How do you avoid being self-centered when writing copy? No one likes the loud mouth at the party who can’t stop talking about themselves, or the office jabbermouth that won’t listen to what others say. Why be an inconsiderate swine when you write copy?

A good starting point is to put yourself in your reader’s shoes. Would YOU like to read what you’re writing? Be a skeptical customer and see if your writing is relevant or interesting.

The key is to move away from how spectacular your product is, and focus on what it can do for your reader or customer.

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First impressions count, and that is why your headline is so utterly important. Important enough to be re-visited in this second post about headlines.

Casual Joke Insert: Sleeping on a corduroy pillow will give you head lines. (DRUMROLL PLEASE, MAESTRO)

Apart from being the hook to get your readers to read your message, your headline can actually BE your message. The gist of it can be represented with just a few words in your headline.

In The Copywriter’s Handbook, copywriter Bob Bly sets forth eight time-tested headline categories:

DIRECT HEADLINE: No attempt at wit or cleverness, just getting straight to the point e.g. Aliens Ate My Dog!

INDIRECT HEADLINE: The purpose of this is to elicit curiosity which is satisfied in the main body of the message e.g. Left in the dark during exams (this could be about power failures or going blank in the middle of an exam).

NEWS HEADLINE: Works best if you’re actually dishing out actual news e.g. Rugby Coach Resigns.

THE “HOW TO” HEADLINE: This method of encouraging further reading works well, especially if your “how to” guide is of interest to the reader e.g. How to keep that New Year’s Resolution.

QUESTION HEADLINE: This creates immediate thought from the reader (hopefully), thus engaging him and hopefully provoking him to read on e.g. Is She Cheating On You?

“REASONS WHY” HEADLINES: This technique is often used to demonstrate the topic of the main body e.g. Reasons Why You’re Not Safe On The Streets Anymore.

TESTIMONIAL HEADLINES: A celebrity or someone of worth or interest to your readers adds clout to your message e.g. Oprah admits to being a fan of WritersForHire.co.za.

ACTION NOW HEADLINES: There is an immediate and clear call to action in the headline e.g. Lose Weight In Ten Weeks, Guaranteed!

For more on writing great headlines, check out the Magnetic Headlines series on Copyblogger.

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Every writer needs to engage with his or her audience in the most relevant way possible. Readers are humans too, so it is important to keep your writing as conversational as possible, and in the correct tone for the relevant context.

When it comes to web copy, you don’t have much time to grab your reader’s attention, so make it count. Don’t use superfluous words unnecessarily (haha, did you catch that?). Use monosyllabic words if it helps, but above all remember to keep it simple, stupid.

Structure your points logically and elegantly. Use bullet points and numbered lists if that will help get your point across clearly.

Good copy is concise and clear, easy to digest, like a light nutritious snack. Don’t dish up stodgy dumplings when a rice cake will do the trick.

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A compelling headline does exactly that: compels the reader to continue reading. The goal is to grab your audience’s attention long enough to get them to read the first sentence - make it impossible to close the page.

Any writer’s reason for existence is to be read. The headline leads into the first sentence, the first sentence into the second, and so on. As a writer, you need to ensure your audience is riveted. In order to do this, do the following:

• Open with a strong headline
• Focus on the benefit immediately, don’t waffle around and don’t be coy
• Make sure you follow up on your promise
• Give strong evidence to support your promise or argument

Make sure that you are read, even if it’s one sentence at a time.

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