Have you ever heard of Michael Masterson? If you haven't then you are missing out on learning from one of the best entrepreneurs out there. On top of that…the guy knows how to sell. His ability to sell has given him the ability to build and help build multiple businesses and companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars each.

 

I have read numerous books authored by Michael Masterson. I would consider him one of my foremost mentors even though I have never actually met him.

 

One of the areas he excels in is his ability to write effective ad copy that sells. The starting point of any sales copy is the headline. Michael Masterson has developed a unique formula for writing headlines. It is called the 4 U's Formula as espoused by Robert Bly in The Copywriter's Handbook. If you haven't read this book…Michael Masterson considers it the copywriter's bible.

 

So what is the 4 U's Formula for writing effective headlines?

 

1. Urgent
2. Unique
3. Ultra-specific
4. Useful

 

Most people…even with the best intentions…never come back to make a purchase once they have left your sphere of influence (under most normal conditions). Thus creating a sense of urgency is of vital importance because it gives the reader some "angst" inside of them that lets them know that they are going to miss out on something important if they do not check out what you are offering and what you have to say. Or, this sense of urgency can simply create a time element where an expectation can be met.

 

For instance…when you give people a limited time to act they feel that if they don't check out your offer right now they are going to miss out on it. This takes away the opportunity to go away and think about it long enough to forget about it. Another example would be if you put a time element into your headline it gives your reader something they can wrap their heads around instead of something simply hanging out there.

 

Here are a couple of examples:

 

"Only 3 Days Before Our Ad Copy Institute Closes Registration For This Semester"

or

"Learn How You Can Make Your First Million Before Christmas of 2010"

 

The next U is unique. You need to communicate something new or special. Everyone is used to seeing "Save 20% on our Fish Oil Capsules While Supplies Last." But that doesn't really say anything unique. Instead stating this headline in a different way will capture people's attention better: "How I Went From Being an Old Man at 55 to a Young Man Playing Soccer and Skiing at Age 57."

 

The second headline piques your interest just a bit…especially if you are the old feeling 55 year old…or even worse, you are younger and feeling like the old guy or gal.

 

The 3rd U is Ultra-Specific. This tells the reader exactly what the article or ad copy is going to be about. The advantage for this is if you know your readers well enough then you will know what specifically they are looking for…and when you hit that targeted, specific element…guess what? They want to read what you have to say…in fact, they can hardly wait.

 

Here are some examples of an ultra-specific headline:

 

"What You Should Never Say to Your Wife When She's Pregnant"

or

"How to Pit Cherries Using a Paper Clip"

or

"The Best Way to Sell Your House When You are Behind on Your Payments"

 

Finally we come to the 4th U…Useful. If you are offering something useful to your readers…let them know what that is. If your reader can see a benefit in the headline, he/she will be more likely to read what you have to say.

 

"This ebook Will Reveal How You Can Recover After an Injury 5-Times Faster Than Any Other Method"

 

(By the way…I wrote that ebook above).

 

So…I hope these tips help you write killer headlines in the future.

 

RT if you appreciated this article and also please leave a comment and share on Facebook, Digg…where ever…Thanks!

 

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