1.

Keep It Short, Simple, and to the Point

Great headline goes directly to the point of your content. Don’t try to be
clever or intriguing. Clear headlines don’t play with words or try to make a
joke. Most people will miss it. So, don’t do it. Get to the point! Bring out the
benefits and make clear offers when talking about your products and
services. The same applies to your content marketing articles and videos.
The headline should answer your audience’s question “what’s in it for me.”

 Free E-Book That Will Help You Get X

 The Ultimate Guide to Writing Catchy Headlines
 Now All 2021 Models 55% Off!
2. Be Clear About Your Main Benefit
Don’t list features! Turn features into benefits and make sure you put the
most important one in your headline. Your headline is an ad for your
content that has to convince the audience that your content has the
answers they are looking for. If you promise them value in the headline,
they will click through to get it.

Of course, to put the big benefit into the headline, you need to know what it
is. You need to know your target audience. Even if people don’t click
through, they have seen your offer.

Product review site, Above House, does a great job with this with titles
like: “Alesis Nitro Drum Set Reviewed for 2021 [By a Drummer]”. The
addition of [By a Drummer] is a clear unique selling proposition compared
to all of the other results that pop up.

You can test different benefits to find out what works best.

 Fast and Easy Way to Increase Your Investment Returns

 Create Awesome Infographics in Minutes
 3 Tips to Win in Salary Negotiations
Another great example of this comes from an Estonian site called TMM that
reviews various gaming platforms. One of the first headlines on their page
puts strong emphasis on the fact that the site is created “by gamers, for
gamers”, instantly building a connection and quite likely giving a good
reason to trust their information.

3. Announce Exciting News (News Your Audience

Cares About)
Let’s be frank! Nobody cares about your company news – seriously. But
people do care about the things that are important to them. Let them know
that there is something new that makes a difference in their lives. Most
businesses do not have a constant stream of news, so use old material and
present it in a novel way. Use newsjacking to tie your content to recent and
upcoming events.

When covering your products and services, you can introduce new features
and discounts. Or, new ways to get the most out of your product.

Bring the news to your headlines and your audience is intrigued.

 Finally, the Gadget Hits the Stores!

 Introducing the Newest Idea in Distant Learning from X
 Top SEO Trends From the Past 6 Months
 Yes! The New Thing Improves Results but More Than Expected
4. Questions in the Headline
The question in the headline should be something that your audience
wants to know. If you ask something they don’t care about, then you’ll lose
them. To be interesting, you need to tie the question to your main benefit.
You aim for one of two responses:

 “Yes” as in do you want to know how to get a result that is amazing?

 “Hmm? Tell me!” – This tool blew the analysts’ expectations
As you can see, you can combine questions with the news formula, and
make your headlines even more irresistible. The question doesn’t always
have to be in the form of the question. You can just imply or hint at it.

 Yes! The New Thing Improves Results but More Than Expected
 Do You Want to Know the Top 5 Mistakes Most Bloggers Make?
 What to Do with Your Dog on a Rainy Day?
 Your Boss Wants to See You in His Office? Read This!
An example of this is our Jungle Scout review (we use our own
principles!): Jungle Scout Review 2021 (Do You Really Need it? YES)
5. Appeal to You Reader’s Hunger for Knowledge

If I can learn to do something in X easy steps, then I would want to know

how. Most people do! Use your headline to tell your readers they can learn
something. You have to make it sound easy.

Do not include the process into the headline since it tends to sound like a
lot of work. Target the result and the reader’s real motivations. For
example, this might not be the best headline:

 Making Money by Carefully Investing for the Next 50 Years!

Instead use:

 Huge Profits in Options Trading You Can Learn in 15 Minutes!

The benefit and excitement of learning something new that I can use
immediately to improve my daily life will make your audience click on your
headlines. The most common version of this title is the “how to” headline.

 How to Stop Smoking Right Now [For Good!]

 Easiest Way to Run a Marathon in Under 3 Hours
 Write Headlines That Force People to Share Your Content
6. Tell Your Audience What to Do!
Create a headline with a command in it. Tell your audience what they have
to do to get the value you are offering. Be direct and demand action. You,
the expert, tell them to act in a certain way. You make them ask “why” and
that in turn will make them click through to your website. Some examples of
commanding headlines:

 Subscribe to our service and get X for free!

 Stop Wasting Your Budget on Social Media. Get 10x Results from Email!
 Throw Away Your Old Snowboard, This Is What You Need!
7. Create the most valuable information resource
Take a look at the best content out there and create something better.
Better examples or more complete guidelines let you create a definite piece
of content in your industry that will work for years.

But the internet is full of information. People don’t want more information;
they want to make their lives easier. We usually look for quick fixes, steps,
tips, and tricks. Make sure you communicate that value in your headline.

 10 Most Important Tips to Make Your Sex Life Better

 Complete Guide to Cooking Perfect Meat Every Time [With Videos!]
 7 Secrets That Help to Make Every Vacation a Dream
[BONUS] Add Numbers and Symbols
There’s something in the headlines that begin with numbers and contain
parentheses. Numbers as digits work amazingly well even when compared
with the same numbers as words. For example:

 “5 Best Beaches in the World” usually gets you an engagement rate that is double
of “Five Best Beaches in the World.”
Add a bonus to your headline. Include that in parenthesis or square
brackets. Special characters make your headline stand out, and people will
click it more.

 Content Marketing Strategy that Gets You Results [SLIDES]

 A Beginners Guide to Pinterest [Free E-Book!]
 How Powerful Will Video Marketing Become? [Infographic]
A recent example from our own content is taking the boring old product
review headline, and adding a spin to it by including how much work and
research went into it: MasterClass Review: Is It Worth It? [50+ Courses
Watched]

Now Go Make Your Content Better

You can improve your results now! Go back to your old content and edit the
headlines to make them better. Set aside one hour per week for editing
headlines. You will spend about 10 to 15 minutes per headline, and then
you can update 30 to 40 pieces of content per month.

Of course, if you create new content make sure that your writing process
includes coming up with a catchy title. Processes help you save time and
be consistent in your content creation.

Coschedule's Headline Analyzer

One more thing before we continue! There's an awesome tool from
coschedule.com that helps you hone your headlines to perfection: Blog
Post Headline Analyzer. But that’s not all! If you want concrete examples
and formulas to create catchy headlines I will show you 9+1 simple
formulas to create killer headlines that work every time:

9 Formulas to Create Awesome Headlines in

Minutes
Interestingly, a lot of your shares come from people who just read the
catchy title. What makes the headline informative and intriguing enough for
people to click and share? There are repeatable formulas for that.
Make your headline to stand out and make people click. Here are nine
formulas that help you write headlines that make people pay attention, read
more, and share.

1. Who Else Wants [Something]?

A classic headline format that uses social proof. By beginning with “who
else wants” you show that people already do want.

 Who Else Wants to Work Less and Get Paid More?

 Who Else Wants a Free Social Media Marketing Training?
 Who Else Wants to Work from Home and Earn $500 Per Day?
2. [Number] Secret(s) of [something]

Another great headline formula is playing on your curiosity. Who wouldn't

want to know the secret? The reader assumes that they get access to
inside information and this makes the headline work.

 The Untold Secret of Successful Blogging

 5 Secrets to Effective Time Management
 10 Secrets to Better Search Engine Rankings Today
3. Here's How [Somebody] [Does Something]

Simple, straightforward, personal. Make readers recognize themselves by

replacing [somebody] with your target audience. Make sure [something] is
a benefit they want to achieve.

 Here’s How Coca-Cola Gets Results from Social Media

 Here’s How Women Can Look Younger
 Here’s How You Can Double Your Organic Leads
This headline also works in a slightly modified “here’s why” version.

 Here’s Why You Need to Speed up Your Old Website

4. [Number] Little Known Methods [to Do Something]

Similar to the “secrets” and “how to” but works on the idea that if it's little
know, then you may get an advantage over the people who do not know.

 5 Little Known Methods to Gain More Followers

 8 Little-Known But Effective Methods to Avoid Stress
 Little Known Method to Reduce Your Gas Consumption
5. [Number] Quick Solution (Or Ways) to [Something]

Instant gratification! Most people want things to happen yesterday and

headlines that promise fast results get our attention.
 5 Quick Ways to Fix Your Search Engine Rankings
 Fast Solutions to Your Money Problems
 10 Quick Methods to Get Rid of Spam Comments
6. Now You Can Have [Good Thing] and [Other Good Thing]

These are two good things that have not been previously possible together.
Who wouldn't want the cake and eat it, too?

 Now You Can Have Your Mac and Use Chrome

 Now You Can Eat More and Lose Weight
 Now You Can Beat the Pros Without Hard Work

7. How to Do [Something] like

[World Class Example]

Identify what your target audience wants and combine that with the best
example. You can also use a number in this headline to give a list of more
than one way of doing things.

 How to Blog Like Seth Godin

 How to Dominate the Market Like Microsoft
 How to Sing Like Robbie Williams
8. All You Need to Know About [Something]

This headline implies that there's not much effort involved and intrigues
people to find out more.

 All You Need to Know About Facebook Advertising

 Everything You Need to Know About Getting Fit
 All That You Need to Know About Writing Headlines
9. [Number] [Superlative] [Something]

People love lists! Lists are easy to scan and read. List of X best things
works like a magnet if you know what your audience is interested in.

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 15 Must-See Interactive Youtube Ads
10. Add You!

Here's a bonus idea that will make all these headlines even better: make
the headlines personal by adding just one little word – you.

No matter what channel you are writing for, a catchy headline is crucial for
grabbing readers' attention.

Good headlines summarize the content, are optimized for search engines (where
needed), and encourage social media shares.

Let’s explore some creative headline examples of all types and see how you can
apply what you learn to your own content.

Blog Post Headline Examples

A blog post's headline is the first thing readers see.

Blog posts measure success by engagement (e.g., clicks and time on page) and
traffic.

A catchy headline is one of the most powerful ways of convincing a reader to stop
and click.

It also helps establish tone of voice and is your first step toward writing an
effective and well optimized blog post.

There is no one-size-fits-all formula for writing an attention-grabbing headline.

But there are best practices that can help you write them more effectively. We call
these best practices “formulas.”
Here are some proven formulas for making your headline more attention-grabbing
and some examples of great headlines for each one.

According to our State of Content Marketing: 2023 Global Report, some headlines
generate more engagement than others. Ultimately, the headline type you choose
will depend on your goals and content ideas.
Let’s look into examples of various headline types:

Everything you need to know

“Everything You Need To Know About Boosting Your Productivity”

Comparison headlines

“Walking Versus Running: The Surprising Benefits of Taking It Slow”

Top + number (e.g., Top 10) listing posts

“The Top 7 Strategies for Landing Your Dream Job”

A guide to…

“A Guide to Prioritizing Your Mental Health: Why Self-Care Isn't Selfish”

How-to

“How To Save Money Like a Pro: Tips from Financial Experts”

Mistakes to avoid

“10 Mistakes To Avoid if You Want To Be a Social Media Boss”

7
No one will tell you that…

“What They Don’t Tell You About Setting Boundaries at Work”

Increase your x with y

“Increase Your Profitability with These Simple Efficiency Tricks”

Stop doing this…

“Why You Should Stop Worrying About Being Perfect”

10

Listicles

“10 Delicious Recipes You Can Make in Under 30 Minutes”

Remember, catchy headline templates like these are great guidelines. However,
don’t be afraid to mix them up and experiment.

A Look at Buffer

A good example of a company that writes eye-catching headlines generating lots of

clicks is Buffer.

This social media management platform provides tools for scheduling and
analyzing social media content.

The Buffer blog features articles on topics such as social media marketing and
engagement strategies. Check out the blog post below as a good example:
Note how the headline grabs your attention by showcasing you’ll receive firsthand
information based on real-life experience. It hooks the reader without giving away
too much and promises exciting reading material.
Social Media Creative Headline
Examples
Social media posts are mostly measured by engagement.

Creative headlines can encourage users to like, comment, share a post, and click on
the link leading to your website. This in turn can help increase the post's visibility
and reach.

Some creative headline examples for sharing your articles (and other content) on
social media are:

11

“The 10 Best Ways To Keep Looking Young”

12

“Unlock the Power of Micro-Habits”

13

“The Surprising Benefits of Eating Mushrooms”

14

“Why Sleep Is the Key to Success at Work”

15

“The Shocking Truth About Amazon”

16

“How Drinking Water Can Help You Stay Slim”

17

“You Won't Believe What Happened When We Drank This”

18

“How I Generated $300,000 in 6 months with My Etsy

Store”
19

“Discover the Secret to Toned Abs”

20

“The 5 Most Common Relationship Errors and How To

Solve Them”
Notice they are full of trigger words like best, unlock, surprising, shocking, secret.
These words engage emotions and spark action in the reader.

However, you should avoid overusing those words, making sure your posts don’t
look like clickbait articles.

For instance, The Cut is always coming up with engaging headlines for their
Instagram posts, which trigger dozens of comments and help drive traffic to the
articles.
Another company that has used social media posts to build a billion-dollar brand
is Gymshark.

The fitness apparel brand from the UK has more than 9 million followers. It also
posts across three separate Instagram accounts.

Gymshark was one of the pioneers of influencer marketing before the concept even
had a name.

Partnering with fitness influencers (such as Nikki Blacketter and Whitney

Simmons) became a central part of Gymshark’s ecommerce marketing strategy.
The brand exploded in popularity as a result.
Here’s an example from Gymshark’s primary Instagram account. Note how it
encourages followers to share with their friends.
Great Examples of Headline
Writing for News Stories
A good headline should make the reader interested in the story and want to know
more.

This can be achieved through tried-and-tested techniques.

These include using provocative language, posing questions, or adding a strong

hook that makes the reader curious to learn what the story is about.

A catchy headline can be a key factor in whether a news story is read or shared.

A good example from the BBC in May 2022 is:

After all, who doesn’t want to know why two parents would want to sue their own
son? And where do grandchildren fit in?

Some recent examples from well-known news publications in 2022 include:

21

“The Dress That Broke the Internet” - CNBC

22

“Taco Bell hotel reservations sell out in 2 minutes”

- Yahoo News
23

“IKEA Releases Instructions How To Make ‘Game of

Thrones’ Cape After Costumer Reveals Actors Wore IKEA
Rugs” - Bored Panda
24

“Fidget spinners, the hit toy that spun out of nowhere”

- The Recorder
25

“I Can't Believe It's Not Buddha: Plastic Monk Goes Viral” -

NPR
26

“Florida Man Called 911 After Wife Had ‘Thrown Out His
Beer’”- NBC Miami
27

“Banksy shreds his own artwork after £1m auction at

Sotheby’s” - The Time
28

“Elon Musk sells $3.5m worth of flamethrowers in a day”

- The Guardian
29
“Rat falls from ceiling onto customer's table at Buffalo
Wild Wings” - ABC News

Email Subject Line Examples

Almost everyone complains that they get too many emails. With so many piling up
in people’s inboxes, it’s important to make sure your subject line stands out.

This will get people reading. And more importantly, it will help your email
marketing campaigns be successful.

The subject line is the first thing the recipient will see in their inbox, so it's
important to make a strong first impression. Cool headlines encourage readers to
open and engage with your email.

If you want to grab someone’s attention, your email subject line should be concise.
It should also clearly indicate the purpose of the email.

Here are some headline examples for successful email subject lines:

30

“Say goodbye to stress with these expert tips”

This works well because it highlights a challenge (stress) and offers a solution,
while also promising expertise.

31

“We have a special surprise just for you”

This subject line gets clicks because it engages the reader’s curiosity.
32

“New year, new savings: Check out our latest deals”

This one taps into people’s desire to save money. It comes at a time when people
are looking out for sales.

33

“Limited-time offer: 50% off your favorite products”

For loyal customers this one is hard to ignore, even if they weren’t looking to buy
something right away.

34

“You won't believe what we have in store for you…”

This works because it almost challenges a person to open the email. But of course,
the content has to deliver on its promise.

35

“Don't make these common mistakes in your next

presentation”

This eye-catching headline example once again taps into curiosity: what mistakes
could they be making?

36

“Your dream job is waiting—apply now!”

This one gives clear instructions and seems to be related to a bookmarked job. In
general, these types of subject lines bring people back to finish a task they had
forgotten about.

37
“Your life got easier with our latest update”

Here the subject line gives the reader a reason to click. They’ll want to know more
about the update and how it improves their experience.

38

“Exclusive invitation for NAME: Join our VIP program”

Anything exclusive is worth a look. The reader will almost certainly click, even if
the program isn’t for them.

39

“Unlock the 7 hidden secrets to successful product

marketing”

This one gives a specific number, setting reader expectations, and also engages
curiosity in a relevant topic. Even experienced product marketers are likely
interested in seeing if there’s something they don’t know about in the list.

Eye-Catching Video Title

Examples
Like email inboxes, the world of online video is a very crowded and competitive
environment.

A catchy title can help your video stand out among the millions of videos on
platforms like YouTube or Vimeo.
A compelling title should describe the content of the video in a way that
encourages more clicks and views.

It should also set people’s expectations as to what the video is about. This reduces
the chances of negative feedback and helps attract the right target audience for
your video.

Here are some good headline examples for videos:

40

“The Ultimate Guide to Travel Hacking”

41

“Go from $0 to $1,000/Month with Instagram Affiliate

Marketing”
42

“The Top 5 Workout Moves for a Sculpted Body”

43

“Shocking Before and After Weight Loss Transformations”

44

“10 Life Hacks That Will Change Your Life Forever”

45

“The Most Epic Lip Sync Battle Ever!”

46

“How To Make the Perfect Cup of Coffee Every Time”

47

“The Science of Happiness: How To Be Happy Every Day”

48

“How I Grew + Marketed XXL Scrunchie's Social Media |

Promote Your Small Business Online”
49
“Unboxing the Latest iPhone - Is It Worth the Hype?”
50

“Celebrity Makeup Secrets Revealed”

51

“How To Cook Like a Pro: Master the Basics of Cooking”

52

“INSTAGRAM MARKETING 101: Grow Your Business By

Using Hashtags, Stories & More!”
To understand the formula for success, video software company Outklip analyzed
50 videos from MrBeast, one of the most popular video creators on YouTube.
MrBeast is an American video producer and philanthropist who surpassed 130
million subscribers on YouTube in January 2023.

MrBeast specializes in creating content featuring high-budget stunts. He uses titles

such as “I Spent 50 Hours Buried Alive!” or “I Ate $100,000 of Expensive Ice
Cream.”

Outklip found that MrBeast’s titles tend to be no more than eight words. What’s
more, they tend to use only one syllable, making them very easy for anyone to
understand.

Almost all are written in the active voice (“I Spent 50 Hours in Solitary
Confinement”). And many started with “Would you…” in order to draw the viewer
in.
Sample Headlines of Job
Postings
Many firms in 2023 are struggling to recruit, and there is strong competition for the
most talented workers.
According to Mark Wilkinson from recruitment consultant Response, “People
want more than just a ‘job,’ they want something they love, something they can
enjoy and something that really matters to them.”

To make your job posting stand out, Mark recommends appealing to the heart and
soul of candidates—not just their wallets.
Try coming up with an ad that provides a glimpse into your company culture and
values. It can help attract candidates who share these values and are a good fit for
your company.

A well-known example is Twitter, which once advertised for a “Tweeter in Chief”

to manage the company’s own Twitter account.
Here are some good title examples for job ads.

They are designed to stand out and grab your attention.

Each one shows enthusiasm for the job. They also ask for a person who really
cares about their mission and shows there is a challenge to face.

53

“We're not just looking for any salesperson. We're looking

for a sales ninja!”
54

“Ready to make a difference? Join us on our mission”

55

“Join our team and help us change the world!”

56

“Looking for a unicorn? We are, too. Apply now!"

57

“We need a superhero to save our day-to-day operations”

58

“Become a part of our rockstar team”

59

“Looking for a game-changer to join our team”

60

“Calling all problem solvers! We need your skills”

61

“Join our team of innovators and disruptors”

62

“Wanted: Master of All Trades, Jack of None”

Bonus: LinkedIn Headline
Examples
LinkedIn is one of those social media channels that works on a number of levels. It
covers recruitment, job hunting, networking, and marketing.

Whatever type of content you are sharing, it’s well worth working on your
headlines. They help you stand out.

Here are two attention-grabbing headline examples we think work well:

63

“How we generated 25 qualified leads in one day without

sending a single email or making a cold call”
For the right audience, wanting to improve their number of leads, this one could
certainly encourage a click.
64

“Brands That Are Smashing It”

Master Marketer Mark Ritson grabs your attention with a simple, five-word
headline. Again, this creative title example catches your attention by offering
value: examples of brands doing well.
Wrapping Up
A good headline is clear, concise, and informative, and it summarizes the main
idea of the article.

It goes without saying that you should also make it interesting and engaging, and
encourage the reader to want to learn more.

Finally, remember you don’t have to get it right the first time.

You can easily test different variations using techniques such as A/B or
multivariate testing.

If we read every piece of content put in front of us each

day, we’d get nothing else done. Instead, we skim.

This is what makes writing a good headline critical to

getting clicks, but also hard to do.
 That’s why today we’re going through 88 headline
examples to help you grab the attention of your audience
and make a memorable impression.

Jump to:
 Blog headline examples
 Good Ads headline examples
 Homepage headline examples
 Facebook ad headline examples
 LinkedIn ad headline examples
 LinkedIn profile headline examples
But first, let’s talk about what makes a successful headline.

What makes a great headline?

Any great headline is appealing to the desired audience
and enticing enough to want to click to read or find out
more. How a headline does this effectively is different
based on where it’s going to appear.
For example, blog post headlines need to let the reader
know why they should read the post and what they can
expect to learn:
 Ad headlines need to make the offer clear and convey why
clicking is worth anyone’s time.

But there are a few headline writing tips that can improve
headlines for any place whether it’s a blog post, a website,
or an ad platform. Here are some ways to make any meh
headline better:

Use interesting words

That means skipping out on “better” and choosing more

descriptive terms. Think stronger, faster, tastier—or
unbeatable, unstoppable, unmissable. You don’t
necessarily need to bust out your thesaurus and break out
any fancy or five-dollar words. But you do need to think
outside of the norm and get creative with your words and
phrases when you’re headline drafting.
 10 Tips to Write Better Headlines
 Interesting: 10 Tips to Write Irresistible Headlines
Need some inspiration? Here are over 350 power words to
use.

Use active voice

 Quick grammar lesson: Passive voice occurs when the
subject receives the action of the sentence, and active
voice occurs when the subject performs the action. Active
is preferable for a lot of reasons—it’s clearer, more
dynamic, and oftentimes more concise. Stick to it in your
headlines.
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Speaking of action 🎬…
for more CTA ideas, download our free guide: The 36 Best
Call to Action Phrases (Ever)

Ask questions

Active voice is more engaging and dynamic, but starting a

conversation is even more powerful. The best way to do
that in a short headline? Ask a question. Whether it’s a
rhetorical question describing the benefits or a dare to
 encourage your audience to click, it’s a compelling
opening. And that’s what the best headlines are. Openers.

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Right?
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Audit

Image source

Address your audience

When you’re writing a headline, keep your audience in

mind. What do they want? What do they like? What
motivates them. Why do they care about your product or
your content? Writing your headlines with your target
audience or persona in mind helps you get more specific,
which makes your ads stronger.

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About

Make the value clear

You need to make the benefits clear—and quickly.

Regardless of the location of your headline, you’re working
with a limited number of characters. In order to get your
audience to engage further, you need to make it clear why
 they should do so. Whether it’s a discount on a purchase or
important information, the benefit you’re offering should be
front-and-center of any successful headline.

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 Google Ads Performance Grader: Find & Fix Wasted
Spend

Appeal to emotion

Emotional responses make people remember better, and it

makes the benefits of a product, a purchase, or a piece of
content clearer. Take the Facebook Portal commercials that
I can’t get out of my brain, for example. They don’t focus
on the technology or the design—just the emotion.
(Seriously, I dare you not to cry when she says
“grandmother.”)
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Anxiety, anyone?
 Have fun

We all read so much copy all day. Subject lines in our

inboxes. Push notifications from our banking apps.
Directions on Google Maps. And that’s all before leaving
the house or starting work for the day. When you’re
working on headlines, keep all this in mind and infuse some
life into your copy. If you’re having fun writing it, that
energy will show. And what stands out against all of the
boring notifications better than a playful headline?

 65 Face-Melting Email Marketing Stats to Inform Your
Strategy
 Free Moving Quote – We’re Better Than Those Other Guys
Now, here are the blog and ad headline examples that you
can use to create your own playful headlines that actually
perform.

Blog headline examples

In order to write a compelling blog post title you need to
draw the reader in, keep them engaged, set the tone for
the article, and set expectations for the material covered in
the article.
That might sound like a lot to pack in, but don’t worry. You
have space. In a 2020 study, Semrush found that headlines
between 10 and 13 words can bring in twice as much
traffic and 1.5x as many social shares than headlines than
fewer than seven words.
Even though these are the longest headlines you’ll be
writing, you don’t need to block off hours in your schedule
to workshop your blog post titles. Orbit Media found that
most content marketers only draft two or three
headlines before choosing one for the post. Even better
for your schedule, more drafting doesn’t mean better
performance.
 The key is starting with an angle and a purpose for your
post in mind. Now, here are some strong blog headline
examples so that you can skip your second draft and get
that blog post published.

 How to X When You Y

 How to X in [Time Frame]
 [Compelling Stat]: Here’s How to Avoid It
 [Compelling achievement/action]: Here Are My Biggest
Mistakes
 What X Can Teach You About Y
 The X You Didn’t Know You Needed
 The Ridiculously Easy Guide to X
 Here’s What X Means
 X: Everything You Need to Know
 X Little-Known Benefits of Y
 X Quick Ways to Get Started Doing Y Today
 X Examples to Learn From—Or Copy
 X Expert-Approved Tips for Y
 Our Best X of the Year
 X Worst Mistakes You Need to Avoid

Mistakes I might not know I’m making updated for this

year? That’s a click for me, BetterMarketing .
For more help with blog post titles, check out our 19
Headline Writing Tips for More Clickable Blog Posts.

Google Ads headline examples

Great ad headlines supply enough information to interest
your audience while at the same time leaving them
wanting to know more. Google Ads headlines are a bit
trickier now with responsive search ads, since it’s best to
provide 10-15 different headlines that Google can mix and
match. So before we get into the examples, a few things to
note on responsive search ads best practices:
 You can provide up to 15 headlines, and we suggest a
minimum of 8-10.
 Headlines need to clock in under 30 characters, but you’ll
want to vary up headline lengths. Google will always show
at least two headlines, sometimes three.
 Some headlines should include your targeted keyword
while others should highlight features, benefits, and other
perks.
 You’re almost always going to want your brand name to
appear to make the most of the impression even if you
don’t get a conversion. Then, you can include other more
compelling, more specific copy in a second or third
headline.

Here are great examples of Google ad headlines from

Warby Parker.
Since you have three headlines to work with, you’re going
to need to get creative. Here are some Google ad headline
examples for inspiration.

 Find Your X
 X in [Your Target Location]
 Visit Our Store Now
 Get Your Quote Today
 [Your Brand] vs [Your Competitor]
 Voted Best X of 2022
 Trusted by X Experts
 24-Hour Emergency Service
 Ridiculously Good X
 The Easiest X
 X% Off Your Purchase
 Free Shipping
 Try 30 Days Risk-Free
 See How Much You Could Save

Active voice, direct benefit, and a curiosity gap? Excellent

headline.
You can get some more inspiration from these Google Ads
headline formulas, but just be sure to avoid these five
Google Ad copy mistakes.
✍️Want even more Google Ads headline tips?
Download our free guide ➡️ 10 Tricks to Truly
Exceptional Ad Copy (With Examples!)

Homepage headline examples

The best way to write a headline for your homepage is
actually to write a few. In order to figure out what works
here, you need to A/B test and see which version performs
best.

When you’re drafting your homepage headlines, though, be

sure to stick to your brand voice. This likely won’t be the
first interaction someone has with your brand; they’ll have
clicked through from social or the SERP. You want to make
sure it’s a seamless experience that establishes
your brand’s personality, so your company sounds the
same in your ad copy and on your website. Stick to a
similar tone, recognizable vocabulary, and familiar
sentence structures in your headline.
 Now, here are some homepage headline examples that you
can start testing.

 Meet Your New X

 The #1 X for [Your Audience]
 [Your business] Makes X Easy
 Better X, made simple
 X, Starting at Just $Y
 Transform Your X With [Your Product]
 Refresh Your X
 A New Approach to X
 Resolve to X
 Introducing X
 X Reimagined
 The Platform for Y
 New Possibilities Await
 Facebook ad headline examples
The Facebook organic post character count seems to be
getting longer and longer. As of last year, the platform
allows for more 63,000 characters in a single post. That’s a
heavy status update.
Facebook ad copy, in contrast, should be short and to the
point, with the emphasis on images rather than any
lengthy copy. AdEspresso found that the average length of
a Facebook ad headline is five words. That means to write
a successful headline for Facebook, you need to get to the
point and get to the benefit of clicking quickly.
Here are some Facebook ad headline examples to get
started:

 Great Teams Use X

 See Why X Companies Use Our Brand
 Want Next-Level X?
 The Ultimate X Replacement
 Start Your Free Trial Today
 Give the Gift of X This [Holiday]
 Do X With Confidence
 Reimagine Your X
 X Made Affordable
 Order Now to Get X
 Quick description of your product
 Your Photos & Memories On a Blanket—
We provide more Facebook ad headline writing tips here.

