An effective headline will do many things at once. It will attract readers attention, convey benefits by appealing to readers self-interest and it will set stage for what is to come. It will also target audience for which it was intended.

But number one thing a headline should always do is answer question, "What's in it for me?" Why? Because that's all most of us really care about.

So what are characteristics of a good headline? First and foremost, an effective headline must be believable. I'm sure you've heard saying, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

However, if your product really can make me: jump higher than Kobe Bryant, attract as many women as I want, or make me millions while I sleep; if you put it in your headline, you had better be able to effectively prove it in your copy.

Many experts believe shorter headline, better. I don't necessarily agree with that. However, until you develop a skill for writing great headlines, keeping your headlines to fifteen words or less is probably a good idea.

It's important to make sure your headlines are easy to read. When typesetting your headlines don't use fancy fonts, reverse type, all caps or italics. I recommend you utilize a simple, easy to read type style such as Times Roman. You can see an example of this on my website.

Headlines that evoke some type of emotional response are most effective and generally make more sales. Emotions motivate people into action. The stronger emotion, quicker action. Therefore, headlines that make reader excited about gaining something--or even more effective--afraid of losing something, will invariably produce best results.

Using proper words and phrases is critical. Below I've listed just a few of words and phrases that, over years, have proven to be very effective at grabbing readers attention: