There’s an old copywriting formula that goes by the acronym AIDA:

A – Attention
I – Interest
D – Desire
A – Action

It’s a pretty handy tool, especially if you’re fumbling around for just the right structure for your next advertising piece.

The copy that does the heavy lifting in the FIRST element – Grabbing Attention –  99 times out of 100 falls on the shoulders of your ad’s Headline.  You need a powerful headline to get noticed… to make sure your promotion cuts through the clutter of the zillion other things competing for your prospect’s attention.

Every piece of marketing you send out (including letters, flyers, business cards, websites, advertorials, etc.) needs to have some kind of curiosity-generating headline designed to grab your reader’s attention.

Where do you find powerful examples?  Well, check out the magazines in the grocery’s checkout line – they’re packed with idea starters.  And don’t overlook the big name news websites … here’s one that definitely served its purpose for me:

Come on… how could I resist?  The headline linked to a story about how a chemical compound produced by beavers has been used as a “vanilla” flavoring additive for DECADES!

Consider that factoid the next time you order ice cream…