LinkedIn ad headline examples

LinkedIn allows for headlines up to 70 characters on your
ads. As with Facebook ads, your headline won’t actually be
the copy that your audience sees first. In the common
single-text ads and promoted content posts, the headline
appears under the brand name, under the intro text, and
under the image, right above the URL.

Here, Mailchimp’s headline is “Try our Customer Journey

builder.”
Because your headline appears below these other
elements, it doesn’t need to be as eye-catching or
informative. You have your text and your image to do the
heavy lifting on introducing your business, your offering,
and it benefits.
 Instead, your LinkedIn headlines needs to pack a punch
and get your audience to click. Here are LinkedIn ad
headline examples that get straight to business.

 Request Your Demo Today

 Introducing X: Learn More
 Download Your Free Guide to X
 Startin X-ing Now
 The Most Successful X in the World
 The X You Need to Get the Y You Want
 The X Rules Every [Industry] Leader Needs
 Feeling Stuck? Start Here
 Grow Your Business With X
 [Your Business]: The Next-Generation X
 What Is X Worth to You?

LinkedIn profile headline examples

Whether you’re seeking employment, self-employed, or
work for a business, your LinkedIn profile headline serves
the same purpose as any ad—to catch attention and show
your value. Headline types vary depending on your
situation, but here are some examples:
 [Role] at [Company Name]
 [Role] at [Company Name] | Award or accomplishment
 I help [what you do here]
 [Industry] nerd
 On a mission to…
Use these headline examples to capture more
clicks
As mentioned at the start, headlines are hard to write—
packing all that information, all that brand identity, and the
push to convert into just a line or two is a copywriting
challenge.

But you don’t have to start from scratch. Use these

homepage, blog, and ad headline examples and templates
to write copy that sells Good luck!

MEET THE AUTHOR

Céillie Clark-Keane
Céillie is Head of Marketing for Building Ventures, a VC firm focused on
funding and mentoring early-stage startups in the built environment
space. Previously, Ceillie led content strategy for Unstack and managed
the award-winning blog at WordStream.
See other posts by Céillie Clark-Keane
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Ranked: The 14 Most Important Copywriting Skills Every

Marketer Needs
Copywriting isn't just for copywriters. It's useful for anyone that sells. These 14
copywriting skills are fundamental to do it well.

Comments
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All those words do some heavy lifting for businesses. They
generate awareness, traffic, leads, and conversions. That’s
true of sidewalk sandwich boards and seven-figure ad
campaigns.

So how do you write copy that converts?

After a decade of professional writing, I’ve found some

copywriting skills to be fundamental for choosing words
that compel action–whether copywriting is a central focus
of your job or just something you dabble in. I’ve listed them
here and ranked them, starting with the most important.

Master these skills and your copy will do big things for your
business. And if you’re like me, you’ll enjoy the heck out of
writing it.

1. Curiosity
The best copywriters I’ve ever read aren’t always the best
“writers.” They’re people who genuinely want to
understand how something works and are excited to
explain it to others.
Famed adman David Ogilvy was the epitome of curiosity.
He obsessed over understanding everything about the
products he marketed and the people who bought them.

Curiosity is the fuel that energizes every other skill on this

list. If you’re curious, you’ll naturally be more empathic.
You’ll want to learn marketing strategy. And you’ll be a
crazy good interviewer.

You can even leverage your audience’s curiosity to

generate more awareness.
That’s why I consider curiosity to be the most important
copywriting skill.
2. Empathy
Empathy is an important copywriting skill because it gives
us the power to imagine what a customer is battling with
so we can explain our solution in a more relevant way.

With a little empathy, you won’t write that a family SUV has
a state-of-the-art entertainment system. Instead, you’ll say
it has “enough distraction that no one will ask ‘are we
there yet?’”

Molly Maids gets it. They use power words like “chaos” and
“stress” to empathize with busy parents trying to hold it
together during school break.
Empathy is a neurological response, so most of us have it
naturally. But you can sharpen the skill with practice.
😊 Free guide >> Best Words & Phrases for Marketing with
Emotion

3. Goal setting
When writing, it’s easy to get lost in turning fun phrases
and overusing alliteration. But it’s important to remember
that copywriting, by nature, needs a specific goal. It may
be to increase awareness of your brand or to have people
click a call-to-action button in an ad.
Either way, the goal is your destination and copywriting is
how you get there.

Goal setting is an important copywriting skill because,

without it, you won’t likely be aligned with your
organization’s marketing objectives. Maybe you write copy
targeting the wrong type of customers. Or you might be
aiming for clicks when the real need is new leads.
Since the goal determines how you’ll research and write
copy, goal setting lands high up on this list.

4. Understanding marketing
I’ve yet to be in a situation where something I wrote wasn’t
part of a larger marketing strategy. The more I learn about
other disciplines like PPC and social media marketing, the
more effective I am at writing copy that makes those
initiatives successful. That’s how understanding marketing
makes its way to the number four spot of important
copywriting skills.
Here’s an example. Sales funnels are a foundational
concept for marketers.
Once I understood how customers moved through a sales
funnel, I was better able to write copy that made each
transition smoother. It was especially helpful when I got
into writing email marketing copy. I stopped trying to
convert every reader and started educating and
entertaining people who weren’t ready to buy. Open rates
went up and subscriber churn went down.

5. Applying the four Cs of copywriting

The four Cs that describe good copywriting are: clear,
credible, concise, and compelling. When you apply them to
your copy, it naturally gets better.

The real copywriting skill here though is to know in which

order to apply the four Cs.

Here’s how I consider it:

Copy should always be clear.

Above all else, a reader needs to understand your
message. Whatever else you do, make sure it’s clear.

Copy should be credible, as long as it remains clear.

Copywriting needs to build trust. Add customer stories,
mention awards, etc. to show you’re good at what you do.
Just make sure those additions don’t muddy the message.

Copy should be concise, as long as it’s still clear and

credible.
You don’t have much time to get your point across. So cut
any words or phrases that don’t serve that purpose. That
said, you don’t want to remove so many words that people
don’t know what you mean.

Copy should be compelling as long as it’s still clear,

concise, and credible.
Copy needs to motivate people to think or do something.
You can use some power words, a sense of urgency, or
analogies to bring it all home.

There’s a thin line between compelling and pushy, though.

If you can’t add more compelling copy without losing
credibility (or without making it too long), then trim it down
and focus on the other points.

6. Explaining the complex simply

There’s a phrase in education and marketing called explain
it like I’m five (ELI5). The idea is to break down complex
topics and present them in a way a five-year-old could
understand. That’s an incredibly useful skill for a
copywriter since you’re often the translator between
technical people that make a product and non-technical
people who use it.

There are lots of ways to use ELI5. You can use a

conversational tone, use copywriting formulas, or
add bridge phrases to keep readers engaged.

7. Interviewing like a detective

There’s an old detective TV show called Columbo. In it, the
title character kindly, yet incessantly, asks suspects “just
one more question” until he understands exactly what
happened on the night of the murder.
Interviews aren’t interrogations. But when you approach
a customer or subject matter expert with the drive to get
the whole picture, you’ll ask that one more question that
exposes a killer story.

8. Applying psychology
One of my biggest regrets is not minoring in psychology.
Not because I want to know how to hack people’s brains to
sell more. But to better understand how people process
information and to write better emotional ad copy. That’s a
skill any copywriter would benefit from.
In lieu of registering for formal classes, copywriters can
learn about specific psychological principles and practice
folding them into their copy. There are also plenty
of existing examples of emotional copy to study.

9. Prioritizing like a journalist

Are you familiar with the inverted pyramid? It was one of
the first principles I learned in my Journalism 101 class.
Essentially, it’s how reporters place the most important
information at the top of the page, and then add
supporting details after.
In other communication disciplines,it’s called BLUF (bottom
line up front).

Either way, it’s a really useful skill for writing Google Ads
copy and anything optimized for small screens where most
of your message is below the fold.

10. Checking your ego

I learned early in my career that ego is the killer of great
copy for several reasons.

First, copywriting is a team sport. The best work happens

when people with various experiences collaborate. That
means being open to ideas from people who don’t have a
writing background.

Second, you sometimes have to delete your favorite bits of

copy. The unflattering term is “killing your darlings,” and it
means removing really well-written copy that doesn’t
match the tone or target of the piece.
And finally, you’ll often need to write something bad to get
to something good. When I first started writing, I would
bang away at the keyboard, aggressively hit backspace,
then pound the keys even harder while trying a new angle.
Eventually, I learned to just let a bad version flow first,
even if it hurts my pride. There are always rounds of edits
to make it great.

11. Understanding SEO basics

We’re getting toward the bottom of the list, but I don’t
want to give the impression that SEO isn’t important. Even
now in the age of zero-click posts and AI-powered
everything, a lot of traffic comes from those search engine
results pages. And often, it’s people in the middle of
looking for things you sell.
Copywriting for SEO is its own skill. You need to know how
to find keywords and fit them into your copy organically.
You also should understand things like page structure and
alt tags. It takes a little time to master, but SEO
copywriting skills are an important arrow in a marketer’s
quiver.
If you’re learning this skill, these 9 SEO copywriting tips will
help you get pages ranked high on Google and Bing.
⚡️Speaking of ranking higher…download our free guide
>> How to Get on the First Page of Google

12. Focusing on value

I first learned about FAB (feature, advantage, benefit) in a
class on sales, years before I started writing. The point of
the class was to teach us the difference between a
characteristic of a product (feature), how it helps
(advantage), and why that will make a customer’s life
better (benefit).
The lesson was, to make a product more relevant and
valuable, highlight the benefit.

For example, the feature of a new mop could be its spring-

loaded wringer. The advantage is that it needs less force to
push dirty water out of the mop head. But we’d lead with
the benefit, “less effort, faster cleaning.”

13. Keeping your attention on detail…

My first grownup job was as a sales manager for a large
retail chain. Our mantra for putting up new displays or
stocking shelves was “retail is detail.” While the rhyme falls
apart, being detail-oriented is a clutch skill for copywriting
as well.

There are dollars behind why paying attention to detail is

important. Companies with frequent grammar and spelling
mistakes on their website lose double the amount of
customers than businesses without those errors. Plus,
Google Ads with typos get fewer clicks and cost more per
click than other ads.

14. …while being comfortable enough to break

grammar rules
Tools like Grammarly and even ChatGPT make getting
grammar right pretty easy. The real challenge is adeptly
going against the rules when it helps your copy.
As the great Ann Handley put it in her book Everybody
Writes, “I encourage you to safely and fearlessly break
those rules and to make those mistakes in writing—but
only when doing so lends greater clarity and readability.”
So fire up your spell and grammar checkers. But learn from
the things they correct. Then, when the opportunity
presents itself, you can blur grammatical lines to write
better copy.

Gain copywriting skills from the experts

Copywriting isn’t just for full-time, professional marketers.
Just about anyone who has to write emails, presentations,
 or sales flyers for work will benefit from knowing how to do
it better.

Here’s a quick recap of the top copywriting skills marketers

need to master:

1. Curiosity
2. Empathy
3. Goal setting
4. Marketing knowledge
5. The four Cs of copywriting
6. Explaining the complex simply
7. Interviewing
8. Applying psychology
9. Prioritizing information
10. Checking your ego
11. Understanding SEO
12. Focusing on value
13. Keeping attention to detail
14. Breaking grammar rules
Luckily, there are lots of ways to learn. These 10 free
copywriting resources are a great place to start. They cover
formulas, emotional copy, power words, and so much
more.
What Makes A Headline Go Viral?
When Coschedule.com looked into the psychology of why people share content,
they discovered that it’s because people want to increase the quality of their
relationships with others.
People share content to increase their self-esteem, popularity, and standing among
their peers.

Behavioral psychologist, Abraham Maslow, called this phenomenon the

Hierarchy of Needs:

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs shows that, as long as we have food, water,

warmth, and shelter, our primary need is attention, recognition, and praise from
others.
These factors are the driving forces behind everything we do, each and every
day: including when we choose to share a headline on social media.
In BuzzSumo’s survey of 100 million headlines published between March 1st and
May 10th, 2017, they found that the 3-word phrase (trigram) “will make you” got
double the Facebook shares of the second most popular trigram.

That’s a huge difference!

This 3-word phrase is so popular because it directly states that the topic will have
an impact on the reader, often an emotional one.

Using CoSchedule’s and BuzzSumo’s research, we can make certain assumptions

about why people share content and which headlines will go viral.

Why People Share Content

People share content because it is a reflection of who we are. In other words, it

says something about us (whether we are consciously aware of it or not).

Sometimes we share helpful content because it makes us look helpful (satisfying

our need for self-actualization).
We also share emotional, attention-grabbing content, because it helps us to get
noticed (satisfying our need for self-esteem).
Sometimes we share opinionated content because we want to show everyone what
groups we belong to (satisfying our need to belong).

When deciding what content to share, the headline says it all. The headline is what
people notice first. It’s the headline that makes a piece of content stand out, get
shared and go viral (or not).

5 Types Of Headlines Most Likely To Go Viral

There are 5 basic headline types that are the most likely to go viral:
1. List Posts

List posts provide a useful list of things. Here are some catchy headline examples
for list posts:

 Fairy Tail: 10 Hilarious Memes That Will Make You Cry Laughing
 50 Smart Ways to Segment Your Email List Like a Pro
 America Has a Huge Stash of Emergency Oil. This Is Why.
 73 Types of Blog Posts That Are Proven to Work
2. How-to Posts

How-to posts teach something: they help people achieve a specific desired
outcome. Here are some headline examples for how-to posts:

 How to Optimize Your Site for a Successful Holiday eCommerce Season

 How to Use a Recent Sales Popup to Boost Your Revenue
 How To Build A Successful Pre-Launch Marketing Campaign
3. Resource Posts
Resource posts are lengthy guides or a large amount of curated content that
provides a complete solution to a specific problem. Here are some headline
examples for resource posts:
 Ultimate Guide to Single Optin vs. Double Optin – Which One is Better?
 Win Big at Influencer Marketing: An Ultimate Guide for Beginners
 The Ultimate eCommerce Optimization Guide: 13 Steps to Instantly Boost
Revenue
4. Question Posts

Question posts “throw open the floor” to the readers or audience and provide direct
answers to their questions. Here are some headline examples for question posts:

 How Long Should Your Business Take to Earn Revenue?

 If I’m So Smart Why Aren’t I Successful Yet?
  How Do I Monetize My Blog (Or Podcast)?
5. Heart-to-Heart Posts

Heart-to-heart posts say to your audience, “I am about to share my deepest,

darkest/brightest, thoughts/truths, with you. Come, sit down beside me and hear
my tale of how.” Here are some attention-grabbing headline examples for heart-to-
heart posts:

 33 Things I’ve Never Told You (or, How to Re-Introduce Yourself and Kick
Your Watered-Down Self in the Ass)
 No, You Don’t Need to be Great at Everything – and Why You Shouldn’t
Even Try
 An Open Letter to Writers Struggling to Find Their Courage

If your headline follows one of the 5 formats above, then you’re off to a great start.
However, for a headline to really grab attention and go viral, it needs one final
ingredient:

An infectious agent.
For a headline to go viral, it needs an element that makes it contagious.
Add the right infectious agent, and you can greatly increase your headline’s
chances of going viral. For example, Neil Patel tweaked his headline to include
an infectious agent, and got a 40% boost in click-through rates!
Infectious agents create shareable content because they trigger emotions. Deep,
primal emotional needs, as highlighted by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

Here are some examples of infectious agents:

 Awe

 Anger

 Anxiety
  Fear

 Joy

 Lust

 Surprise

 Shock

So, how do you put all these pieces together to create a viral headline? Let’s check
out these 21 catchy headline examples and see.

Viral Headline Example #1: 40 Belief-Shaking Remarks

From a Ruthless Nonconformist

With over 14,000 shares on Facebook alone, this article from Raptitude received
more social media love than most blogs see in an entire year of publishing.
What made it so shareable? Let’s analyze it.
Headline Type: List Post
Infectious Agents: Awe | Anger | Surprise | Shock | Fear | Anxiety
“Belief-Shaking”: Right away, this headline challenges you by stating its
content will shake your beliefs. This may make you angry. Or fill you with a sense
of awe. It might even make you fearful.
Having your beliefs shaken, questioned, maybe even crushed, can make you fearful
because your beliefs are deeply personal. They are a big part of what makes you
what, and who, you are.

“Ruthless”: This word conjures up an image of someone who doesn’t care. A

renegade. A gangster. A person without mercy or regard for others.
“Nonconformist”: This word conjures up an image of someone unafraid and
unconventional, doing what they want and changing the world in the process while
battling against the norm. We love individuals like these, individuals who say and
do things we want to do but feel unable.
Chris Guillebeau built his entire online business on being Nonconformist, such is
its appeal.

Key TakeawayWrite a headline that challenges the reader, dispels myths, or

presents an unconventional opinion.

Viral Headline Example #2: How To Hit 1,000,000 Visitors

in a Year of Blogging

This article by Becky Mansfield was a viral hit with over 26.2K pins on Pinterest.
Headline Type: How-To
Infectious Agents: Awe | Surprise | Shock
“1,000,000 visitors!”: Wow! A promise of huge benefit: discover how to get 1
MILLION visitors. Who doesn’t want to know how to get 1,000,000 visitors? Even
if you’re skeptical, you want to click, right?
“In a year”: This promises you a desirable deadline: 1 year.
“Blogging”: This pinpoints its target audience and their biggest desire.

This headline creates curiosity: whatever your feelings about the facts inside this
headline, you want to read it, right?

Key TakeawayPromise the desired result and a time scale for achieving it. Hint:
you’ll need to know your readers.

Viral Headline Example #3: Where To Find Free Images

Online
This guest post on Problogger about images got big viral love on Facebook,
Pinterest, and Twitter, all popular image sharing social platforms.
Headline Type: Resource post
Infectious Agents: Awe | Joy
This headline is powerful because it answers a burning question for many online
business people: where to find free images. It’s helpful because it saves you time
and effort searching.

Key TakeawayLook for common questions or problems that people have, and
write a headline that directly answers that question or solves that problem.

Viral Headline Example #4: How to Quit Your Job, Move

to Paradise and Get Paid to Change the World
This post made history as the most popular on Problogger.net.
Headline Type: How-To
Infectious Agents: Awe | Joy | Lust | Surprise
“Quit your job”: Who doesn’t want that? It’s a promise that makes this headline
viral.
“Move to paradise”: Imagine, your life in a paradise where no 9-to-5 cubicle-cell
bars you from your dreams. Another viral success promise.
“Get paid”: A huge number of people want to “get paid” for doing what they love.
This is a hook that people can’t resist.
“Change the world”: An invitation to nonconformists everywhere.
Key TakeawayPromise a big benefit, such as money, freedom, or creative
fulfillment.

Viral Headline Example #5: On Dying, Mothers and

Fighting For Your Ideas

Another headline from the master of headlines: Jon Morrow, that punches
heartstrings to make an emotional plea: don’t let your dreams die in mediocrity—
fight to set them free.
Headline Type: Heart-to-Heart
Infectious Agents: Awe | Anger | Surprise | Shock | Fear
“Dying”: This is a strong, emotive word.
“Mothers”: Another emotive word, whatever your relationship with your mother.
“Fighting”: Yet another emotive word. It conjures up images in people’s minds of
struggle, aggression.
“Fighting for your ideas”: Suggests this is a post that is going to motivate and
inspire you.

Key TakeawayMake your headline personal, motivational, and don’t be afraid to

get emotional.

Viral Headline Example #6: 106 Excuses That Stop You

From Ever Being Great
This rare guest post on ChrisBrogan.com by Tommy Walker has almost 5,000
Facebook likes and over 3,000 tweets.
Headline Type: List Post
Infectious Agents: Awe | Anger | Surprise
“106”: A big number that makes those “excuses” look all the more challenging
because you might want to argue that you don’t have that many.
“Excuses”: This word is a challenge. You may not like to be told you’re making
excuses but this headline challenges you with the fact that you probably are.
“Prevent you from ever becoming great”: Another challenge. This time a big
one: If you don’t overcome these excuses, your dreams of being great, of becoming
someone who matters, who changes lives, a non-conformist even, will never
happen.

Some of the most popular, most viral headlines, challenge people to deny or accept
the truth as they know it.

Key TakeawayLaying down a challenge with your headline can make your
message roar. Just make sure you have something worth reading after the headline,
or people will feel cheated.

Viral Headline Example #7: Why James Chartrand Wears

Women’s Underpants
This headline shows how humor and curiosity can make a headline go viral.

A popular blogger reveals a secret… or do they? As it turns out, the real surprise
isn’t the fact that this blogger wears women’s underpants, but the fact that James
Chartrand is a woman.

Headline Type: Heart-to-Heart

Infectious Agents: Awe | Anger | Shock | Surprise
“Why”: Suggests it’s going to reveal something shocking.
“James Chartrand”: A (supposed) man, and a well-known man in certain circles
online, who…
“Wears women’s underpants”: What!? You either laugh. Or furrow your brow in
confusion. Either way, you want to read about it, right?

This headline takes the gossip nature of tabloid and reality shows and gives their
viral power to a blog post headline.
Key TakeawayGossip is contagious, so why not use it in your headline? Just make
sure to fulfill your promise of revealing something interesting to read… even if it’s
not precisely what the headline leads you to believe.

