Ted subsequently changed title to 'How To Get Out Of Debt' and book sold well from that point on.

If you are trying to promote something, keep your titles clear and simple. Leave clever and humorous to entertainers.

Headlines that are too abstract are often unclear to reader and do not clearly identify to reader why they should be interested in information contained in follow on copy.

Make your headlines clear. Identify a benefit to reader as to why they should read on further into your ad, article, or sales letter. If you do, you will find your desired results will improve.

FIRST IN BULLETED LIST

Just as with first sentence in each paragraph, people also almost always read first entry in a bulleted list. If it hits home, they might keep reading. But, knowing that you have their attention for at least one second, always make sure your first bullet point is extremely powerful and enticing.

PS's

Writing a direct mail or Web sales letter? The PS is another hot spot. Take advantage of this real estate. Repeat offers, remind readers of bonuses, reinforce guarantees or recap limited-time offers. This section is final pitch before your reader either acts or trashes your copy so make it count.

Have you noticed something about these five sections? Why do you think they are virtually guaranteed to get read in any piece of copy? They are unusual. They are limited. They stand out. They are eye-catching.

You only have a limited number of headlines and sub-heads in copy. They are almost always offset by bolding or underlining so they easily catch eye of reader. Captions only appear when there are images. They do not appear all throughout copy. First sentences are also rare. Only one sentence in each paragraph can be first one. This tells reader to keep going or jump to another section that might be of more interest. First entries in bulleted lists are unusually formatted and catch eye of reader. PS's? There's only one, and since it's last thing on page, most often, it stands out too.

These rare elements give you five guaranteed shots at building curiosity, promoting benefits, generating interest and closing sales. If you haven't done it before, now is time to review your copy to be sure you're making most out of these opportunities.

Karon Thackston is a veteran copywriting pro who specializes in SEO copy. Learn how to write SEO copy that impresses the engines and your visitors at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Get more tips on incorporating keyphrases into your copy with Karon’s latest e-report “How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy)” at http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword.