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Struggling to write copy that drives clicks and conversions? Writing good copy doesn’t have to be hard. Find out what makes your audience tick and click and you’re golden. These headline formulas work in any industry.
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We put together a spreadsheet version of this article so you can easily create your own headlines. It’s all set up with formulas so headlines get created automatically based on your text input in the first column.
Why these headlines work?
Before we dive into the examples let’s look at the theory for a moment. The reason that all these headlines work better than others is human psychology. There are certain triggers that make us react to different headlines more than others. What are they?
- Social Proof: Humans are heavily influenced by what other humans around us think or do. Implying that other people find an article interesting will spark our interest.
- Fear: If you imply that there’s something scary or dangerous that the reader should know about people will click and try to find out.
- How-To’s: We’re all looking for solutions to our problems all the time. How-to guides are popular because they give the reader what they want.
- The Guarantee Headline: Nobody wants to waste their time. If you can guarantee a certain result the reader will feel more intrigued to find out what it is that you promise.
+79 headlines and examples that will drive clicks and conversions
How to use these formulas:
First line = type of headline
Second line = formula
Third line = example
13 Ways to Benefit
13 sure fire roads, paths, ways to [benefit you offer].
13 sure fire ways to stay energized in the morning.
Acquire a Benefit Quickly with New Method
Acquire a [benefit] in a surprisingly short period of time with new method.
Acquire a high ticket client in a surprisingly short period of time with new method.
Announcing the New Product that Benefit
Announcing the new [describe the latest version of your product or service] that [describe a benefit of your product or service].
Announcing the new pocket sized battery pack that also powers your laptop.
Are You Embarrassed by Problem
Are you embarrassed by [problem you can solve for your prospects]?
Are you embarrassed by small user base?
Are You Prepared to Benefit From Service?
Are you prepared to [verb describing benefit] from [situation you can help prospect take advantage of]?
Are you prepared to profit from an increased sales pipeline?
Build Pride
Build a [result your prospects want] you can be proud of.
Build a remote tech team you can be proud of.
Do XYZ like a XYZ pro
[Desirable prospect verb and result] like a [professional version of that verb]
Practice music like a symphonic orchestra first chair.
Do You Recognize this?
Do you recognize the [number] of [prospect pain point].
Do you recognize the 7 early warning signs of high blood pressure?
Don’t let Problem Cause Problem
Don’t let [problem causing condition you solve for your prospects] cause the problem.
Don’t let a lack of funding cause the problem.
Five familiar. Which one are you?
Five familiar [problems your prospects have] – Which do you you want to overcome?
Five familiar skin troubles – Which do you want to overcome?
FOMO Hate
If you don’t [action you want prospects to take] now, you’ll have yourself later.
If you’re out of the ICO market now, you’ll hate yourself later.
Get Rid of
Get rid of your [relatable prospect problem] once and for all.
Get rid of your money problems once and for all.
Give Me This for That
Give me [short period of time] – and I’ll give you the secret to [result your prospects want].
Give me 5 days – and I’ll give you the secret to learning any subject.
Here is a Method Helping Client Get Result
Here is a method that is helping [describe your customer group] to [describe the benefits they are receiving].
Here is a method that is helping startup business founders find technical cofounders.
Here’s a Quick Way to Solve Problem
Here’s a quick way to solve [describe problem for your prospects].
Here’s a quick way to solve innactive daily users.
How Benefit Came to Testimonial
How [desirable benefit] came to [customer name].
How nonstop startup applications came to Y Combinator.
How Product Helps Achieve
How [product] helps achieve [product’s desired beneficial result].
How Pipedrive helps increase sales.
How to Achieve Result
How to achieve [desired achievement you can help your prospect attain].
How to achieve productive teamwork at your tech startup.
How to Benefit Convenient Way
How to obtain [benefit] in [surprisingly appealing or affordable way].
How to obtain app downloads in the US for less than a dollar each.
How to Benefit this Year
How [prospects] can achieve [desirable benefit] this year.
