Headline

Hacks
A "Cheat Sheet" for Writing Blog
Posts That Go Viral
byJonMorrow

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Copyright20102016
JonMorrow,SmartBlogger.com

In Defense of Stealing

An Introduction

Incollege,anEnglishprofessorsaidsomethingthatchangedmylife.
"Thebestwritersarethebestthieves,"hesaid."ShakespearestolehisplotsfromGreekandRomanplays.
ThomasJeffersonpracticallyplagiarizedtheDeclarationofIndependencefromJohnLocke.OscarWildestole
from...well...everyone.Andsoshouldyou."
Iwasstunned.FromKindergartenonup,we'realltaughtthatstealingtheideasofothersiswrong,andweare
threatenedwitheverythingfromfailinggradestoexpulsionfromschoolfordoingit.
Yet,herewasacollegeprofessor(withtenure,I'msure)tellingeveryonethatthekeytogreatwritingisblatant
andunrepentanttheft.AndIhadtoadmit,hehadsomeprettysolidexamples.
"Canitpossiblybetrue?"Ithought."CouldIreallybehurtingmywritingbytryingtobeoriginal?"
Myanswer,morethanadecadelater,asaprofessionalwriterwhohashelpedtobuildthreeofthemost
successfulblogsintheworld:
Yup.

The Truth about Being a "Serious Writer"

Oneoftheworstwaysyoucantortureyourselfasawriteristobelieveeverythingyoudohastobe
original.Yes,it'spossible,butyourworkratewillbelousy,andthecontinuouspressurewillgiveyoua
nervousbreakdown.
It'sfar,farbettertosteal.No,youshouldn'tviolatecopyrightsorwillfullyclaimsomeoneelse'sworkas
yourown,butthewriterswhomakeitinthisbusinessandyes,writingisabusinesswatchwhat's
workingforeveryoneelseandthencreativelyadaptitfortheirownpurposes.
It'snotbecausethey'relazy.It'sbecausethey'rebusy.
Ifyouwriteforanyseriouspurpose,youlearnveryquicklythatyoucan'taffordtospendmonthsor
yearsdreamingupadaringnewapproachforeverythingyouwrite.Noonehasthatkindofdiscipline.
Theonlywaytosurviveistowritequickly,andtheonlywaytodothatistotakeapagefromthe
playbookofguyslikeShakespeare,Jefferson,andWildecopyingfromothersnotbecauseyoulack
genius,butbecausetruegeniusisclothedintheideasofothers.

Headlines are No Exception

NoneofthoseirresistibleheadlinesyouseeonthecoversofCosmopolitanandTheNationalEnquirer
arenew.Theycanallbetracedbacktoheadlineswrittenmorethan50yearsagobygreatdirect
responsecopywriterslikeEugeneSchwartzandClaudeHopkins.
It'sthesameintheonlineworldtoo.Withfewexceptions,theheadlinesforthemostpopularpostson
yourfavoriteblogsaresimplyrehashedversionsofthosesameideas.Sure,theymightchangethe
wordingaroundandupdatesomeoftheconcepts,butthebasicideasarethesame.
Dotheirreaderscomplain?Notheylapitup.
Andhere'stheinterestingthing.Ifyoulookcarefullyatanygreatheadline,youcandistillitdowntoa
fillintheblank"template"thatworksforalmosteverytopicinanyniche.
ThebestwritersIknowhavethousandsofthemeithersavedtoafileontheircomputersorfloating
aroundintheirheads,wheretheycanreferencethematamomentsnoticetodevelopawinning
headlineoftheirown.
Butcollectingallofthoseheadlinetemplatescantakeyears.
Fortunately,I'vedoneallthehardworkforyou.

A Simple Shortcut You Can Apply Immediately

Thefollowingheadlinesaremyownpersonalcollectionof"HeadlineHacks."
Justas"lifehacks"areshortcutsfordealingwiththecomplexityoflife,theseHeadlineHackswillallow
youtobypasstheyearsofstudyandfailurerequiredtowritetrulygreatheadlines.
It'snotbecausethey're"magical."It'sbecausethey'rebasedonheadlinesthathaveworkedtimeand
timeagainforsomeofthemostpopularpublicationsintheworld.
Usethem.
Becauseofallthewaysyoucanimproveyourskillsasablogger,thisoneisbyfartheeasiest.Imean,
whatcouldpossiblybeeasierthanfillingintheblanks?
Ofcourse,it'snotasilverbulletforeverybloggingproblem,butyouwillseeanincreaseintraffic.
Infact,Igetemailsallthetimefrompeopletellingmetheysawasignificantboosttotheirtrafficand
socialsharesthefirsttimetheyusedthesetemplates.

How

to

Get Started

Here'swhatIrecommend:
1.Readthroughthewholereport,stoppingateveryHeadlineHacktowritedownafewexamplesof
yourown.Bythetimeyou'refinished,youshouldhavedozensofgreatheadlinesyoucanuseinyour
articlesorblogposts.
2.Writeatleastonearticleperweekthatusesoneofyournewheadlines.Youcanusetheminany
orderyoulike,butconsciouslycommityourselftoatleastoneperweek.Yourlistshouldlastyoufor
manyweeks,maybeevenawholeyear!
3.Atleastonceamonth,scanthroughtheHeadlineHacksagain.Thepointofdoingthisistoallowthe
examplestosinkintoyoursubconscious.Yourbrainwillinternalizethem,andyou'llfindgreat
headlinespoppingintoyourheadwhenyouleastexpectit.
So,whatareyouwaitingfor?
Scrolldown,andcheckoutthegoods.:)
Bestregards,
JonMorrow

Table of Contents

"How-To" Headlines

THEOLDIEBUTGOODIETHATNEVERFAILS

Howto[Blank]
HowtoBe[DesirableQuality]
Howto[Blank]Without[ObjectionableAction]
Howto[Blank]and[Blank]
Howto[DoSomething]in5Minutes
Howto[DoSomething]LikeaBoss

List Headlines

BITESIZEDCONTENTTHATREADERSADORE

7Waysto[DoSomething]
13Waysto[DoSomething]When[Situation]
(The)Top10[Blank]
7Stepsto[Objective]
7TipsFor[Objective]
7[Adjective]Facts[Person/Audience]Should
Know
7Quotesfrom/by[FamousPerson]ThatWill
[DesiredResult]
7[Blank]ThatWillChangeYourLife

List Headlines - Continued

BITESIZEDCONTENTTHATREADERSADORE

15ThingsYouDidn'tKnowabout
[Person/Thing]
7ThingstoRememberAbout/When/If[Blank]
7ThingsOnly[Group]Understand
7ThingsWe/YouShould[Blank]
10Things[Group]DoDifferently

Bonus Headline Hacks

DEFYCLASSIFICATIONBUTWORKLIKECRAZY!

Warning:[Blank]
Why[Action/Thing]Is/MayBe
[Opinion/Assertion]
[Question/Problem]Here'sHowtoFixIt
TheUltimateGuideto[Blank]
(The)[Group/FamousPerson]Guideto
[Blank]

Appendix I & II

ABONUSLISTOFCREATIVITYTRIGGERS

AppendixI50HeavyHittingHeadlinesfor
InstantInspiration
AppendixII173AwesomeAdjectivestoAdd
PowerandPizazz

"How-To" Headlines

"How-To" Headlines

How To Headlines

CalledtheGranddaddyofAllHeadlines,the"howto"headlinehasbeenusedforalmost100years,
"
"
featuredincountlesswinningadsandarticles,andwithgoodreason:
We,asreaders,arenaturallybiasedtowardarticlesthathelpusdosomething.Ideasandopinionsare
great,butformostpeople,theyhavenolastingpracticalvalue.Toreallygetourattention,weneedan
experttoshowushowtoapplythoseideasinapracticalway.
Andthat'sthebasicpromiseofthisheadlinehack."ClickmeandI'llteachyousomethinguseful."
Ifthe"something"issomethingyouwanttodo,oratleastdobetter,thenyou'llfindithardtoresist
clicking.
Sinceitsfirstappearanceinthoseearlyadsandarticles,thehumble"howto"hasevolvedtocreate
differentvariations,eachpotentinitsownway.
Solet'sbreakthemdown,oneatatime.

How

to

[Blank]

Thishackshowsthe"howto"headlineinitssimplestformandleadstosomeofthemoststraightforward
andmosteffectiveheadlinesyou'reeverlikelytoread.
Despiteitssimplicity,itworkssurprisinglywell.Iveoftenbeensurprisedbyhowasimplehowtoheadline
thattookmefiveminutestowriteoutperformsanoriginalheadlineIworkedonfordays.SometimesI
wonderwhyIbotherwritinganythingelse.
RealWorldExamples:
HowtoCreateaSocialMediaMarketingPlan
HowtoBuildaSalesMachineThatWorksWhileYouSleep
HowtoMakeLavenderLemonadetoGetRidofHeadachesandAnxiety

How

to

Be [Desirable Quality]

Thankstomodernpsychologyandneuroscience,mostofusarentjustinterestedinwhattodo.Were
alsoconcernedwithwhattobe.Sciencenowtellsuswecantransformourselvesinalmostanyway
wecanimagine,andwereachingtoknowhow.
Thatsthequestionthisheadlineanswers.Byfiguringoutwhichtraitsyouraudiencemostdesiresand
thenputtingthemintothisheadline,youcanharnessthenaturalcuriositypeoplehaveintransforming
themselvesintosomethingmore.
RealWorldExamples:
HowtoBeInteresting
HowtoBeMoreProductiveonSocialMedia
HowtoBeUnforgettable

How

to

[Blank] Without [Objectionable Action]

Whereasthelastheadlinehackisaboutwhatwewanttobe,thisoneisaboutaconceptpsychologists
callcognitivedissonance.
Lotsoftimes,wewantsomething,butwedontwanttodowhatittakestogetit.Forinstance,a
womanmightwanttogetadate,butshefeelstheonlywaytomakemennoticeheristodresslikea
slut,andshedoesntwanttodothat.Justbecauseshebelievesitsimpossibledoesntmeanthe
desiregoesaway,either.Infact,thetensionbetweentwoconflictingdesiresprobablymakesherpay
moreattentiontoit.
Thistensioniscalledcognitivedissonance,andeveryoneexperiencesit,notjustwomenwhoare
lookingfordates.Consciouslyornot,everyoneisalsolookingforawaytoeliminateit.Itsalmostlike
yourmindgetsstuckinaloop,wantingtogetridofit.Thatswherethisheadlinehackcomesinhandy.
Itrelievesthecognitivedissonancebyshowingyouhowtodoonethingwithoutdoingtheother.
RealWorldExamples:
HowtoCommunicateWithoutMakingAssumptions
HowtoDoubleYourWritingSpeedWithoutLoweringItsQuality
HowtoGoThroughaDUICheckpointWithoutOpeningYourWindow

How

to

[Blank] and [Blank]

