What Else You Can Use Besides Headlines for Your Ads

Always trying to get ahead in the business world requires thinking outside the box occasionally, but also, just thinking logically. What else can you use besides headlines for your ad to stand out? Here are some tips:

Using cross-heads:

Cross-heads are subheadings within the text of an ad. They must be punchy, and they must be factual. They serve a different function from headlines, and mini-headlines will not serve as cross-heads.

The main purpose of cross-heads is usually to break up the text into 'manageable' blocks, but they do have other functions. They can serve a design function, making the ad look more interesting. They can also serve to give the reader a quick guide to what you are offering. Headlines are there primarily to attract attention, but cross-heads provide a kind of resume of the body copy. Simple one- or two-word cross-heads are all that is usually necessary, each summarizing the section of body copy which follows it.

Using bullet points:

Bullet points are used to present lists of benefits, facilities, contents etc in a short, pithy format, usually with each item preceded by a dot or star. They should usually be set in bold type (heavy type like that used for the word 'bold' above), to make them stand out.

Bullet points are very useful for highlighting certain advantages or aspects of a product. Used properly, they can give a concise summary of what you offer, which can complement the body copy, or even be used instead of body copy.

When using bullet points, bear in mind two things:

1. If each point is too long, the advantage of using bullet points is lost, and you might as well be writing ordinary body copy. Cut out any unnecessary words.

2. Use them to complement the body copy, not to waste space repeating what the body copy says.

Using flashes:

Flashes come in all shapes and sizes, and can be used for a number of purposes. What they all have in common, however, is that in order to be effective, the message inside them must be short. Because of their limited size and shape you can't put too many words in them without having to use a very small typeface; and if you do that, they lose their impact.

Given this limitation, they are usually used in advertising to show prices or savings. Half Price, Just $14.99, and Save $15, for example, are the ideal length for a flash. But they can be used to give any message more impact and immediacy, provided it can be conveyed in a few words. Once Only Offer, New Design, Just Out are just a few of the ways in which flashes can be used.

A comer flash, which goes across the corner of the ad, can usually carry a slightly longer message than one in the body of the ad. If you make a starburst or oval flash too big, it can look out of proportion to the other elements, whereas you can get a bit more space across a comer without it becoming too prominent.

Just think if your headline will make an impact with in one and a half seconds to your readers. Decision making is quick with everyone, and you must use it to your advantage to be successful.