4. The Question.
“Do You Want More Traffic, More Free Publicity, More Sales?”
Most times people unconsciously answer the question you pose in their minds. The key is to provide the answers in your copy including statistics. For example, “Have you ever felt afraid to buy online? Like it or not, many are still cautious of buying on the web. A Boston Consulting Group Consumer Survey found that 70% of respondents worry about making purchases online.”

5. The Big Promise.
“How to Increase Sales 400% by Using Short Articles”
People will click away from hype and never come back. But if you have a big gun don’t be afraid to pull it out and use it. Consider carefully and use sparingly; then make your big promise and deliver. People will remember your promises and come back for more or purchase. Don’t forget to include the specific delivery or “how to” in the copy beneath your big promise headline.

6. The Confusing.
“3 Little Pigs Went to Market but One Went Faster”
Develop curiosity into your title. A seemingly opposite simile works like a charm. Sometimes the title that doesn’t make a lot of sense will pull your audience in for the read. Would the title above arouse your curiosity? The confusing title can capture the attention of your audience just to see what it’s about.

7. The Top Benefit.
“Think and Grow Rich”
A winning non-fiction title immediately communicates the benefit readers will gain after reading your book. Benefit-oriented books often use the problem-solution approach. Master (A) this skill or technique and get (B) this benefit. Readers buy non-fiction books for a “benefit” for something that will help them, grow them, profit more, less expense, less trouble, gain more time, less stress, better relationships, better health, less drama, less trauma, more energy and vitality and less fatigue.

Develop this valuable skill and you add magnetic pulling power and punch to all your marketing documents including your front book cover and chapter titles that will get your message read. Titles set the stage for your potential audience. They either grab your potential reader by the shirt or they don’t. Create your titles to be “the match” that ignites your reader’s interest in reading your important message. Title well and prosper!

Are you squeamish? You wince when you get too close to a caterpillar?. And you cover your eyes when your favorite football player gets tackled by most of the opposing team?

That’s fine in your personal life. But many people who write ebooks lose money because they can’t face their audience’s pain. The truth is: readers wil buy your when they’re in pain — physically, psychologically, and/or economically.

Begin by asking yourself, “What motivates clients to buy your information products and your services?”

Many professionals answer, “Some of my clients wouldn’t mind having…” or, “They’ve been thinking about making some changes,…” or, “I want to raise their awareness…”

But readers rarely buy information products that are “nice to have.” They buy when they want to relieve their pain.

For example: Mindy decides to set up an Internet-based coaching service. She’s optimistic and energetic. She picks up a website marketing guide and creates her website.

Any copywriter will realize Mindy needs help. But Mindy won’t look for a copywriter until she realizes she’s in pain. She won’t invest in a course till she registers zero sales for several months.

Let’s face it: people buy when they feel pain. They want money, love, self-esteem, health, or weight loss. They may seek an answer to a very specific question, like, “How can I stop my divorce?” “How can I lose twenty pounds and still eat in restaurants?”

Now you have to reach your client’s pain and show that your book will help. Let’s say you’re a professional dog trainer. Clients call with questions like, “How do I stop my dog from chewing up the chair — starting right now!?”

You can use contrast to emphasize the difference between “have” and “want.” Ask readers to imagine what life would be like if your dog never showed the slightest interest in sitting on your chair, let alone chewing the arms off.

You can deepen the pain. Remind your readers, “Your dog just chewed up one arm of one chair. Are you ready to live in an empty house after she’s chewed up all the furniture?”

You can remind readers that this problem has costs that go well beyond simple annoyance. They have to pay to replace the chairs. They will be embarrassed when guests come to dinner and all the chairs have tooth marks.

Yon need to create urgency — a warning of future pain. “Each time your dog chews up a chair, he learns, ‘This is fun!’ So if you wait even one more day, you’ll spend even more on training (and on new chairs).”

Finally, you can warn your readers, “The solution to your problem may not be available anywhere else.” You might have a unique system. Or all the specialists might be booked up for months.