How to Write Headlines for Any Market

Have you ever been to a farmer’s market?

The intention of a farmer’s market is to bring fresh and local produce to the people who normally buy goods at the grocery store.

The thing about farmer’s markets is you will find more than one vendor selling the same thing. The ones I go to usually have two to three vendors selling corn, three to four selling flowers, and over a dozen selling leafy greens (e.g., lettuce, kale, spinach, etc.).

I bring up food because a farmer’s market is a good lesson in competition and content marketing. When you have several vendors offering the same thing, you need to stand out if you want to get sales. The way to create more desire for your product is to use an attention-getting headline.

But before getting into headlines, let’s talk about competition for a moment. It’s important to note competition is a good thing because it means there’s demand in the market. It’s easier to tap into an already existing desire than to create a new demand. You can create new desire for something new, but it takes more effort and relies on how well you educate your market.

This will all make sense by the end of this article. For now, just know competition is good and things go smoothly when you speak to an existing core desire.

Speak the Language

I already said competition is a good thing because it shows there’s demand in the market. There’s another reason why competition is good: it allows you to gather more feedback from prospects. More competition means more people talk about things like…

• What they are looking for in a product.
• What they are NOT looking for.
• How they feel about the marketing of a product.

The more people talk, the more intelligence you can gather for your headline. Writing a great headline requires you to listen to your market. Not just what they are saying, but how they are saying it.

If you were a vendor at a farmer’s market, all you have to do is keep your eyes and ears open. Paying attention to the behaviors and language of people leads to better marketing.

For example, let’s imagine you hear someone say, “I had an apple from here last week. It was the juiciest and sweetest thing in the world. Shivers went down my spine as I took a bite!”

Then all you would have to do is take out a marker and write the following on a sign:

“Spine-Tingling Sweet Apples — So Juicy and Fresh                They’ll Make You Shiver in Pleasure!”

I promise you a headline like that will get noticed more than one that says, “Apples.” People planning to buy apples at a farmer’s market will want one that is juicy or whatever other type they desire (e.g., tart, sweet, small, big, etc.). All you have to do is listen to what people say and use it in your headline.

The analogy of a farmer’s market works anywhere because human desire doesn’t change. When something is in demand, people will request it. When you market your content, it’s your responsibility to find out what people want.

If you need help writing headlines for your content marketing, visit this page to get a website copywriting review.

Photo Credit: Jamie In Bytown