My Killer Headline Fill-in-the-Blank Cheatsheet

byPjGermain

15K followers

Updated 9 years ago

A Cheatsheet for Writing STUNNING Blog Posts

Once, I spoke with a published author and professional writer about how he formulated or brainstormed some of his best text. He told me, "Some of the best writers you have seen or even heard about simply and blatantly STEAL their stuff."

I was flabbergasted. Here I am, pulling my hair out (not literally, of course, I'm bald) trying to come up with some fantastic and engaging content to pull in traffic like wildfire and stay totally original. Well, he went on to inform me how Shakespeare really didn't come up with anything new, he adopted Greek and Roman plays. Also, Thomas Jefferson really only wrote a single "draft" of the Declaration of Independence. It wasn't his original work! And these are just two examples!

One of the worst things a new marketer or writer can do is keep him or herself up at night thinking everything you compose for your blog has to be totally 100% original. Sure, it's doable, but you're going to get very little done, I promise you. Or, you'll totally give up on writing or perhaps have a coronary.

It's far better (according to many professionals) to "steal".

No, No, no! I'm not telling you to violate a copyright or simply claim something as your own. But, if you want to make it in this business (and yes, you should be treating your online business as just that, a business, NOT a hobby) then check out the competition and see what's working for them and very creatively adapt it to your style and voila!

(I'm going to catch so much static for this, I'm sure!)

Let's be realistic, we don't have time to write a novel day in a day out. The professionals that do this are NOT lazy, but just like you an me, extremely busy. We don't have the luxury of spending hours, days weeks or even months on a single writing project. The pro writers aren't lacking in knowledge, they're lacking in time and being SMART. "the ideas of others often form the springboard from which genus is born" - Annette Moser-Wellman

With that being said, let's talk about what really ROCKS the social media, magazine covers, email marketing arenas and blog posts - Webserver Traffic-Crushing Headlines!

Take a gander on Google or your nearby bookstore. What do you see?

Headlines that grab your attention. Basically, they evoke emotion and turn heads. People are human and as writers, we want to engage them into action. Well, think about this for a minute....

What makes us act? What are the psychological triggers that make people go into action?

God forbid you should ever "hurt" or "threaten" my family. You would be in a WORLD of hurt! ... right??

Fear of loss? Fear of danger? ---- Are you thinking psychological triggers now??

Well, it's the same in marketing. The stellar headlines that work time and time again create action from different emotions that we feel. Fear is one of the big ones, but not the only one.

Here are some quick "cheatsheet" fill-in-the-blank headlines that create emotion and cause people to act:

The "How To:" headline - always a big traffic puller, because it creates an instructional, step-by-step connotation:

• How to _____
• How to _____ like a Pro
• How to Master ________
• How to Get Away With _______ (like it's a huge secret)
• How to ______, The Ultimate Cheatsheet (or guide or manual)

Now, usuing these few phrases I hope I have your interests piqued. Let's throw in a nice little variable I want you to think about. We all live in a "fast-food" society. Rare are the days of the standard 9 to 5 anymore. Time is at a huge premium! So, much of the current marketing trend is about saving people time! Hacks, Shortcuts, Cheatsheets. Keep this in mind when filling in the blanks above or adding to them. Just like doing your keyword research. Headlines are the same (and, as you know from your WA training should generally contain your keywords or variants thereof.)

So, let's expand a bit.....

• How to Do ______ While You're ______ (doing something else)

See how that works?

Additionally, people like to feel appreciated. Here's one that brought me huge traffic on my blog:

• How to _____ So That _____ will Love You!

Also, for the time consious that don't like to spend time to read - while you may expand on a topic, but sure to use a LIST with bullets or the numbered kind:

• 7 Sure-Fire Ways to Dominate ___________
• 101 Tips for the Most Extreme __________
• TOP 10 _______ for Massive ____________
• Get the BEST ______ Ideas That will Work Today!

As you likely know, you should be solving a common problem. Mix that up with some emotion and quick reference and you're GOLD.

But, also, create text that can't be read in one sitting. This is why "long copy" is not only important for search engine bait, but also for bookmarking. We don't always have time to read 1500 - 2000 words, but I'll darn sure bookmark it under "Blogs to Remember". (Yes, I really have a folder in my bookmarks called that!)

Sorry, I digress.... back to creating Traffic Smoking Blog Titles

Fear of the Unknown:

• The 10 Lies ________ Are Telling You (pick some group out there or blame it on the government!)
• 10 Little Known Facts about ___________
• Don't Gamble with _______ How to Protect Yourself

Warning always work well too. And, it's easy, just stick the word in front of something:

• WARNING: Do this and You'll Get the Google Slap
• WARNING: Don't do this And Your _____ Will Be Crushed!
• You're Final Warning about ________

Along the same lines is the Mistakes clause. I'm sure you've seen these, but perhaps not thought much about it. I pick up on these all the time:

• 5 ______ Mistakes that Will Embarass You
• 10 _______ Mistakes Most People Don't Realize They're Making
• Do YOU Make these 7 _______ Mistakes?

Intriguing, aren't they?? (My question, not part of this essay!) :-)

The final thought I want to leave you with is to associate something with a famous person. This is another psychological trigger that has worked for ages.

• Learn to Play _______ Like ________ (insert famous celebrity of your choice)
• The Shakespeare School of Creative Writing
• Cooking _______ Like Emeril Lagasse

That last one can be a bit tricky, but you get the idea. Okay, I could grab a newspaper, magazine, tabloid at the grocery store and go on and on about how the headlines are used over and over again with slight modifications. Why? Because they save TIME and they WORK!

Have at it!

Cheers,

Peej