7 Fail-Safe Ways to Breathe Life Into Your Headlines (PLUS, 5 Templates & 37 Examples!)
Okay, okay, we KNOW that headlines are super important.
But HOW important?
Buckle up, because what I’m about to say next might f*ck you up.
Up to 80% of people will read a headline, but only 20% will actually read the whole post.
Um, WHAT? We know headlines are important but this stat shakes us to the core.
What this tells us is that if your copy isn’t performing, you are blowing the majority of your. budget on.. well, ~10 very important words.
10 words.
Yikes.
So, if you’re in the camp of “I write my own stuff!” — that’s cool — you don’t HAVE to hire a professional writing service to craft your copy (although we suggest you do 🤷♀️ #shamelessplug). However… it’s high time you reevaluate your headlines.
Writing the ‘perfect’ headline can seem daunting, but there’s a few tricks we have up our sleeves to help make headlines intriguing and click-worthy. Read on, reader!
Use Numbers or Discounts
We call this one a no-brainer (there’s some Zombie humor for you).
Numbers stick out visually and catch the eye of the reader. Numbers give a promise of value, and they feel ‘actionable’ — the reader will benefit and they will know exactly how to use the value they received. Some things to keep in mind:
Always use the actual numerical sign and NOT the word (aka 7 vs Seven), as it takes longer to read.
Use odd numbers instead of even numbers. If you have an even number of “things” (say 6), go with “5+” instead of 6. Don’t ask us why — it’s just a thing. The brain LOVES odd numbers. In fact, the brain loves the number 7 most of all. See what we did here? 😉
Lower numbers are better for tips/tricks (this makes it digestible and actionable).
Higher numbers are better for examples, templates, or eCommerce/products (drives perception of value)
Discounts drive action — people love to save a buck! If you have a discount or sale, PUT IT IN THE HEADLINE.
Examples:
50% Off Our Best-Selling Swimsuits
The #1 Reason This Frying Pan Keep Selling Out
3 Mistakes On Instagram That Make You Look Dumb
Better Than Black Friday | 75 % Off EVERYTHING
3 Guaranteed Ways To Gain New Followers
43 Cute AF Outfits For Anyone Who Has No Idea What To Wear After Spending the Last Year In Sweatpants
2. Ask A Question
Questions are intriguing. People want to know the answer to a question if it’s posed — even if they don’t care about the subject. C’mon, you know what I’m talking about. You have DEFINITELY clicked a question headline because you were intrigued… Using a question format also allows you to narrow down your audience. Remember, generic headlines or copy don’t convert — you need to speak TO the specific audience/avatar that you want to buy. Using a question helps you pose their PROBLEM in a form of a question, and then ANSWER with a solution.
Here are some important guidelines to follow:
Don’t ask a question that could be answered easily with ‘No’ (Aka “Do You Like Smoothies?” or “Are You A Runner?”).
Don’t be afraid to answer the question in the headline. It can actually ADD to the intrigue instead of take it away OR provide a solution.
Use the question to target your ideal audience. (“Are you XXX? Do This Instead! or “Having Trouble Doing XXX? We’ve Got 4 Solutions You Can Implement Today!” or “Do You Go To Bed After 10pm? Here’s Why You Shouldn’t” )
Examples:
Is Sitting On The Couch Slowly Killing You? The Answer May Be Surprising...
Want to Increase Your Followers? IG Founders Say Do THIS >>
What's The Secret To Keeping Your Grass Looking Lush Year After Year?
Feeling Uninspired? Here's 3 Ways To Freshen Up Your Social Media Content
3. Use A Proven Formula
When you write as many headlines as I do, you can easily get stuck. You know… the dreaded blinking cursor?
That’s where using a template or formula comes in handy! Plug in your numbers, subject/product/service, struggle, and/or solution, and you’re on your way.
Remember, you can swap out the word “ways” to other intriguing words like hacks, tricks, tips, ideas, etc.
Here are 5 of our favorite formulas for writing killer headlines.
Formulas:
Top/The Best/The #1 ___ To Do ___
___ Ways To Achieve ___ by Doing/Using ___ and/or In XX Timeframe
Are You Doing ___? Here's Why You Should/Shouldn't
Feeling ___? It Could Be ___
___ Reasons Why ___ People Love/Hate ___
Examples:
Top 3 Ways To Write Better Copy / The Best Way To Fight Off The Sunday Scaries
7 Ways To Achieve Financial Security Without a Company 401K / 3 Easy Hacks to Increase IG Engagement in Just 5 Minutes
Are You Still Cooking With Vegetable Oil? Here's Why Experts Say You Shouldn't... / Thinking About Remodeling? Here’s Why Investors Say “DO IT!”