How SaaS founders can achieve exponential user growth this year.
How to Consuming Activity in Short Time
How to [describe typically time consuming activity] in [describe surprisingly short amount of time you can help your prospect do the activity in].
How to build a Facebook chatbot in 1 hour or less.
How to Defeat Enemy
How to defeat a [feared enemy of your prospects].
How to defeat a cheaper competitor to your SaaS company.
How to Eliminate Problem
How to reduce or eliminate [describe a pressing problem your prospect have].
How to reduce sales calls with unqualified prospects.
How to Get Rid of Problem
How to get rid of [problem you can solve].
How to get rid of fake Twitter followers.
How to Have Result Even if Reservation
How to have a [describe what you can deliver], even [describe condition in which your prospect believes what you offer is difficult or impossible to obtain].
How to have a shorter sales cycle, even when working with corporates.
How to Make a Change
Learn how to make a [change you can help your prospects make].
Learn how to grow a large Instagram following.
How to Receive a Benefit
How to receive a [benefit that most people thought they couldn’t receive under their present circumstances].
How to receive a high ticket client even if you’re an early stage startup.
How to Solve Problem without Having to Annoying Task
How to solve a [prospect’s problem] without having to do [some objectionable thing most people associate with solving the problem].
How to solve an empty sales pipeline without having to ask for referrals.
How to Stop Problem and Start Benefit
How to stop [undesirable activity] and start [desirable activity which prospect is able to enjoy because of the benefit you offer]
How to stop spinning your wheels time and start being productive as a startup founder.
How to win XYZ
How to win [desirable result your prospects want].
How to win friends and influence people.
How We Get Results for Relatable Reason
How [product name] produces a [desirable result] for reasons that every [target customer] will understand.
How Spotify creates instant productivity for reasons that every hiring manager will understand.
If You Are Prospect, You Can Solution
If you are [describe the prospect you are looking for], you can [make an offer to those prospects].
If you are a startup CEO, you can get automatic weekly reports of your team’s time management.
It Provides Benefit While it Provides Other Benefit
It provides [one benefit] while it provides [surprising but related other benefit].
BAMF provides tons of tactical startup advice while providing entertaining Facebook content.
It’s a Shame For You Not to Achieve Goal When Other Prospects Do it Easily
It’s a shame for you not to achieve [a goal you can help prospects achieve] when [describe people like your prospects] do it so easily.
It’s a shame for you not to achieve 100k website visitors when online magazines do it so easily.
Keys to Benefit for Prospect
Keys to [benefit you offer prospects] for [describe your prospects].
Keys to a thriving social following for bootstrapped startups.
Listicle to Beat Relatable Priblem
[Number of ways] to beat [relatable prospect pain point].
10 ways to beat the high cost of living
Little Known Ways
Little known ways to [benefit you provide]
Little known ways to increase Facebook followers.
Most X or Your Money Back
The most [adjective to describe customer pain point] you’ve ever tried/worn/tested, or your money back.
The most effective way to generate leads you’ve ever tried or your money back.
New Product Gets You Benefit
New [product or service] gets you [benefit your prospect values].
New wireless charger gets you a full charge in 45 minutes.
Now You Can Have Result in Favorable Circumstance
Now you can have [appealing description of what you offer] in [the most appealing circumstances imaginable].
Now you can have unlimited leads on autopilot.
Own an Expensive for Only Cheap
Own a [something normally expensive] for only [a surprisingly low price].
Own an apartment in San Francisco for only $2,000 per month.
Pro-Innovation Bias
New concept in [prospect hot topic].
New concept in weight control
Product Provides Benefit
[Your product] provides [benefits your product offers].
Pipedrive provides transparency in your sales process.
Quick Relief for Problem
Quick relief for [problem your prospect is experiencing].
Quick relief for tech startups with very few users.
Relateable Mistake
Do you make these mistakes when you [result your prospects want].
Do you make these mistakes when you generate B2B leads?
