Support Headlines With A Strong Lead
What is a LEAD?
In copywriting, a LEAD is the first bit of copy your reader will read after the headline. This is where you begin to lead the reader on the path you want to take down the line.
The objective of the first sentence or the first paragraph (the Lead) is to get you into the second one, and then the third… and so on. You get the point.
So, the first paragraph has to be great!
Here are the characteristics of a LEAD:
- Solid
- Relevant
- Enticing
Efficiency is key. Make your lead relevant and interesting, otherwise people won’t read. Write short sentences. Make it intuitive and fun.
Why?
Because if you lose your reader at your first sentence, you lose everything.
How to create a great lead like a pro – here are few options you can choose from:
- Place your reader into the story
- Describe a problem your reader can relate to
- Set a stage
- Make a bold statement
- Ask a question
- Show that you understand your reader – write your lead with empathy
- Highlight controversial bit of data
- Tell a story or a personal anecdote
- Use an analogy
A great lead has the ability to surprise you, get you intrigued. A great lead inspires.
It can be the best part of your story. In fact, according to studies, a solid lead can increase conversion rates by 200%. Now, that’s motivating enough to create the best lead out there for your story, isn’t it?
The trick is to start with simple, easy to read, interesting and curiosity building sentences that will grab your reader’s attention. Once you have their attention, it will be easier to make them read on.
And, here’s a tip: a really effective approach is to lead with a question you’ve actually heard asked by one or more of your target audience.
A Strong Lead Is A Lead-In
As you now know, in copywriting, a “lead” refers to the opening sentences or paragraph of a piece of writing, typically an article, blog post, or sales page. The lead is the hook that draws the reader in and captures their attention, motivating them to keep reading.
A good lead should accomplish a few things:
Grab the reader’s attention: The lead should be attention-grabbing and make the reader want to keep reading.
Establish relevance: The lead should establish relevance by addressing a problem or need that the reader has, and suggest that the article will provide a solution or information that will be useful to them.
Set the tone: The lead should set the tone for the rest of the article, whether that’s informative, persuasive, or entertaining.
Provide context: The lead should provide context for the article, giving the reader a sense of what they can expect to learn or experience by reading on.
The lead is crucial in copywriting because it determines whether the reader will continue reading or move on to something else. A strong lead can keep the reader engaged and motivated to keep reading, while a weak or ineffective lead can cause them to lose interest and move on.
Here are a few examples of good lead-ins for headlines:
Question: “Are You Making These Common Mistakes in Your Business?”
This lead-in asks a question that is likely to grab the reader’s attention and make them wonder if they are indeed making mistakes in their business.
Numbered list: “7 Surprising Benefits of Drinking Green Tea Every Day”
This lead-in uses a numbered list to pique the reader’s curiosity and suggest that there are several reasons why they should drink green tea.
Intrigue: “The Secret to Saving Hundreds of Dollars on Your Grocery Bill”
This lead-in uses intrigue to make the reader curious about the secret that could help them save money on their grocery bill.
News: “New Study Finds That Exercise Can Reduce Risk of Heart Disease by 50%”
This lead-in uses news to grab the reader’s attention and suggest that they may want to learn more about the study and its findings.
How-to: “How to Improve Your Memory in Just 10 Minutes a Day”
This lead-in uses a how-to approach to suggest that the reader can take actionable steps to improve their memory in a short amount of time.
Overall, a good lead-in for a headline should be attention-grabbing, informative, and suggest that the reader will learn something valuable by reading the article.
A great lead creates readable headlines
Now you know how to use a great lead to create a great headline. But how do you make it readable?
What do I mean by readable? Well, here’s what studies show:
People usually read the first 3 words and the last 3 words of a headline.
Does this answer the question and clarify what I mean?
The thing is, people don’t have the time to read everything. So, don’t put your relevant words in the middle of the headline, people will miss it.
Make sure that the first 3 and last 3 words in your headline are relevant. You can increase the relevance with shorter headlines – so you make the headline pop.
Example:
You can now become the best at your job without hard work → Become the best employee without hard work
60 characters are the recommended limit for the length of a headline (besides, longer headlines get cut off by Google search engines). Also, headlines lose their effectiveness if people can’t see the whole thing. So, make it short enough, effective and of course… readable! 🙂
In conclusion, leads are a critical component of effective copywriting for marketing. A well-crafted lead can grab the reader’s attention, establish relevance, set the tone, and provide context for the rest of the article.
By using the techniques and strategies discussed in this article, marketers can create leads that motivate readers to keep reading and take action.
Whether you’re writing a blog post, sales page, or email newsletter, investing time and effort into crafting a strong lead is a smart marketing move that can pay off in terms of increased engagement, conversions, and ultimately, revenue.
So take these tips to heart and start experimenting with different lead types and formats to see what works best for your brand and audience.