EverheardofthebookHowtoWinFriendsandInfluencePeoplebyDaleCarnegie?Whohasnt,
right?
Yes,itsaclassicbook,butitstitleisalsooneofthemostfamoushowtoheadlinesever.Itsa
perfectillustrationofaheadlinehackthatletsyouoffertwobenefits,insteadofjustone,whilealso
allowingyoutoplaywiththerelationshipbetweenthetwobenefits.
Themostpopularstructureistohintataconnectionbetweenthetwobenefits.Forexample,
Carnegiesheadlineimplieswinningfriendswillleadtoinfluencingpeople.Itssubtle,butreaderspick
uponitsubconsciously.
Youcanalsosetupanintriguingcontrast.HowtoReadLessandLearnMore,forexample,would
probablybepopularinanystudentmagazine.Itsoundsimpossible,andtheideaofanarticletelling
youhowtodoitisirresistible.
RealWorldExamples:
HowtoSimultaneouslyMeetYourNeedsandMakeOthersHappy
HowtoMakeYourLastNamePluralonHolidayCardsandAvoidApostropheCatastrophe
HowtoSeeAlltheCompaniesTrackingYouonFacebookandBlockThem

How

to

[Do Something]

in 5

Minutes

WhenIfirststartedwriting,Ithoughtthisheadlinehackwassleazy.
5minutes?Youcanhardlydoanythingworthwhilein5minutes.Bymakingthatpromise,Ifeltlike
writerswerelyingtotheirreaders.ThenIrealizedsomething.Mostpeoplearetotallyoverwhelmed
withthecomplicatedlongtermadvicethatmostwritersliketodispense.They'relookingforsimplelittle
tipstheycanimplementinjustafewminutes.Theyrenotlookingtochangetheirlives,justmakea
smallimprovement.
Somewritersalsouseittocreatecuriosity,withheadlineslikeHowtoMake$1,000in5Minutes.But
Idon'trecommendit.Unlessitsactuallysomething90%ofyourreaderscandoinfiveminutes,you
risklosingtheirtrust.
Itsfarbettertogivethemrealadvicetheycanimplementinfiveminutes(orwhateverlengthoftime).
Thatway,youredeliveringonyourpromise.
RealWorldExamples:
HowToMakeYourWifeHappyin5MinutesaDay
HowtoWriteanArticlein20Minutes
HowtoStartaBlogin10Minutes

How

to

[Do Something] Like a Boss

Thephrase"likeaboss"enteredthepublicconsciousnessaround2009courtesyofaSaturdayNight
LivevideothatwentviralonYouTube.
Buteveniftheexactexpressionisunfamiliartoyou,thesentimentwon'tbe.Doingsomethinglikea
bossclearlymeansdoingitlikesomeonewho'sinfullcommandofthesituation;someonewhototally
ownstheproblemathand.
Inheadlineterms,thisisanobviousdescendantofcountlesspostspromisingtoteachyoutodo
something"likeapro",butitgoesbeyondthedesiretosimplybecompetentandprofessional.
Becausemostpeopledon'twanttosettleforjustbeinggood.Theywanttobetheverybestto
dominatetheirareaofexpertise.Byrecognizingtheheart'sinherentdesiretostandout"likeaboss,"
yourheadlinequicklymovesfromasimplepromiseofhelptoanirresistiblelure.
RealWorldExamples:
HowtoCutaPineappleLikeaBoss
HowtoRestoreaClassicFerrariLikeaBoss
HowtoOrderCoffeein26DifferentCountriesLikeaTotalBoss

List Headlines

List Headlines

How To Headlines

Rivaling"howto"headlinesintermsofpopularityarelistbasedheadlines.
"
"
Infact,someofthebiggestsitesonthewebarebuiltonlistposts(orlisticles)andthere'snosign
enthusiasmforthemiswaning.
Butwhyaretheysoenduringlypopular?
Foronething,they'resodamndigestiblelistsareahighlyefficientwaytoorganizeinformation.After
all,whatdoyoutaketothelocalgrocerystore,ashoppingessay,orashoppinglist?
Also,alistheadlinedeclaresitsintentionsupfront:"I'llmakeXpointsthenfinish."Youknowexactly
whatyou'regettingintobeforeyouclick.It'sapproachableandnonthreatening.
Finally,there'salmostnotopicthatcan'tbetackledviaalist,soyoucanbesurelistbasedheadlines
willcontinuetoappearineveryimaginablecorneroftheinternetforyearstocome.
Thatsaid,certainflavorsoflistheadlinearemorepopularthanothers.Let'stakealook.

Ways

to

[Do Something]

Onthesurfaceyoudthinkthisonewouldturnpeopleoff.Mostofusarentlookingforsevenwaysto
doanything.Werelookingforonewaythatsgoingtowork.Sowhypromise5or7oreven51waysto
dosomething?
Itsallaboutperception.Subconsciously,weallhavethetendencytobelievemostoftheideasinan
articlewontworkforus,butmaybewellfindoneideathatwill.Themoreideasthearticleoffers,the
betterourchancetofindonethatappliesspecificallytooursituation.
Sothishackusuallyworksbestwhenyourreadersaresearchingforarangeofideas.Itdoesn'twork
aswellwhenthey'reseekingthebestsolution,anddontwanttobebotheredwiththerest.
Forinstance,7WaystoBuyanEngagementRingwouldprobablyflopbecauseguysdontwant
options.Theyjustwantagooddealonaringtheyvealreadypickedout.So7WaystoNegotiateYour
LocalDiamondDealerintotheGroundwouldprobablybemuchmorepopular.
RealWorldExamples:
12+WaystoUseWebAnalyticsforBetterContentMarketing
13WaystoRethinktheFootofYourBed
14WaystoIncreaseYourClickthroughRateonTwitter

13

Ways

to

[Do Something] When [Situation]

Thiscontextualhackmakesiteasyforpeopletoseeaheadline'srelevancetothembytellingthemthe
circumstanceswhereitapplies.
Forinstance,theheadline"13WaystoBeMoreConfident"mightappealtogenerallytimidpeople,but
willbetoobroadformost.Whereas"13WaystoBeMoreConfidentWhenMeetingNewPeople"willbe
moresuccessfulasitevokesthespecificsituationwheretheadviceapplies.
Thishackcanalsobeusedtodefinethetargetgroupratherthanthesituation.Forinstance,"13Ways
toEatOutWhenYou'reonaDiet"clearlytargetspeopleonadiet.Andwhoamongthatgrouphasn't
facedthetemptationsofnavigatinganeweatingregimenwithoutbecomingasocialhermit?
Theseheadlinessetupthesituation,directlyaddressthereader'smostcommonproblems,fears,and
frustrations,andthenlistwaysyoucansolvethemorputthemtorest.
RealWorldExamples:
11WaystoMakeAnyServerLoveYouWhenYouDineOut
5WaystoGroundYourselfWhenYoureFeelingOverwhelmed
11WaysaWomanChangesWhenSheBeginstoTravelAlone

(The) Top

10

[Blank]

Ahh,howcouldwepossiblytalkaboutheadlineswithoutmentioningtheillustriousTop10?
Sometimespeopledontwant73techniques,101resources,or21ideas.Theirheadsarealready
spinning,andtheywantyoutoreducetheiroptions,notincreasethem.Theywantyoutogivethemthe
bestandexcludeeverythingelse.
Andwhatbetterwaytodoitthanatop10list?
Ithasalliteration,makingitmoreappealingtoourbrainsphonologicalloop.Itsalsoashortheadline,
givingyouampleroomtoexpoundonwhatyourtop10listisabout.Thenthereisthenumber10a
niceroundfigurethatsnottoohighandnottoolow.
Overall,itsoneofthemosteffectiveheadlineswehave,whichisprobablywhyyouseeitsooften.You
canuseitforalmostanything.
RealWorldExamples:
Top10StrategicTechnologyTrendsfor2015[Infographic]
Top10FoodLiesThatKeepUsSickandFat
TheTop10CareersWiththeMostPsychopathsIsYourJobontheList?

Steps

to

[Objective]

Anotheroldiebutgoodie.Likethe7Waysto...HeadlineHack,thisisessentiallyanotherhowto
headlinedisguisedasalist,butwithoneimportantdifference.Itsfinite.Allyouhavetodoisfiveor
sevenorhowevermanysteps,andyoullachievethepromisedresult.
Itmakesitsoundeasy,andthatsimportant.Sometimesareadermightnotreadatraditionalhowto
headlinebecausetheyassumeitsgoingtobetoomuchwork.
Forinstance,acertainpercentageofreaderswillignoreanarticletitled,HowtoBuildaSevenFigure
RestaurantBusinessbecausetheyassume(probablycorrectly)itsgoingtotakeyearsofhardwork.
Changingtheheadlineto7StepstoaSevenFigureRestaurantBusinessmightworkbetterbecause
itsoundseasier,andtheyllbecurioustoseewhatthestepsare.
Justaswithmanyheadlines,itsallaboutmanagingtheperceptionofthereader.
RealWorldExamples:
6StepstoContentMarketingDomination
FourStepstoSimplifyYourDailySocialMediaActivities
14StepstoCutProcessedFoods

Tips

for

[Objective]

Everyonelovestips,right?Weallhavesomethingwe'dliketoimproveanda"tip"promisesapractical,
bitesizedsolution.
Wantastrategyforlosingweight,gettingajoboreatinghealthily?Maybe,maybenot.Itsoundslikea
lotofwork.Butatip?Yes,please!Nowonderthey'resoirresistible.
Anddon'tbefooledintothinkingthat"7Tipsfor..."meetsthesameneedsas"7Stepsto..."these
twoheadlinesareworldsapart.Tipsgivereadersoptions,butstepsgivethemobligations:thingsthey
mustdo.Andthatcanfeeloverwhelming,particularlyifthenumberislarge.
Considerthis:wouldyouratherlearn"26TipsforImprovingYourSocialMediaMarketing"or"26Steps
..."?Exactly.Tipswineverytime.
Alistoftipsislikeabuffet.Takewhatyoulike,leavewhatyoudon't.Whocouldrefuse?
RealWorldExamples:
5TipsforGettingSharperImagesWhenDoingLongExposures
10TipsforStayingSaneandNotRaisinganAsshole
26TipsforImprovingYourSocialMediaMarketing

[Adjective] Facts [Person/Audience] Should

Know

Factshaveanalmostreveredstatusinmodernculture.
Thepersonwiththemostfactsoftenwinsanargument.Peoplewhoseemtoknowalotoffactsare
oftenperceivedasbeingmoreintelligent.Weevencelebrateandrewardthepossessionandrecallof
factsthroughcountlessquizzesonTVandonline.
Soaheadlinewhichpromisestoswellyourfactbankcreatescuriosityanddesire.
Youcan'tseeaheadlinelikethiswithoutwonderingwhatmindblowing,littleknownorunbelievable
factsyoumightbemissingifyoudon'treadon.Plus,thesearefactsthat,forallpracticalpurposes,you
shouldknow.Soifyoudon't,theimplicationisthatyou'rewoefullyignorant.
Wrapallofthatallureandsocialproofupinalist,andyoucan'thelpbuthaveanirresistibleheadline.
Nowonderit'ssopopular!
RealWorldExamples:
16MindBlowingFactsYouShouldKnowaboutYourself!
25PsychologyFactsEveryoneShouldKnow
6FactsPeopleShouldKnowaboutTeachers

Quotes

from/by

[Famous Person] That Will

[Desired Result]

