There’s no question that your headline is the single most important element in your direct response ad, letter, email or blog post. That’s why copywriters tend to take the most time with them. Is the tone right? Am I hitting the most important emotional benefit? Do I need to edit more tightly?

Many copywriters will start working up the headline first. (I’m not one of them. I like to start with the order card if it’s a DM piece.) Most of us will furiously crank out 10, 20, even 50 and let them steep for a fresh look another day as we look to whittle our efforts down to the gold within.

But one of the areas that even seasoned copywriters tend to give short shrift is the misunderstood little subhead.

Here are a few tips to improve the effectiveness of these "mini-headlines":

• Bold and/or center them on the page - Have them pop out from the page making it easier for the reader to read and scan through the page
• Use subheads to "preview" the subsequent paragraphs with a specific benefit or context - Subheads tell the reader what he/she can expect … it sets the stage for what’s to follow. Too many subheads read mushy and unfocused.
• Subheads keep readers on track with your message - Take a piece of copy and review it. If you were to read only the headline and the subheads, would you understand the message? If yes, you’ve done the right job. (if no, time to rewrite.) To my thinking, subheads do the heavy lifting of the piece keeping your reader focused on what you want them to know and encouraging them to move further and deeper into the message.
• Subheads break up big blocks of copy - Long blocks of text can be oft-putting. (DM should be no more than 7 lines, web copy no more than 5 lines. And that’s lines, not sentences.) Subheads give the eye a little visual dissonance which helps overall readability and helps to keep the reader attentive.
• No more than 2-3 subheads on a page - Remember these are mini-headlines that are generally used to help transition and move the reader from thought to thought. Use them judiciously, but use them.

Two main ways to write subheads - draft them separately and/or find them lurking deep into your paragraphs.

I generally find my best ones in the paragraphs I’ve already written, but occasionally I may rough some out as part of my original letter or brochure draft. Don’t be anal about it, though. Do what works best for you.

Maven’s Maxim
Subheads? Gotta have ‘em. They make the message clearer, easier to read and understand — and that all adds up to more effective.

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