Writing copy which lives up to the headline

I've discussed how to write killer headlines, titles and subject lines on several occasions in the past. But while getting people to read your article or message is essential, you can throw away the good work if the copy itself doesn't match up to the quality of the headline which got them there. Copyblogger recently made a good attempt at outlining a step-by-step approach to achieving this in Beyond Headlines: How to Get Your Audience to Read Every Word. Start off with a statement that the reader will agree with; set up a need; and reinforce the promise which you made in the headline. Then of course make sure you keep answering the reader's "what's in it for me?" question, and the constant "So What?" refrain.

Published on 7 October 2009