For every curiosity headline that succeed in getting results, a dozen will fail.

Now I spend hours on headlines - days if necessary. And when I get a good headline, I know that my task is nearly finished.

Remember that the reader's attention is yours for only a single instant. They will not use up their valuable time trying to figure out what you mean.

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

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

Do not try to make your headline so short that it fails to express your idea properly. It's more important to say what you want to say - even if it takes 20 words to do than make it short and fail to express your idea.

An advertisement will be a good one - that is if the headline is really a "stopper."