There is an old saying that has become quite a cliche, but it’s also quite true. There is more than one way to skin a cat…or write a sales letter for that matter. In this article, I want to discuss what I call “tabloid copywriting.” If you’ve read the tabloids, you probably know what I’m talking about. If not, or if you’re not sure how this applies to copywriting, you might want to read this. I think you will find it most informative.

I have to admit, I love reading the tabloids. Some of the headlines on the front page are enough to make me laugh out loud. But admit it…when you see them, you can’t help but opening up that newspaper and reading what’s inside. I mean let’s face it…we’re talking about some off the wall headlines like “Alien Abducts President Bush.” And then when we look inside, we see a sub headline that reads “And Replaces Him With Clone.” Now obviously, this is laughable. But people eat it up.

Okay, so what does this have to do with writing a sales letter? Well, naturally, any headline you come up with has to be somewhat grounded in reality. But shock value and mystery will still get people to keep on reading. For example, let’s take this headline for a make money online product…

“Out Of Work Bum On Street Becomes Millionaire Using This Fool Proof System.”

Now, think of the extremes of this headline. We’re going from one, an out of work bum on the street, to another, a millionaire. It doesn’t get much more extreme than this and definitely something you might find in the tabloids. Naturally, if you’re going to use a headline like this, it better be true, otherwise you risk getting the FTC on your case. However, we could modify this headline to conform by not making a specific claim.

“A System So Simple…An Out Of Work Bum Could Become A Millionaire With It.”

Notice that no claims are made, the operative word being “could.”

It’s called creative writing and perfectly acceptable as long as no specific claims or promises are made.

Point is, by being over the top, you WILL get the attention of your prospects.

How much over the top? Well, that depends on your target market. Some markets are grounded a bit more in reality and thus, tabloid style headlines might actually turn them off. To get a feel for this, you simply need to split test your headlines and see which one performs better.

This style of writing is NOT for everybody. Some people find it distasteful. I know many people who say they never read the tabloids. And maybe that’s true. But how many of those same people don’t look at these same headlines and get at least a twinge of curiosity?

It’s why it works…and why it can be a very powerful copywriting tool.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Want to write copy just like the pros? Visit my site at http://www.bcipe.com/ and discover killer copywriting tips that have allowed me to write my own copy for years and earn myself a 6 figure a year income selling my own products.