Does writing headlines give you a headache?

Happy Friday folks,

Firstly, thanks for all the kind messages last week.

It’s been a bit surreal, but we soldiering on.

Has anyone seen this Hemingway challenge on Substack?

My submission was - Wear a mask. It isn’t over.

What do you think?

Today we’ll be talking about headline formulas

Writing headlines can be infuriating, right?

You have spent time writing out an amazing blog post, but somehow you can’t seem to crack the headline.

But not to worry, I crawled the internet to find headline formulas that you can use to create appealing headlines.

Headlines that bring more traffic to your blog posts.

Let’s dive in.

The “Ultimate Guide” Headlines

The following headline templates are suitable for most comprehensive posts or epic “how to” posts.

[Keyword]: The Ultimate [Year] Guide

Examples:

• Intermittent Fasting: The Ultimate 2020 Guide

• FIRE Movement: The Ultimate 2020 Guide

• Authoritative Parenting: The Ultimate 2020 Guide

[Keyword]: The Ultimate Guide for [Audience] in [Year]

Examples:

• Intermittent Fasting: The Ultimate Guide for Health Nuts in 2020

• Authoritative Parenting: The Ultimate Guide for Working Parents in 2020

• Value Propositions: The Ultimate Guide for Marketers in 2020

[Keyword]: The Ultimate Guide (Includes [Templates/Checklists/Cheat Sheets/Etc.])

Examples:

• FIRE Movement: The Ultimate Guide (Includes Finance-Tracking Spreadsheets)

• DIY Solar Panels: The Ultimate Guide (Includes Installation Checklist)

• Intermittent Fasting: The Ultimate Guide (Includes Schedules and Time Sheets)

[Keyword]: The Ultimate/Definitive Guide to [Achieving Goal] in [Year]

Examples:

• Paleo Diet: The Ultimate Guide to Getting Lean in 2020

• FIRE Movement: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom in 2020

• Authoritative Parenting: The Ultimate Guide to Raising Well-Adjusted Kids in 2020

[Keyword]: The [Audience]’s Guide to [Achieving Goal] in [Year]

Examples:

• Paleo Diet: The Busy Professional’s Guide to Getting Lean in 2020

• FIRE Movement: The Millennial’s Guide to Financial Freedom in 2020

• Affiliate Marketing: The Blogger’s Guide to Passive Affiliate Income in 2020

[Keyword] 101: The Ultimate Guide to [Achieving Goal]

Examples:

• Intermittent Fasting 101: The Ultimate Guide to Losing Weight Fast

• Authoritative Parenting 101: The Ultimate Guide to Raising Happy Children

• FIRE Movement 101: The Ultimate Guide to Early Retirement

“How to” Templates

Sometimes, you’ll have a target keyword that includes the words “How to”. In these cases, you could still opt to go with an ultimate guide template (see the first template below), or you might use one of the other “how to” templates listed below.

How to [Keyword]: The Ultimate [Year] Guide

Examples:

• How to Improve Credit Score: The Ultimate 2020 Guide

• How to Buy Bitcoin: The Ultimate 2020 Guide

• How to Make Money Writing: The Ultimate 2020 Guide

How to [Keyword] (Without [Common Pain/Unwanted Consequence])

Examples:

• How to Lose Weight (Without Giving Up All Those Tasty Treats)

• How to Buy Bitcoin (Without Getting Scammed)

• How to Meditate (Without Falling Asleep All the Time)

How to [Keyword] (Even If [Perceived Obstacle])

Examples:

• How to Improve Credit Score (Even if You’re Thousands in Debt)

• How to Lower Blood Pressure (Even If You Can’t Quit Eating Red Meat)

• How to Meditate (Even if You Can’t Seem to Quiet Your Mind)

How to [Keyword] and [Achieve Goal] in [Year]

Examples:

• How to Meditate and Achieve a Calmer Mind in 2020

• How to Lose Weight and Get a Toned Body for 2020

• How to Make Money Writing and Quit Your Job in 2020

How to [Keyword] in [Year] (Includes [Templates/Checklists/Cheat Sheets/Etc.])

Examples:

• How to Improve Credit Score in 2020 (Includes Email Templates )

• How to Lose Weight in 2020 (Includes Diet Plans That Don’t Suck)

• How to Buy Bitcoin in 2020 (Includes Checklists)

How to [Keyword]: [X] Ideas That Really Work

Examples:

• How to Improve Credit Score: 10 Simple Ideas That Really Work

• How to Lower Blood Pressure: 17 Ideas That Really Work

• How to Lose Weight: 20 Unconventional Ideas That Really Work

How to [Keyword]: [X] Tips That Will Change Your Life

Examples:

• How to Improve Credit Score: 21 Tips That Will Change Your Life

• How to Lower Blood Pressure: 15 Tips That Will Change Your Life

• How to Make Money Writing: 10 Tips That Will Change Your Life

[Keyword]: How to [Achieve Goal] in [Year]

Examples:

• Affiliate Marketing: How to Make Six Figures in 2020

• DIY Solar Panels: Get a Green Energy Home in 2020

• The Paleo Diet: How to Finally Get Lean in 2020

Now, go create magic!

M‍y biggest takeaway this week 🚀

You have an edge over others in certain areas. When ego and not competence drives our actions, we run into trouble. Competence in one area does not mean competence in another.

You’re smarter in some spots than others. You can’t keep up with everything. It’s ok to be knowingly ignorant. The more you understand the spots where you hand and edge and where you don’t, the better your results.

What I’m thinking about?

If you don’t know what to write about, start with one word, then just follow your imagination.

Thanks for reading this far. I am grateful!

Stay safe & sane,

Dozie

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