<< See what you make me feel like doing? >>

When George Lois learned that his client didn't like his idea for a subway poster, he nearly jumped out a window.

 

Lois was a fiery-tempered ad man from the Bronx, and he didn't like the word "no."

 

Even though art directors in his company weren't allowed to talk to clients, Lois walked into the office of the head of Goodman's Matzo, and tried in vain to persuade the elderly man to use his poster design for a snack.

 

Lois lost his temper and strode over to a big casement window. He opened it and holding the poster, leaned out as if he was going to throw himself out.

 

"See what you make me feel like doing?" he said. "You make the matzos - I'll make the ads!"

 

The elderly man looked as if he would have a heart attack. He yelled at the younger man to come away from the window. Others in the office gave the boss a pill and a glass of water. The old man relented and agreed to run the ad.

 

Lois' eight words changed the course of the day.

 

"If you ever get fired," the client said, "Come back and see me. I'll give you a job as a matzo salesman."

 

The lesson here, from an event that happened some seventy years ago, is that with advertising, you have to get people's attention. You have to make your headlines and subject lines jump out the window. Say something astounding, amusing, or attention-getting.

 

You should sweat over trying to write a good headline.

 

Sad to say, many article headlines, newsletter subject lines, and ad headlines, are duds. 

 

However, I found seven samples of good article headlines with Google:

 

You don't buy a Jaguar, it buys you (hobbyist website)

Why You Shouldn't Be A Writer (finance magazine article)


6 Legit Ways to Make Money From Home That You've Never Heard Of (news magazine)

America's Worst Companies to Work For (news magazine)

10 Reasons Why You Don't Have A Girlfriend (social life website)

The Best Way to Lose Weight in a Week (news website)

The Most Dangerous Animals for Runners (running magazine)

Don't you want to read these articles?

 

These winners can be used for not only headlines, but subject lines of a newsletter. Or ads, if they are short enough. 

 

A good subject line can boost your newsletter open rate from 20% to 30% or more. A stunning headline will be picked above mundane ones in a Google search.

 

The headline is the doorway to your article. If you want people to read your stuff, you've got to make it easy for them to get interested in it.

 

Get attention. Make your words jump out the window.

Sincerely,







Kevin J. Banet
President, TreeFrogClick, Inc. marketing
(708) 393-4098


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