Result with Feature
[Task your product accomplishes quickly and easily] with [benefit statement that includes description of your product].
Get daily news with our Facebook Messenger chatbot.
See How Easily You Can
See how easily you can learn to [desirable result for your prospects.]
See how easily you can learn to dance this way.
Should You Do Relatable Activity?
Should you do [something the prospect has probably been thinking about doing]?
Should you run Facebook Ads?
The Analysis
We Analyzed [Number] [Measurable] And This Is What We Learned
We Analyzed 100 Million Articles [And This is What We Learned]
The Audience
[Audience]! Are You [Undesirable/Desirable Outcome]?
Bloggers! Are You Leaving Traffic on the Table?
The Branded
[Headline Formula] [Unique Branding]
123 Ways to Get More Website Traffic: A Sumo-Sized Guide
The Celebrity
How to [Achieve Desired Outcome] Like [Celebrity]
How to Sing Like Adele
The Command
[Strong Command
Stop Selling Out
The Comparison
Are You More Like [X] or [X]?
Are You More Like a Tiger or a Lion?
The Expert Roundup
[Number] [Expert] Share [What]
14 Nutritionists Share Their Favourite Plant-Based Recipes
The Explainer
Why [Thing] [Outcome]
Why Spirulina Makes You Smarter
The Fearmonger
Warning! Are You [Something Undesirable]?
Warning! Are You Eating This Food That Could Kill You?
The Fortune Teller
[A Claim as if You Know the Future]
You Won’t Be Able to Lose Weight in 2016.
The Hacks
[Number] Hacks to [Achieve Desired Outcome]
25 Hacks to Save More Money
The Hot Button
[Controversial Claim or Story]
People Called This Mom An “Exhibitionist” After She Took A Breastfeeding Pic With Santa
The How to
How to [Achieve a Desired Outcome]
How to Run Faster
The How to Without
How to [Desired Outcome] Without [Unpleasant Action]
How to Increase The Traffic to Your Website [Without a Marketing Budget
The How/Result
How [A Seemingly Inconsequential Action] Can [Undesirable Result
How Your Morning Coffee Can Lead to Heart Disease
The Ignorance Avoidance
What You Should Know About [Topic]
What You Should Know About Your Roth IRA
The Imagination
Imagine [Desired Outcome]
Imagine Becoming a Millionaire
The Keyword
[Keyword]: [Supporting Keywords]
Healthy Eating 101: How To Eat Healthy on a Budget
The Lazy Man’s
The lazy man’s way to [result your prospects want].
The lazy man’s way to a bigger personal brand.
The Lessons Learned
[Number] Lessons I Learned When/From [Experience]
7 Lessons from General Assembly
The Little Known Methods
[Number] Little-Known Ways to [Desired Outcome]
15 Little-Known Ways to Actually Reach Your Goals This Year
The Mistakes
[Number] Mistakes Most People Make When/With [Common Action]
11 Mistakes Most People Make When Washing Their Hair
The News
Breaking: [Story
Breaking: Whooping Cough Outbreak in Your City
The Objection Preemptive
No/Yes, You [Pre-Empt Objection] to [Achieve Desired Result]
No, You Don’t Have to Count Calories to Lose Weight
The Outrageous
[Outrageous/Controversial Claim]
Why Canadians Are Actually Evil
The Pattern Interruption
[Claim That Goes Against What Most People Think is True
How Fruit Will Make You Fat
The Promise
[Promise of What Your Business/Content Will Do]
We Can Help You Boost Your Traffic By 20%
The Proven Methods
[Number] Proven [Actions/Ways] to [Achieve Desired Result]
18 Proven Techniques to Build More Muscle in Less Time
The Question
[Provocative Question]
Are You Still Eating Dairy?
The Quiz
Quiz: [Which/What/How] [Quiz Topic]?
Quiz: Which Harry Potter Character Are You?
The Rally Cry
[A Call to Arms]
Let’s Stop Eating This Poisonous Food!
