Aside from the overall appearance (emphasizing the importance of a first impression), nothing screams “amateur” like a poorly written headline. The vast majority of your newsletter’s readers will scan the newsletter and read the headlines first. I can’t overstate the importance of writing good headlines.  

A well-written headline will tell the reader what the point of the article is. Your headlines need to contain positive, strong action words – the shorter and simpler, the better. 

Unfortunately, I see too many writers try to be cute or clever when writing headlines. Many of our major metropolitan newspapers do so every day – perhaps giving the impression that this is acceptable! Let me remind you that you have but a few seconds to grab the attention of your readers and make them want to read your newsletter. I strongly believe that 99 percent of the time, “cute” will not close the sale. 

Here are three things that a headline should do:

Grab Attention – Simply put, the headline must stop the readers in their tracks and cause them to read further.Tell the Story – A well-written headline tells readers right away what a story is about.  

Enhance the Page – The headlines on a page should all work together to help you close the sale. In this case, the “sale” is merely getting your readers to agree that giving up five or ten minutes of their time to read your newsletter is a worthwhile decision. 
 

Here are five tips to help you write great headlines:

1. Use active voice.
2. Use present tense.
3. Use short, descriptive words.
4. Make positive statements.
5. Avoid abbreviations and jargon. 

Finally, you may want to avoid using consistent headlines for recurring articles, instead varying the headlines according to the theme. For example, if you must have a “President’s Column” or something equivalent, change the headline with each issue to reflect the important message of the individual article.

Yesterday was my birthday, and while we generally don’t make a huge deal about birthdays in our house, I found myself reflecting on what I’ve accomplished in my 49 short years and also what I would like the next 49 years to look like.  

First of all, having beaten cancer twice, I am very grateful for every day! But also, because of that experience, I want to live life to the fullest and make sure that I make the most of every opportunity. The truth of the matter is, I worked more hours yesterday than I care to admit, but it’s all good.  

One of the reasons that I am so darn busy these days is that in addition to running Dynamic Communication and No Hassle Newsletters, as well as trying to write in my blog a few times a week, I am also getting ready to launch a new and exciting business.  

The launch is scheduled for early July, so we are down to crunch time. Fortunately I have an awesome partner, Bobby Deraco, in this venture. Having a partner who is as enthusiastic and committed as he is is great!  

In addition, Bobby and I have hired two unbelievably talented Web developers, Justin Reber and Chris Fasnacht. I will give you their contact information when they are finished with our project! I don’t want to distract them with lots of inquiries yet! Seriously, wait until you see what they have done! 

Anyway, back to my birthday and my reflections. I am blessed to work with some awesome clients, and I recently created a newsletter for a really cool company called Vision Day. Rob Berkley and Debbie Phillips are executive and life coaches.  

Rob and Debbie have this amazing program whereby you spend a whole day either on beautiful Martha’s Vineyard or in Naples, Florida, working on yourself! If your profits are lagging, you’re struggling with a life change, or you’re frustrated or bored with your career, then this personal daylong strategic planning session on Martha’s Vineyard or in Naples, Florida, may be just what you are looking for. To book your own personal Vision Day, contact Blue at 508-696-4949 or Blue@VisionDay.com. You can also visit the Web site at www.visionday.com. 

You can see a full-size PDF of Rob and Debbie’s first newsletter by visiting www.nohasslenewsletters.com, scrolling down to the “Gold Level Upgrade” section, and clicking on “coaching program.”  I encourage you to check it out, as it is a fine example of good design, content, and presentation, and I predict it will be making the phones ring at Vision Day headquarters! 

Enjoy your weekend!