Jeff, You Boob!

June 27, 2007      Tom Belford

I read Jeff Brooks' Donor Power Blog every day. His creative insights are terrific. He really gets the relationship aspect of fundraising.

But occasionally Jeff gets it REALLY WRONG, as with his breathless advice the other day that we should all rush off to use the Headline Analyzer to punch up our headlines. Don't you dare click the Analyzer link until you finish this post!

The Headline Analyzer supposedly awards highest scores to headlines that use especially emotive words … and even better, words that touch deep spiritual chords.

But consider these headlines …

Jeff, You Boob
(today's headline)

Love Your Donors
(a recent DonorPowerBlog headline for an excellent post)

New Media Campaigning … Issues or Boobs?
(a recent Agitator headline)

Love and Hope Will Bring Peace to your Soul
(my best effort at a winner)

Boobs
(hell, why not?)

Which headline scores highest in emotional and spiritual content?

Your guessed it: Boobs! It's (their?) score: 100%!

The “analysis” from Headline Analyzer (and note I'm quoting here): “Your headline carries words that have a predominantly Spiritual appeal.”

I guess so … Hugh Hefner has always claimed he was doing god's work!

Which headline scored the lowest?

Poor Jeff's “Love Your Donors” with a 0% score. Zero. Zippo.

The Analyzer explanation: “Your headline has no words that invoke emotional impact with people …”

So much for the Headline Analyzer! Go with you gut instead. Ask: Did that headline make me think … or feel? Go with feel every time.

As for Jeff, keep reading his Donor Power Blog … a 900% batting average ain't bad.

Tom

P.S. Other scores:

Jeff, You Boob … 67%
New Media Campaiging … Issues or Boobs? … 67%
And,
Love and Hope Will Bring Peace to Your Soul … 22%