It seems to me that the boundaries of what web copywriting actually is are getting a tad blurred of late.  Suddenly, everyone and their dog are an online copywriting authority and what copywriting actually means has been lost in the abyss.

Contrary to common belief, copywriting is not the act of putting words on a page and web copywriting is not the act of putting words on a webpage!  Rather copywriting is the process of using words to promote an individual, business, idea or opinion…the operative word being PROMOTE.

In my humble opinion, and I’m fast approaching 20 years in the professional writing field, copywriting is about creating the wow factor.  Grabbing the reader by the unmention-a-balls and getting their undivided attention.

While the title might suggest creating something of a ‘When Harry Met Sally’ moment, the intent is not to evoke images of readers writhing in ecstasy but to stress that creative and effective web copywriting has to engage, excite and motivate people.

It was the late, Gary Halbert, who was the unrivalled master of copywriting, who talked in his famous letters, of the AIDA formula.

• Attention
• Interest
• Desire
• Action

In this series, we’ll be looking at each of these elements in turn and explaining that web copywriting is not about writing meaningless drivel overloaded with keywords and it’s not about writing and peddling generic articles.  Web copywriting is about hitting the right spot, in the right way at the right time and leaving the reader pleading for the relief that only buying the product can bring.

So with no further ado…let us explore the first element of your web copywriting that you need to perfect if you’re going command attention!

How To Win Friends and Influence People

The single most important element of your web copywriting is the headline.  Just in case I didn’t say that loud enough…GREAT HEADLINES ARE CRITICAL!  Above is one of the greatest headlines ever created.  Why?  Because “How To Win Friends and Influence People” is the title of a book that sold 2 million copies worldwide!

But what makes a headline effective and how do you create them?

The reason “How To Win Friends and Influence People” was so appealing and incredibly effective is actually quite simple when you think about it.  We all want to be popular, we all want to be heard and we all want to feel that we have some sort of impact on people.  Therefore, the headline immediately suggests that the book will give us the knowledge to realise those desires.

Today, I’m a web copywriter, but many moons ago, I started my writing career in journalism and boy am I grateful for the foundation my time as a journalist gave me.  To understand what makes a great headline, you need to study the headlines of tabloid newspapers and magazines because they are among the best you’ll ever see!

Like anything else, to become good at writing attention-grabbing headlines you have to study the work of the experts and write.  It may sound cliché but the best way to write great headlines for your web copywriting is to just write.  After all, you can’t create a great headline or indeed a bad one if you don’t write anything at all.