Feeling Tired? It Could Be Your Old Sheets
13 Reasons Why Busy People Love Our Food Delivery Service
4. Create a Sense of Urgency
Two words: Urgency sells.
When there are “limited quantities available” or a sale/deal is only available for a short period of time, you drive action. You know, kind of like submitting work on a deadline… you know you don’t start it until juuuuust before (admit it — we’ve all been there before).
Urgency gives your prospects a reason to move forward . It gives them inertia.
There are two types of urgency: Real vs Implied
REAL urgency is when an offer expires after a certain amount of time, never to exist again.
IMPLIED urgency is when there is no specific deadline listed but you use words like ‘today’ or ‘NOW’ or 'by Friday.’ The truth is… there is no REAL urgency there, but we’re suggesting that there is, and the reader reads it as such.
Here are some examples of real and implied urgency in headlines.
Examples:
TODAY ONLY: Get 25% Off ANYTHING In Our Store
Hurry - Only A Few Spots Remain For This Game-Changing Marketing Conference
Uh Oh! Time Is Running Out On Our Annual 1-Day BLOWOUT Sale
Sleep Better in Just 2 DAYS With This 1 Simple Trick
Blow Her Mind & Have Better Sex TONIGHT By Trying This >>
CXL.com did an interested A/B test on the level of urgency of the following phrases: Now, Today, This Week, This Month. The clicks and CTR were highest Today and Now.
5. Say Something Outrageous
We’re Ad Zombies — we were BUILT on saying outrageous sh*t and running outrageous ads. And guess what — it works! Trust us… we would know.
Using puns, sexual innuendos, words that sounds like curse words, things that are innocent but don’t sound that way… All good things to create intrigue, clicks, and laughs.
Just make sure your outrageous statement isn’t a lie, and still reflects well on your brand as a whole.
Here are some of our favorite real world examples from companies like Guinness, Durex, and the Weather Channel!
Examples:
Cheap Enough to Say "Phucket, I'll Go!" [Airline ad]
He was BEGGING For More... [Agency testimonial ad]
The End Of The World Shouldn't Be The Only Thing Coming [Durex Condom ad]
All Beer. No Bullsh*t. [Light beer ad]
Gu_____ss who? [Guinness beer ad]
Click Here For Topless Models. [Convertible cars ad]
Written, Produced, & Directed By God [Weather Channel ad]
Not All Mind Expanding Substances Are Illegal [The Economist ad]
6. Make It Mysterious
This goes hand-in-hand with ‘Say Something Outrageous.’ There’s a reason people love the True Crime genre, suspenseful movies and books, and will click on those dang articles that say “You’ll Never Guess What Happens After This Photo Was Taken That Scared Them All Half To Death.”
Open-ended questions or mysteries eat away at the human psyche… we WANT to know the answer. We HAVE to know the answer. Use this to your advantage in your headlines.
Examples:
Avoid THIS Mistake Before It’s Too Late
We Never Thought We'd Do This...
They Never Imagined Their Family Trip Would End In Tragedy
Who Will You Share This Life-Changing Product With?
It's 5pm. Do You Know Where Your Husband Is?
Last Time We Did This, We Sold Out in 17 Minutes.
7. Don’t Forget Adjectives
Other than Urgency and using Numbers/Discounts in the headline, I actually think this is the most important thing to remember. Adjectives add SPICE. They add FLAVOR. They add EXCITEMENT.
Go ahead, Google a list of adjectives and browse it when you’re writing your headlines.
You’re not just selling a Product that helps you fall asleep… You’re selling a product that will help you fall asleep QUICKLY.
This product isn’t just GOOD… it’s LIFE-CHANGING.
Write your headline, and then see where you can inject the modifiers — the SPICE.
This Product Helps You You Fall Asleep
VSThis Life-Changing Product Helps You Fall Asleep Quickly (& Stay Asleep!)
3 Supplements That Help Boost Your Mood
VS
3 Supplements That Help Boost Your Mood Dramatically
New Outfits For Your Return To The Office
VS
6 Comfy AND Professional Outfits for Your Return To The Office
Here's Why People Love Our Food Delivery
VS
5 Reasons Why Busy People Say They Are Obsessed With This Food Delivery Service
The Coaching Service Every Marathon-Hopeful Needs
VS
The Coaching Service Every Marathon-Hopeful Desperately Needs
Throw Out Your DNR…
Did you know you're supposed to do CPR to the beat of the Bee Gee's song "Staying Alive"? 😬 Anyway, CPR won't help us Zombies but it WILL help your headlines.
Save this, share this, look longingly deep into it's eyes... whatever you do -- don't forget it!
'Cause a good headline can be the difference between blowing your budget and skyrocketing your sales. 🚀
Oh, and if you want someone else to write your headlines, you know who to call... 😉