Let'sbehonest.We'reallfascinatedbyfamouspeople.
Evenifyouhavelittlepatiencewithmoderncelebrityculture,certainbignamesincludinghistorical
heroeswillprovokeasenseofawe.
Wecan'thelpbutfeelifwecouldonlyunderstandpeoplelikeSteveJobs,OprahWinfreyorMichael
Jordanalittlebetter,wemightbeabletoreplicatesomeoftheirsuccess.Andthat'swhyquotesfrom
famouspeopleholdsuchpower.Theyrepresentthefinestwisdomoftheworld'smostsuccessful
peopledistilledtojustafewwords.
Thishackleveragesournaturaldesiretobesuccessfulcombinedwithourinevitablecuriosityabout
peoplewho'vefoundsuccessonalargescale.Tomakeitworkforyou,justtakesomeonewho
fascinatesyouraudience,andinserttheirnameintoyourheadline.
RealWorldExamples:
5QuotesfromBillionaireMarkCubanThatWillInspireYoutoWorkYourAssOff
10QuotesfromWayneDyerThatWillInspireYoutoLiveYourBestLifeNow
18QuotesfromMarkTwainThatWillMakeYouQuestionSociety

[Blank] That Will Change Your Life

Thisonegoesstraighttotheheartofthematterandmakesabig,boldclaim:thispostwillchangeyour
life.It'salmostirresistible.Afterall,whodoesn'twanttochangesomethingabouttheirlife?
Interestingly,abroadpromiselikethiswouldnormallybelesseffectivethananarrowerone(specificis
usuallybetterinheadlines),buttheuniversalappealoflifechangemeansthisonehasapowerallits
own.
Ofcourse,theadvantageofremainingvagueaboutthenatureofthechangeisthatitallowsreadersto
transplanttheirownspecificdesires.Andeveniftheydon'tdothat,they'llfindithardtoresisttheoffer
tolearnmoreaboutsomethingthathasthepowertochangelives.
Theseheadlinesfeedintoourinherentdiscontent,andoursearchtofindthatonethingthatwillchange
everything.
RealWorldExamples:
12LittleKnownLawsofGratitude(ThatWillChangeYourLife)
15LittleLifeExperimentsThatWillChangeYourLife
21InsanelyEasySingleDishMealsThatWillChangeYourLife

15

Things You Didn't Know about [Person/Thing]

Mostoftheheadlinehacksinthisreportaredesignedtomakethereadercurious.Theyusepower
wordsoreasysoundingliststo"trick"thereaderintocheckingoutthearticle.
Butsometimesthesmartestthingyoucandoasawriterisn'ttomanufacturecuriosityit'stoharness
thecuriositythat'salreadythere.Whenyouhaveastronginterestinatopicitmightbeafavorite
celebrity,ahobby,orevenahealthconditionyouwillalwayswanttolearnmoreaboutit.
No,itmightnotbeurgentforyoutolearnmore,butyouarecurious,andyou'dhappilyreadanarticle
promisingyoutheinsidescooponinterestingpeopleorthings.
Thisheadlinehackisallabouthelpingyourreadersscratchthatitch.Itpromisestosatisfytheir
curiosityaswellasgivethemsomethinginterestingtotalkaboutaroundthewatercooler
tomorrow.What'scleveraboutthishackisthatevenifyouthinkyoualreadyknoweverythingabouta
topic,you'llstillreadthelistjusttoprovetheauthorwrongaboutwhatyou"didn'tknow."
RealWorldExamples:
9AwesomeThingsYouDidn'tKnowaboutBillNyetheScienceGuy
14ThingsThatYouDidn'tKnowaboutCeliacDisease
10ThingsYouDidn'tKnowaboutDachshunds

Things

to

Remember About/When/If [Blank]

Sometimeswedon'tneedtolearnsomethingnew,justtoberemindedofsomethingwe'veforgottenor
lostsightofintheheatofthemoment.
Thishackpromisescomfortandreassurance.Insteadofpointingoutwhatyoudon'tknoworshould
know,itplacesafriendlyhandonyourbackandsays,"Irealizeyoumayalreadyknowthis,butI'mjust
remindingyoubecauseit'simportant."
That'swhythisheadlinestylecanbesoeffective.Theprospectofspendingtimewithsomeonewho
understandsyoursituationandcanevenoffersomereliefisstronglyappealing,particularlywhentimes
aretough.Andevenbeforeyoureadthepostitself,youfeelcompelledtoshareitwithpeopleinthe
samesituationasyou.
Butonlyusethisheadlineifyou'vewalkedinthereader'sshoesandcangenuinelyempathizewiththeir
situation.
RealWorldExamples:
10ThingstoRememberaboutToxicFamilyMembers
13ThingstoRememberifYouLoveaPersonwithAnxiety
5ThingstoRememberWhenEverythingSeemstoBeGoingWrong

Things Only [Group] Understand

Noonewantstobealone.Infact,it'soneofourgreatestfearsnotbelongingorfeelingapartof
somethingbiggerthanourselves.Andthat'swhythisheadlinehackworkssowell.
Ifyourmomoncestoodinlineforhoursoutsideatoystorejustsoshecouldgrabyoutheverylast
CabbagePatchKidinthecity,you'rehighlylikelytoclickontheheadline,"14ThingsOnlyChildrenof
the80sUnderstand."Ifyou'reinthatgroup,youcan'tescapeit.It'swhoyouare.
Thatsamedesireforbelongingdrivesyoutojoinlikemindedcommunitieswherepeoplethinklikeyou,
talklikeyou,andcanidentifywithyourspecificstressors,frustrationsorworries.Beingpartofa
communityalsogivesyoutherighttopokefunatsomeofthethingsoutsidersmightconsider
ridiculous.Andyoudontcarebecause...hey,theyjustdontunderstand!
Thegeniusofthishackisthatitwillattractpeoplefromoutsidethecommunity,too,whowanttofind
outiftheyreallyknowaslittleaboutyourgroupasyouclaim.
RealWorldExamples:
14ThingsOnlySkinnyFatPeopleUnderstand
15ThingsOnlyPeopleWhoDoShiftWorkWillUnderstand
23ThingsOnlyPeopleWhoWereRaisedbyReallyStrictParentsUnderstand