The Reasons
[Number/”Here’s Why] [Outcome]
16 Reasons You’re Fighting With Your Spouse
The Reminder
Reminder: [Claim or Truth]
Reminder: Your Weight is Not a Reflection of Your Health
The Results
How We [Desired Result] in [Timeframe]
How We Boosted Our Traffic by 20% in 6 Weeks
The Secret of
The secret of making [desirable result].
The secret of making women like you more.
The Secrets
[Number] Secrets to [Achieve Desired Outcome]
7 Secrets to Becoming a Digital Nomad
The See What Happened
[Person] Did [Unusual Action] [Timeframe]. Here’s What Happened
I Did Yoga Every Day for 6 Months. Here’s What Happened
The Sidenote
[Headline] [[Sidenote to Tease One of the Points]
7 Lessons We Learned from General Assembly [#2 is Our Favorite]
The Silver Platter
[Number or How to] Simple/Easy Ways to [ Desired Outcome]
14 Easy Ways to Save $100 This Month
The Snackable
[4 Words or Fewer Summarizing Topic]
You Aren’t That Special
The Social Proof
[Social Proof] [Desired Outcome
The Tool Over 283,000 Websites Use to Grow Their Traffic
The Solutions
Why [Problem] [And What to Do About It]
Why You’re Not Getting Traffic to Your Website [And What to Do About It]
The Steps to Result
[Number] Steps to [Achieve Desired Outcome]
Inside The Porn Industry’s Reckoning Over Sexual Assault
The Teaser
These/Find Out Which [Thing] Could/Will [Desired Outcome]
These 6 Foods Could Help You Lose 15 Pounds
The Testimonial
[A Quote From/Summary of a Testimonial]
How SumoMe Changed My Business
The Trivia
Can You [Find/Spot/Answer/etc]
Can You Find The Problem With This Photo?
The Tutorial
A [Power Word] Tutorial to [Achieve Desired Outcome
A Comprehensive Tutorial to Make a Budget
The Ultimate Guide
The Ultimate Guide to [Achieve a Desired Outcome]
The Ultimate Guide to Eating Healthy on a Budget
The Ultimate List
[Large Number] of Ways to [Achieve an Outcome]
28 Ideas for Content Upgrades To Grow Your Email List
The Urgency
[Action] NOW!
Fix Your Conversion Rate NOW.
The Wrong Way and Right Way to Relatable Situation
The wrong way and the right way to do [something directly related to your business].
The wrong way and the right way to do cold calls.
The WTF
[An Odd or Funny Claim]
John Cena And His Giant Hands Playing With A Tiny Tortoise
Thousands Now
Thousands now [result you sell] who never thought they could.
Thousands now work remotely who never thought they could.
To Those Who Want Results
To [prospects] who want [describe the product’s dream that you can help them realize.]
To CTO’s who want instant updates on their tech bugs.
Want to Be Result?
Want to be [beneficial condition you can provide for your prospect]?
Want to be overwhelmed with warm sales leads?
What Everybody Ought to Know
What everybody ought to know about [business name].
What everybody ought to know about Google for Entrepreneurs.
What’s New
What’s new in [desirable result for your prospects].
What’s new in automated lead generation?
Who Else
Who else wants [result you sell]?
Who else wants to look like a movie star?
Why some almost always win
Why some [prospects] almost always [desirable result your prospects want].
Why some musicians almost always play in tune and on time.
You Can Laugh at Other Prospects
You can laugh at [big problem or frustration your prospects have] if you follow this plan.
You can laugh at Snapchat’s basic analytics if you follow this plan.
You Do This – We Do the Rest
You [take a simple action] – we do the rest.
You pitch us your startup – we do the rest.
You Don’t Have to Be Rich
You don’t have to be rich to [desirable result for your prospects].
You don’t have to be rich to retire on a guaranteed income for life.
You’ll Never Do Annoying Activity
You’ll never do [an undesirable activity that you can help the prospect avoid doing again].
You’ll never do cold calls again.
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