How to Write a Help Wanted Ad Headline Guaranteed to Attract Superstars
Tip #364 - A Sneak Peek at the Hiring Process
Dear Tip of the Weeker,
It's summer, kids are getting out of school, and it may be time for you to hire some extra help for your store. A couple of weeks ago in Tip #360 we talked about the first step in the hiring process: writing down the qualities you are looking for in your perfect employee.
The next step in the hiring process goes hand-in-hand with our final "Sneak Peek" at a subject that we'll be working on during the Retail Success Summit - writing a Red-Hot Help Wanted Ad.
A Red-Hot Help Wanted Ad (as opposed to the regular, garden variety help wanted ad) attracts lots and lots of qualified candidates with all the traits and characteristics of a superstar employee, not lots of unqualified people who are just wasting your time.
One of the many differences between the Red-Hot Help Wanted Ad and the garden variety is the headline. The garden variety ad rarely even has a headline, and the Red-Hot Help Wanted Ad has a smokin' headline (of course).
Your headline should be a short sentence that highlights one of the very strongest benefits of the position. And by benefits I don't mean a health savings plan or a 401K. I do mean the reasons why someone who has the qualities, characteristics, and skills of a superstar would love working for your company. In other words...
The headline should not tell about the job, but rather it should tell about why the job is great!
In an ad we wrote for a local client, the earning potential was a huge benefit, and so we chose to highlight it by putting it in the headline, "Want To Make $40,000, $50,000, Up To $100,000?"
Very attractive.
But this headline also does something else important. It weeds out people who think they can't cut it as a top sales professional. They won't even bother applying.
Here's another interesting headline for a service or repair technician: "Every Day Presents A Different Technical Challenge." Now for a person who grooves on problem-solving and a variety of different work, this sounds fantastic! But for someone who craves a stable, controlled environment, it says "no fit."
Check out this list of benefits and possible headlines for inspiration:
Flexible Hours - Write Your Own Schedule
Technical Training - Learn While You Earn
Fun - Mixing Work And Fun Is A MUST
Rescue Animals - You Can Make A Difference In An Animal's Life
Creative Position - Be Part Of A Creative, Fashion-Forward Team
Notice that the first letter of each word in the headline should be capitalized. Or you can make all the letters in the headline capitalized, like this - DEVELOP YOUR EXECUTIVE POTENTIAL.This technique helps set the headline apart from the body text of your ad and highlights what you think is most important about the job and the candidate.
Try to use the word YOU in the headline.This is one of the most powerful words ever in any kind of ad copywriting, and that includes help wanted ads! The most important person to the reader is himself/herself, and when readers see themselves featured in the copy, it activates an unconscious, but powerful, connection with the ad.
The implied YOU also works, as in the headline "Want To Make $40,000?" The complete sentence really is, "Do You Want To Make $40,000?"
Go for it! Write a bunch of different of headlines for a couple of different job benefits. Pick your favorite and start writing your ad.
Wishing you great sales and lots of fun,