Things We/You Should [Blank]

Let'sfaceit.Intherealworld,"should"cangetyouintoalotoftrouble.
Likewhenyoutellyourfriendwhatsheshoulddowithherbrattykidwhocriedstraightthroughthe
movieyoujustwatched.Youthinkyou'redoingherafavor,butwhatshehearsis:"Youshould
[judgment],and[judgment],andbytheway,you[suck]atthisparentinggig.
Mindyou,thejudgmentalovertonesof"should"areexactlywhatmakeitapowerfuladditiontoa
headline.Andsinceit'snotaimedatonespecificperson,it'slesslikelytooffend.
21ThingsParentsShouldKnowBeforeTakingTheirBrattyKidstotheMoviesdoesn'tmincewords
andwouldtravellikegangbusters.Why?Becauseeverypersonatsomepointoranotherhasendured
someoneelse'sbabycryingorkidwhiningthroughamovietheypaidtosee.Andyourfriendwho
tookoffenseatyouradviceaboutherkid?She'dprobablyreaditandlaughtoo.Evenifshefelt
defensive,youcanbetshe'dclickthroughtoreaditasfastasanyoneelse.
RealWorldExamples:
20ThingsWeShouldSaytoOurselvesMoreOften
21ThingsYouShouldKnowBeforeDatingaTeacher
7ThingsYouShouldInsistOnNoMatterWhatPeopleSay

10

Things [Group] Do Differently

Heardthisquotebefore?
Ifyoualwaysdowhatyouvealwaysdone,youllalwaysgetwhatyouvealwaysgot.
It'susuallyattributedtoeitherHenryFordorMarkTwain,butregardlesswhosaiditfirst,theunderlying
messageisclear:ifyouwantsomethingdifferentfromyourcurrentsituation,youneedtodosomething
different.
Whichisallwellandgood,except:howdoyouknowtherightdifferentthingtodotogettheresultyou
want?Becausethat'scritical,right?Ifyoudon'tknowthat,you'rejustflounderingaroundinthedark.
That'swhythishackworkssoeffectively.Itpromisestocutthroughtheuncertaintybyrevealingthe
differentthingsthatpeoplewho'vealreadyachievedtheresultdo.Andit'sonlynaturalforustoassume
thatifwecopytheirbehavior,wemightjustgetthatresulttoo.
RealWorldExamples:
15ThingsGreatParentsDoDifferently
10ThingsHealthyPeopleDoDifferently(Hint:It'sNOTEatingSalad)!
12ThingsTrulyConfidentPeopleDoDifferently

Bonus Headline Hacks

Bonus Headline Hacks

How To Headlines

Althoughitmightsometimesseemlikeeveryheadlineonthewebiseithera"howto"oralist,inreality
"
"
othertemplatescanbewildlysuccessfultoo.
Hereareafewhacksthatdefyeasyclassification,butworklikecrazynonetheless.

Warning: [Blank]
"Warning:SharkInfestedWaters!"
"Warning:HurricaneApproaching!"
"Warning:CoffeeIsHot!"
Theonethingthesesignsallhaveincommonisthatyoudon'twanttoignorethem.Ifyoudo,youcould
beeaten,drowned,burned,orGodknowswhatelse.
Theword"warning"issopowerfulthatitalmostdoesn'tmatterwhatyouputafterit.Peoplewillreadit,
andifitseemshalfwayimportant,they'llreadyourarticletoo.
Thetrickwiththisoneistomakesurethesecondpartofyourheadlineinspirescuriosityotherwise
yourheadlinedemandsattentionbutnofurtheraction.Consider,forinstance:"Warning:LateNight
SnacksCanSabotageYourDiet."Thereadercansimplyagreewiththemessageandmoveonafter
all,whatelseneedssaying?However,writeWarning:TheseLateNightSnacksCanSabotageYour
Dietandtheyllwanttofindoutwhichsnacks.
RealWorldExamples:
Warning:UseThese5SurefireHeadlineFormulasatYourOwnRisk
Warning:SelfieSticksMayCauseMoretoAppearinPicturethanDesired
Warning:"HangingInThere"IsDestroyingYourHealth

Why [Activity/Thing] Is/May Be

[Opinion/Assertion]

Theysayopinionsarelikebirthdayseverybodyhasone.
Butwhileopinionsmaybeplentiful,itcanbedifficulttoresistaheadlinethatpresentsaninteresting
takeonatopicyoucareabout.Thishackuses"why"nottoposeaquestion,buttoputforwardapoint
ofviewandpromiseanexplanation:
"WhySugarIstheBiggestThreattoYourChildren'sHealth"
"WhyIntrovertsAreBetterDesigners"
"WhyFacebookMayBeBadforYourBusiness"
Thebeautyofthishackisthatreaderswhoagreewiththeopinionwillclicktovalidatetheirownideas,
andmoreskepticalreaderswillclicktofindoutifthere'sanyweighttotheauthor'sclaim.Andthemore
controversialorsurprisingtheviewpoint,themorewewanttofindoutwhetherthewritercanmakeit
stick.
RealWorldExamples:
WhyAvoidingYourBossIsaTerribleCareerMove
WhyInteractiveContentMayBetheMostExcitingMarketingTacticof2015
WhyLinkBuildingIsNOTtheFutureofSEO

