A well-written headline is crucial for any piece of content. After all, if your headline doesn’t capture attention, no one is going to read what you have to say.
But be careful not to make your headline too good to be true. Promising something for free in your headline might seem like a great way to increase clicks, but it can actually backfire by making your business seem more low-cost and lowering the perceived value of your services.
The main reason you want to avoid promising something for free in your headline is that it can make your business seem low-cost. And while there’s nothing wrong with being a low-cost option, that’s not necessarily the image you want to project.
If you’re positioned as a premium service, promising something for free in your headline can damage that perception.
Additionally, including something for free in your headline lowers the perceived value of your services.
Even if what you’re offering isn’t exactly free (for example, a free consultation), prospects will still view it as such. And if they perceive your services as being low-value, they’re less likely to convert into paying customers.
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So what’s the solution?
Write catchy headlines that don’t include anything for free. Focus on benefits and results instead.
For example, “Get More Customers with Our Targeted Marketing Solutions” is more likely to generate clicks than “Free Marketing Consultation.” And once prospects are on your website, you can always include a call-to-action (CTA) for a free consultation or other free offers.
But by keeping that CTA out of your headline, you’ll be more likely to attract clicks from qualified prospects who are willing and able to pay for your services.
When creating attention-grabbing headlines for your content, it’s important to avoid promising anything for free. While including something like “free” in your headline might increase clicks, it can also damage your perceived value and make your business seem low-cost.
Instead, focus on benefits and results in your headlines to attract qualified leads who are more likely to convert into paying customers.