Found yourself staring at that “Enter title here” box when working on your blog posts?
Lots of people have a hard time coming up with a good headline but the good news is you can learn how to use words to capture people’s attention and get more click-throughs.
Headlines are essentially promises and in order to get a reader’s attention you have to promise them something useful and interesting.
This is why it’s so important to write everything from the perspective of who you’re writing for, what their goals are, their dreams, fears, challenges, fantasies, etc. You have to take into account all of this when creating effective headlines.
In a general sense, people want money to live out their dreams, create loving relationships and be healthy so they can experience life fully. Health, wealth, wisdom/spirituality and relationships tend to grab our attention.
Here are 40 powerful fill-in-the-blank(s) headlines you can use as a template, plus examples provided (hypothetical and real life):
#1: “How-To” Headlines
1. How To _____
Example: How To Get 6-Pack Abs
2. How To _____ And _____
Example: How To Win Friends And Influence People
3. How To _____ In _____
Example: How To Open A Beer Bottle In 2 Seconds
4. How To _____ Even If _____
Example: How To Run Create A Blog From Scratch Even If You’re Just Starting Out
5. How To _____ Like _____ (famous person)
Example: How To Shoot Like Michael Jordan
6. How To _____ Without ____
Example: How To Lose The Belly Fat Without Yo-Yo Dieting
#2: Checklist or Step by Step Guide Headlines
7. _____ Ways To ____
Example: 10 Ways To Travel Around The World For Less Than $50 A Day
8. _____Tricks/Tips To Help You ____
Example: 3 Tricks To Help You Become A Better Leader
9. _____ Shortcuts To ____ Success
Example: 5 Shortcuts To Public Speaking Success
10. Your Best Guide To ____
Example: Your Best Guide To Cheap Eats In San Francisco
11. Ultimate Solution To ____
Example: Ultimate Solution To Blogging Like A Pro
12. __ Steps To _______
Example: 7 Steps To Getting Cheap Cruises In The Bahamas
#3: Headlines Related To Success
13. Use ____ To _____
Example: Use The Latest XPRO Widget To Become Instantly Famous
14. ____ Like ____ (fill in first blank with skill or simple action, and second blank with famous person)
Example: How To Present Like Steve Jobs
15. Why ____ Always _____
Example: Why Top Entrepreneurs Always Wake Up Before Anyone Else
16. #1 Guide To _____
Example: #1 Guide To Productivity Apps For Your Smartphone
17. Become _____ With ____
Example: Become More Attractive To Women With These 3 Body Language Tweaks
18. _____ You’ll Be _____
Example: Create Sweet Portuguese Tarts You’ll Be Proud Of Alternate: Create Sweet Portuguese Tarts Your Family Will Love
19. Brand Yourself Like _____
Example: Brand Yourself Like Redbull
#4: Headlines That Use A Warning To Grab A Reader’s Attention
20. The ____ Worst _____ Mistakes And What They’ll Cost You
Example: The 7 Worst Bookkeeping Mistakes And What They’ll Cost You
21. Avoid ____ When ____
Example: How To Avoid Looking Like A Clown When Putting On Makeup
22. What ____ Isn’t/Aren’t Telling You About ____
Example: What Your Mechanic Isn’t Telling You About Your Vehicle Service
23. ____ Biggest Problems With _____
Example: 3 Biggest Problems With Creating Videos Using ScreencamX Version 3
24. ____ Way To Avoid _____
Example: 10 Ways To Avoid Having A Dead Website
25. The Real Truth Behind _______
Example: The Real Truth Behind What Happened To Flight 123
26. Are You Making These __ _______Mistakes?
Example: Are You Making These 7 Social Media Marketing Mistakes?
27. ___ Warning Signs Of ____
Example: 4 Warning Signs Of Aging
28. ___ Mistakes In ______ You Should Avoid
Example: 10 Mistakes In Marketing You Should Avoid
#5: Headlines That Provide Answers To Common Questions
29. Could You Be Making A Mistake When _____?
Example: Could You Be Making A Mistake When Doing Sit Ups?
30. Could This Be The Reason You’re Failing With _____?
Example: Could This Be The Reason You’re Failing With Getting #1 Rankings?
31. Do You Struggle With _____?
Example: Do You Struggle With Getting Things Done?
32. Revealed: __________
Example: Revealed: The Little-Known Secret To Ending Procrastination
33. Discover Secrets to _____
Example: Discover Secrets To Preventing Acne
34. Did You Know ______ ?
Example: Did You Know You Could Be Saving At Least $14.12 In Gas Per Week?
35. Proven Tips To _____
Example: Proven Tips To Eliminate Cold Sores Once And For All
36. If You’re Trying But Failing To _____, Try ____
Example: If You’re Trying But Failing To Make An Extra $1000 Per Month, Try This Strategy
37. Have You Wondered How (person) Always ______ ?
Example: Have You Wondered How Oprah Always Nails Every Interview?
38. What Few People Know About _____
Example: What Few People Know About Swinging Monkeys On Trees
39. You Can ____ In ____ With _____
Example: You Can Become Famous In 30 Days With YouTube Videos
40. What To Avoid When _____
Example: What To Avoid When Recording Videos With Your iPhone
#6: Additional Tips
In order to make these headlines really stand out, consider the following:
Controversy or curiosity works.
Have you spent some time browsing through a news website and seen how they use curiosity and controversy to keep you glued?
Use that to your advantage.
Here are some examples:
- Using the word “This” – “This Little-Known Trick Will Increase Conversions”
- Using the word “Here” – “Here Are 7 Ways To Feeling More Inspired”
- Using questions – “Are You Making These 7 Deadly SEO Mistakes?”
Trigger words can boost the power of your headlines. Learn to use action words, descriptives and interjections.
Call out your readers. In the interest of making your headline stand out, don’t make it too general. Target your audience more specifically so the post is meaningful to them.
Numbers and specificity are good for the headline.
Nothing works ALL the time, so make the headline believable. Words like “almost” or “some” can be used in the headline to make the story more credible.
