Why do long headlines sell more than short headlines?

“Creative” headlines, such as puns and wordplay, are often lost on your reader.

Why?

Wit is often wasted on busy prospects. That's why it's usually best just to say what your product is and what it will do for your client. An instant statement, instantly comprehensible, is much more likely to work.

Proven headlines that work are those that deliver news, ask a question, promise to solve a problem, reveal an interesting fact…

In short, the headline must compel your reader to read on:

Here are some of the most successful headlines ever used. Note: none are less than seven words long:

• At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in this new Roll-Royce is the    ticking of the electric clock...
• 17 ingenious (but perfectly legal) ways to avoid paying your debts...
• You can laugh at money worries if you follow this simple plan...
• How you can retire on a guaranteed income for life...
• How to double your profits in just 12 months...
• How much is ‘Worker Tension’ costing your company?
• How to turn 40 without turning to bifocals...
• Announcing a new investment account that gives you a guaranteed 9%    per year...
• Introducing a new way to help bridge the gap between what you’ve    saved and what you’ll need during retirement...
• At last….a real and permanent solution to baldness...
• Why some people almost always make money in the Stock Market...
• Who else wants to earn £100,000 this year?