There's a trick for writing headlines that's so popular among copywriters, it's easy to make the mistake of thinking that everyone knows it.
But then I remember: Not everyone studies copywriting. Not everyone even reads Copyblogger, where I first heard of the idea.
But it goes beyond writing headlines. This trick is even more useful for coming up with the post ideas themselves. (And once that's done, BONUS! You already have the headline.)
Ready for it? Don't laugh.
The Cosmopolitan Headline Trick
1. Go to magazines.com and search for "Cosmopolitan." If you're not mortified at the thought of being seen in public reading Cosmopolitan, you can just go to the bookstore and do this instead.
2. Click on the image of the cover until it's large enough that you can read it.
3. Take each headline and use it to come up with three of your own. If you're good, you can probably do this in 15 minutes. (It took me 20.)
Why does it work? The headlines on Cosmopolitan are written by the highest-paid, best headline-writers in the world. And there's supposedly lots of scientific research behind it all.
Here's what I came up with when I did it this week. My blog is about vegetarian endurance running, very niche-y indeed. If your topic is broader, you'll have even more success.
The 7 Best Orgasm Tricks in the World
- 5 Cooking Tricks that Will Save You Money
- 3 Mind Tricks To Make Your Long Runs Feel Shorter
- 3 Tricky Vegetarian Meals Even Meat Eaters Will Love
Give Yourself a Brazilian…Without Bursting Into Tears
- Painless Speed Workouts…Who Knew They Existed?
- How to Cut an Onion Without Tears
- Make Your Training Program Sexy Again
100 Love Questions: 20-Word Answers to All Your Relationship Issues
- One-Sentence Answers to All Your First-Marathon Worries
- 7-Word Nutrition Tips
- 3-Word Mantras for When You Want To Slow Down
Why Men Marry Some Women—and Not Others
- Why Some People Can't Stop Eating Junk
- What Separates Marathoners from Couch Potatoes
- Why Some Runners Never Get Faster
Heidi Klum: How She Got Every Damn Thing She Wanted
- The Supermodel Secret to Ultramarathon Nutrition
- 5 A-List Actresses You Didn't Know Were Vegetarian
- How to Fit Every Damn Superfood Into Your Diet
His Burning Sex Need: Satisfy the Craving Your Man Won't Admit To
- Are You Afraid to Admit You Hate Running?
- A Meal So Healthy Your Spouse Will Never Admit to Loving It
- Your Body's Burning Post-Workout Need
Flat Abs, Tight Butt—In 4 Moves
- The Simple Trick that Will Take 5 Minutes Off Your Marathon
- More Protein, Less Sugar — A Post-Workout Shake to Make Today
- A Killer Speed Workout—In 20 Minutes
True Crime: How a Girls' Night Out Turned to Tragedy
- Race Rules: How Many Are You Breaking?
- Bonking: How Simple Nutrition Mistakes Can Ruin Your Race
- A 'Health Food' So Bad It Should Be Illegal
Sure, some of them suck. Some are a bit too sensational. But there are a handful in there that will absolutely kill. That's what brainstorms are for.
These are the kinds of headlines that spread like wildfire across Twitter and Facebook. If you've never tried headlines like this with your blog, do it for your very next post. You'll find the difference to be like night and day.
Another plus: This sort of headline and the boring, who-cares, "what I did/ate today" post are mutually exclusive. When you write a headline like this, you're obligated to deliver something worth reading to back up the headline. And a little accountability like that is never a bad thing.
For more on the importance of headlines, check out my first post on the subject, Are Boring Headlines Killing Your Blog? And for the love of God, start reading Copyblogger.
The 7 Best Orgasm Tricks in the World
5 Cooking Tricks to Save You Money
3 Mind Tricks To Make Your Long Runs Feel Shorter
3 Tricky Vegetarian Meals Even Meat Eaters Will Love
Give Yourself a Brazilian...Without Bursting Into Tears
Painless Speed Workouts...Who Knew They Existed?
How to Cut an Onion Without Tears
Make Your Training Program Sexy Again
100 Love Questions: 20-Word Answers to All Your Relationship Issues
One-Sentence Answers to All Your First-Marathon Worries
7-Word Nutrition Tips
3-Word Mantras for When You Want To Slow Down
Why Men Marry Some Women---and Not Others
Why Some People Can't Stop Eating Junk
What Separates Marathoners from Couch Potatoes
Why Some Runners Never Get Faster
Heidi Klum: How She Got Every Damn Thing She Wanted
The Supermodel Secret to Ultramarathon Nutrition
5 A-List Actresses You Didn't Know Were Vegetarian
How to Fit Every Damn Superfood Into Your Diet
His Burning Sex Need: Satisfy the Craving Your Man Won't Admit To
Are You Afraid to Admit You Hate Running
A Meal So Healthy Your Spouse Will Never Admit to Loving It
Your Body's Burning Post-Workout Need
Flat Abs, Tight Butt---In 4 Moves
The Simple Trick that Will Take 5 Minutes Off Your Marathon
More Protein, Less Sugar --- A Post-Workout Shake to Make Today
A Killer Speed Workout---In 20 Minutes
True Crime: How a Girls' Night Out Turned to Tragedy
Race Rules: How Many Are You Breaking?
Bonking: How Simple Nutrition Mistakes Can Ruin Your Race
A 'Health Food' So Bad It Should Be Illegal
Awesome article Matt!!
I feel like I could probably do this and NOT change the headlines a whole lot. Oh, Cosmo…
Rachel @ Shedding It´s last blog ..Getting It: Bangover 911
What a GREAT idea! It gives the post headline so much polish.
This is so creative!! Haha I love your sense of humor in this post
Love these!! It's amazing how effective this is — there are a handful of articles that I'd want to read based on the headlines you gave above (so when are you planning on writing them??
)
Lauren @ Health on the Run´s last blog ..The Power of a Playlist
This is absolute pure genius! I knew my Cosmo would come in handy one day
awesome article!! what a great and creative way to think of posts? i love it! can't wait to try it!!