[Question/Problem?] Here's How

to

Fix It

Mostpeoplethesedaysarebusy.Sowhenproblemscomealong,wewanttosolvethemasquicklyas
possible.
That'swhy"fixit"headlineshavesuchallure.Theygiveyouthebreakyouneed.Ifyoudon'thavethe
timetoworkoutananswerforyourself,they'lldoitforyou.
Theysay,"Oh,youhaveaheadache?Here'showtofixit.""Oh,you'vepickedupsomelovehandles?
Notaproblem.Here'showtofixit."Yourzipperbrokejustasyouwereheadingoutthedoor?Easy.
Youfixitlikethis."
Sometimesit'saproblemyoualreadyknowyouhave.Othertimestheheadlineraisesaproblemyou
weren'tawareof,andoffersyouafixinthesamebreath.
Eitherway,thishackpromisestoputtheproblembehindyou,soyoucangetonwithyourday.
RealWorldExamples:
HaveaZipperThat'sBroken?Here'sHowtoFixItatHome!
ThisVitaminDeficiencyCausesMigrainesandHeadaches(AndHereIsHowtoFixIt)
WhereYoureGettingFattheMostWillGiveYouaClueonHowtoFixIt

The Ultimate Guide

to

[Blank]

Whocouldresistthisone?
Sure,anarticlewithafewquicktidbitsofinformationmightbenicewhenwe'remildlycuriousaboutthe
subject,butwherearewegoingtoturnwhenourassisreallyontheline?An"UltimateGuide"sounds
morereassuring.Itpromisestotellyoueverything.
Ifyouastheauthorcanliveuptothatpromiseandreallyputtogetheraresourcericharticleforyour
readers,thisheadlinehackcanbeablockbuster.
Peoplewillbookmarkit,telltheirfriendsaboutit,andretweetit.Youcangettrafficfromitforyears.
It'salotofwork,yes,butit'swellworthit,especiallyifyou'retryingtograbattentioninacompetitive
space.AndthelinksitdrawsareperfectforrocketingyourcontentupGoogle'ssearchrankings.
RealWorldExamples:
UltimateGuidetoAskingforaRaiseandNegotiatingSalary
UltimateGuidetoSocialMediaImageSizes
HowtoMakeMoneyTheUltimateGuide

(The) [Group/Famous Person] Guide

to

[Blank]

Another"guide"headline,butthistimewithatwist.
Insteadofofferingtheultimateguidetoatopic(effectivelypromisingtobeallthingstoallpeople),it
presentsamuchnarrowerview,intwodistinctflavors.
Thefirsttailorstheguidetoaspecificaudience.Bynamingtheaudienceintheheadlineasin,for
example,"TheIntrovert'sGuidetoDating"it'llinstantlyfeelmorerelevanttopeoplewhoidentifywith
thatlabel.(Sure,peopleoutsidethatgroupwilllikelyswitchoff,butifyoutrytoappealtoeveryone
you'llendupappealingtonoone,right?)
Thesecondflavorpresentsaguidewrittenfromaclearperspectivesomeonewho'swidely
acknowledgedasbeinganexpertoridealrolemodelforthetopic.Forinstance:"TheTonyRobbins
GuidetoPublicSpeaking."Thisversionalsooffersopportunitiesforhumor,bypickingtheworst
possiblepersontomodelforyourguide."TheGordonRamsayGuidetoModernManners,"anyone?
RealWorldExamples:
TheNerd'sGuidetoLearningEverythingOnline
TheCaucasiansGuidetoBlackBarbecues
DennisWolf'sGuidetoWideShoulders

Appendix I

50HEAVYHITTINGHEADLINESFOR
INSTANTINSPIRATION

Appendix I

How To Headlines

Inpractice,youcouldwriteaposteverydayforayearandnotevencomeclosetoexhaustingthe
"
"
possibilitiespresentedbytheheadlinetemplatesabove.
ButI'dbelyingifIsaideverypopularheadlineofrecentyearsiscoveredbytheseHeadlineHacks.
Sohereare50popularheadlinestoinspireyouwheneveryoufeellikesteppingoutsidethesandbox.
Whoknows,inthefuturesomeofthesemaybeaddedtomyofficiallistofhacks,butuntilthenjust
considerthisabonuslistofcreativitytriggersforthediscerningheadlinewriter.
50HeavyHittingHeadlinesforInstantInspiration:
20HabitsHappyCouplesHave(ButNeverTalkAbout)
WhyYouShouldBeFriendswiththeOldestMotherinYourChild'sFirstGradeClass
40PowerfulMantrastoHelpYouThinkPositive
17SignsYouHaveTheCoolestMomInTheWorld

20TricksThatCanMakeAnyoneAnExcelExpert
MeaslesCanKill,AndIt'sSpreading.SueParentsWhoDidn'tVaccinate?Absolutely.
30ThingstoLetGoofBeforetheNewYear
WhyPeopleAreRudeandUnkind(andWhyIt'sNotaboutYou)

How To Headlines

AmericasMiracleMeat:TheStoryofSpam(+3Recipes)
"
"
ResearcherReveals4HappinessRituals

12StagesOfGettingDrunkWithYourBestFriends
TheBestAndWorstStatesToMakeALivingIn2015
5MinutesEarlyIsOnTime;OnTimeIsLate;LateIsUnacceptable
SomePracticalThoughtsonSuicide
LessonsfromtheSiouxinHowtoTurnaBoyIntoaMan
APictureToShowYouClearlyTheEffectsofAperture,ShutterSpeedandISOOnImages
DeQuasimodoYourself:6ExercisestoCounteractSlouching
14WittyJokesfortheGrammarNerdinYourLife
ThisIsHowWeDateNow
WhyKeepingYourGoalsSecretIstheBestWayToBeSuccessful

