Headline

Hacks

A "Cheat Sheet" for Writing Blog

Posts That Go Viral
byJonMorrow

V IS ED
E LY R E !
P LE T 20 16
COM D FO R
P DA TE
AND U
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.
 7 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?
 7 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
 7 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
 7 [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
 7 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
 7 [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
 7 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
 7 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
 7 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