Unsuccessful headlines were not written without a strong appeal, but it was the wrong appeal for that product and that audience.

The headlines are critically important. The majority of the public reads little else when deciding whether or not they are interested.

Even today you can look through almost any consumer or professional publication and find headlines that possess not a single one of the necessary qualities, such as self-interest, news, or curiosity.

The business of judging a headline AFTER you read the copy is wrong. It takes for granted that everybody reads the copy.

Avoid the "hard-to-grasp" headline - the headline that requires thought and is not clear at first glance.

You can write a 1st paragraph that continues the same thought you expressed in your headline. If you stop a reader with a headline about house paint, you can be sure of at least one thing about that reader: He wants more info about house paint. You will not lose him as long as you continue to give him what he wants.

The advertiser's logotype at the bottom of the ad can be considered as part of the headline. After reading the headline, the reader instinctively looks down at the logotype to see the company name.