TheInfluenceofFathersonChildren
100SkillsEveryManShouldKnow
PrisonerWorkout:BodyweightWorkouts
The10BestCitiestoLiveRichonaDime(SoYouCanBringYourDreamstoLife)

How To Headlines

TheMostUnhealthyJobsinAmerica
"
"

JokeAllYouWant,ButMySororityDaysWereGolden
TheBiggestLegalMistakePhotographersMake
UseYourBabyForExercise
ChangestoMakeinYour30s
TaylorSwift'sBlankSpaceTranslatesPerfectlyToExhaustedMoms
That'Useless'LiberalArtsDegreeHasBecomeTech'sHottestTicket
19RealLifeExamplesofAnExtrovertedIntrovertSoYouDon'tGetConfused
TheColossalHoaxOfOrganicAgriculture
UnderstandingtheDifferenceBetweenPhotoshopandLightroom
17ReasonsWhyHighSchoolSweetheartsHaveTheStrongestRelationships
ThePowerofConversation:ALessonfromCSLewisandJRRTolkien

LawyerMomsAretheScariestMoms
TheCitiesWhereAfricanAmericansAreDoingTheBestEconomically
27OutstandingOwlImages
10DifferencesBetweenMiddleClassAndRichPeople

How To Headlines

WhenCloseFriendsLiveFarAway(ARequest)
"
"
TakingCareofYourselfWhenYouFeelLikeShuttingDown
IfMyKidIsBeingAnAsshole,IWantYouToTellMe
9RulesofSwearingforMyChildren
TheSurprisingBenefitsofMarryingYoung
10PeopleYouWillHateAfterGivingBirth
WhatItMeansToDateAGirlWithoutAFather
ShaveYourBeardRightNow
ManlinessPrecedesTrueGentlemanliness
WhyDoMomsAlwaysTalkAboutCoffeeandWine?

Appendix II

173AWESOMEADJECTIVESTOADD
POWERANDPIZAZZ

Appendix II

How To Headlines

Sometimesthedifferencebetweenagoodheadlineandagreatheadlineisawellchosenadjective
"
"
droppedinexactlytherightplace.
Oftenthesearepowerwordsthataddstrongemotionstoyourheadline,likeanger,excitement,disgust
ordesire.Butsometimestheyjustaddalittleextrainterestandhelptosetyourheadlineapartfrom
thosethathavecomebefore.
You'llfindmanyexcellentexamplesintheheadlinesthroughoutthisguide,buthere'salist
of173usefuladjectivesdrawnfrom500ofthemostpopularheadlinesonthewebrightnow.

A
Absolute
Advanced
Adventurous
Amazing
Arrogant
AssKissing
Authentic
Awesome

B
Backstabbing
Beautiful
Best
BestSelling
Blissful
Bold
Brave
Brazen
Brilliant
Brutally
Honest

C
Cheap
Clever
Colossal
Common
Confident
Confidential
Controversial
Courageous
Critical

D
Daring
Dazzling
Defiant
Delightful
Dependable
Devoted
Disgusting

E
Effortless
Endorsed
Energetic
Enduring
Enterprising
Epic
Essential
Excellent
Exceptional
Exclusive
Exposed
EyeOpening

F
Faithful
Fantastic
Fascinating
Fearless
Feisty
FirstClass
Friendly
Forbidden
Forgotten
Free
Fun

G
Generous
Genuine
Giving
Gorgeous
Great
Greatest
Guaranteed
Gutsy

H
HardWorking
Healthy
Heartbreaking
Heartwarming
Honest
Horrific
Horrifying
Hot
Humorous

I
Idiotic
Immediate
Important
Incredible
Ingenious
Insane
InsanelyEasy
Insightful
Inspiring
Interesting
Intuitive
Inventive
Irresistible

J
JawDropping
Jubilant

K
Kickass
Killer

L
LaidBack
Legitimate
LifeChanging
Lifetime
LightHearted
LittleKnown
Lively
Lonely
Lousy
Lovely
Luxurious

M
Magical
Massive
Memorable
Mighty
MindBlowing
Miraculous
MoneyBack
MoneyGrubbing
Most
MustHave

N
Natural
New

O
Obnoxious
Official
Optimistic

P
Painstaking
Perilous
Perfect
Persistent
Persuasive
Popular
Powerful
Powerfully
Practical
Precious
Profitable
Protected
Proud
Provocative
Proven

Q
Quick
QuickWitted
Quotable

R
Random
Refreshing
Reliable
Resourceful
Ruthless

S
Scandalous
Sensational
Shocking
Simple
Spectacular
Spontaneous
Staggering
Strange
StressFree
Strong
Stunning
Successful
Surprising

T
Talented
Thoughtful
Thrilling
Tireless
Troublesome
Trustworthy
Truthful

U
Ultimate
Unbelievable
Uplifting
Useful

V
Valuable
Victorious
Vigilant

W
Weird
Whopping
Winning
Witty
Wonderful
Wonderous

What to Do Next?
So,yousuccessfullyplowedyourwaythrough
alltheheadlines,hmmmm?
Andnowyou'rewonderingwhattodonext?
Mysuggestion:
Keepwritingheadlines.WhenIstarted
writingseriously,Iwrotemorethan100
headlinesperday,anditwasonlyafter
writingthousandsofthemthatIreallyfeltlike
Iwasgettinggoodatit.
Thesamewillmostlikelybetrueforyou.The
sooneryougetstarted,thebetter.
Andhey,whoknows...
Maybethatnextviralpostisrightaroundthe
corner.:)
BestRegards,
Jon

Copyright20102016
JonMorrow,SmartBlogger