Viral Headline Example #8: 37 Tips for Writing Emails

that Get Opened, Read, and Clicked

This viral headline has seen over 7,000 shares on Twitter, Facebook, and
LinkedIn.
Headline Type: List Post
Infectious Agents: Joy | Awe
“37 Tips”: A large number that makes this post a useful resource.
“Emails”: Grabs the attention of its target audience, which is anyone struggling
with email marketing or list building.
“Open, Read and Clicked”: Isn’t that what everyone wants who has an email
list?

Key TakeawayGet to the heart of your audience really wants and give them a
practical way to achieve that result.

Viral Headline Example #9: 21 Settings, Techniques, and

Rules All New Camera Owners Should Know
This headline’s viral success is off the scale with 419,000 shares on Facebook and
over 22,000 pins on Pinterest.
Headline Type: List Post
Infectious Agents: Awe | Joy
“Settings, Techniques”: These are attention-grabbing words for anyone interested
in photography and using a camera or getting better at using a camera.
“Rules”: This is a “trigger” word—it suggests that these are the only way to
become better (and accepted) by other photographers. It says that this post gives
information that will make you acceptable in the photography field among other
photographers that are possibly more experienced.
“All”: Implies that if you don’t know what these settings, techniques, and rules
are, you’ll be left outside the group (and possibly feel a little dumb too).
“New”: This is a power word. This is a word that inspires strong emotion or action
in readers. Copywriters have used “new” as one of the keywords they use to inspire
people who want to be first in line.

“New” in this headline also attracts beginner photographers and camera

enthusiasts.

Key TakeawayGet to know the power words in your niche or industry and use
them. Don’t try to get fancy or clever– keeping your headline simple and to-the-
point is often the best way to get attention.

Viral Headline Example #10: 29 Life Lessons Learned In

Traveling The World
With over 50,000 shares on Facebook alone, we’re back in the realm of the super-
viral headline.
Headline Type: List Post
Infectious Agents: Awe | Surprise | Joy | Lust
“29 Life Lessons”: People always want to know how to enjoy a better life, enjoy a
fulfilled life, how to leave a legacy. This headline promises readers 29 lessons in
how, learned from…
“Traveling the World”: For anyone dreaming of freedom from cubical boredom,
these words inspire desire and lust (and envy).

Key TakeawayPeople always look for advice from others who they aspire to be
like. Use that to your advantage in your headline.

Viral Headline Example #11: 44 Social Media Tools

Recommended By The Pros
With over 22,000 shares, this post went viral across social media.
Headline Type: List Post
Infectious Agents: Awe | Surprise | Envy
“44”: That’s a long list. This increases its usefulness and quality in readers’ minds,
even before they read the post itself.
“Social Media Tools”: This is a key phrase that gets a lot of searches because it’s
a “hot topic.”
“Recommend by the Pros”: These words give this headline authority and impact
because they tell people that these are not just any social media tools. They are
what the pros, the authorities, the influencers, the successful social media experts
use. And, if you use them too, you’ll not only get the success enjoyed by the pros,
but you’ll be one of them too.

Key TakeawayFind a hot topic in your field and add authority by getting the pros
to reveal what they do to succeed.

Viral Headline Example #12: 5 Twitter Tools to Boost

Your Productivity
Again, this headline includes “hot topics”—Twitter Tools and Productivity.
Together, these power words give this headline viral juice. Over 25,000 shares
prove this.
Headline Type: List Post
Infectious Agents: Awe | Joy
“5”: Sometimes a shortlist can sometimes appear more important than a longer list
because people think that there’s no “fluff”, and only the really important points
were included.
“Twitter tools”: Anyone interested in getting the most value out of Twitter is
going to want to read this.
“Boost”: This is a power word – it suggests this post is going to maximize your
productivity (and thereby save you time).
“Productivity”: Anyone wanting to make most of their time (and stop wasting it
trying to make Twitter work for them) is going to be interested in this post.

Key TakeawayLink “hot topics” or power words to a big benefit that solves a
problem for your readers.

Viral Headline Example #13: 6 Ways to Use Short Video

for Social Marketing
With 7,000 tweets and over 15,000 total shares, this headline shows what going
viral means.
Headline Type: List Post
Infectious Agents: Awe | Joy
“6”: Subconsciously, people see these “6” as being the most important, useful, or
the best.
“Use”: Reassures readers that these “ways” work and you will actually see results.
“Short video”: Video is becoming a popular tool for bloggers and marketers alike.
People also like watching videos (but they don’t always have time), and short
videos imply they get details they want, without taking up too much of their
time to do so.
“Social marketing”: This is another “hot topic” for viral headlines because
anyone who wants to make money online wants (and needs) to know how to make
social marketing and social media work for them.

Key TakeawayTaking a topic that everyone is writing about and giving it extra
juice by combining it with another “hot topic” can increase your headline’s viral
power.

Viral Headline Example #14: Some Practical Thoughts On

Suicide
Controversial and taboo topics can make headlines go viral and this post by Tim
Ferris with over 10,000 likes on Facebook proves it.
Headline Type: Heart-to-Heart
Infectious Agents: Awe | Shock | Fear
“Some”: This word used in this context is a power word because it suggests the
essential thoughts. The thoughts that matter.
“Practical”: In this context, this is also a power word because it makes people feel
that this is a serious post, with actionable steps. In a topic that is highly emotional,
personal and little talked about but which affects many people, they are probably
looking for practical advice they can feel comfortable about reading and accepting.

This headline also brings people together in a particular group: people who
recognize the effects of suicide. Personal stories of triumph over adversity, or
struggles with mental health, physical health or life’s dark places can help many
people unite and come together in a way that they may not have been able to do in
their off-line lives.

Key TakeawayPersonal stories, controversy, and taboo topics work. They create
curiosity for many, and for others, they draw upon raw emotions.

Viral Headline Example #15: The Importance of

Changing Mediums: Why We Need More Polymaths in
the 21st Century
Nearly 11,000 shares on Facebook for this article on GoinsWriter.com proves
how targeting who you want to read it can really add viral power.
Headline Type: Heart-to-Heart
Infectious Agent: Awe
“Importance”: This says, “You need to read this.” People want to be seen as
being ahead of the game.
“Changing mediums”: Changing the way you do things – this is a challenge to
people. People like to be seen as living against the norm, to be nonconformist and
free of rules.
“Why”: This is a power word. It offers an answer to your questions, “Why is this
happening to me?”, or “Why can’t I do what I want to do?”.
“Polymaths”: This evokes curiosity—what the heck does “Polymaths” mean? Or
maybe you do know what it means, and sharing this post shows that you are a part
of the elite group who does know what it means. It also just sounds “cool.” Cool is
another infectious agent from Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs.”

As Derek Sivers put it, “proudly exclude people,” because this can get your
headline seen by more people who will really like it and get the most impact out of
it.

Key TakeawayExclusivity can be contagious, especially in headlines, because it

plays on our need for respect.

Viral Headline Example #16: The Diderot Effect: Why We

Want Things We Don’t Need
This headline by James Clear with over 29,000 shares on Facebook again uses
what I like to call the “Derek Sivers Exclusion Technique”.
Headline Type: Heart-to-Heart
Infectious Agents: Awe | Surprise | Shock
“The Diderot Effect”: This introduces curiosity. What is the Diderot Effect? How
does it affect me? Should I care? People want to know.
And because of its unique subject line, people want to share it, either to be seen to
be in the know or because it piqued their curiosity.
“Why”: Here’s that power word challenging people again.
“Don’t need”: This is a direct challenge to everyone who sees it because it
suggests that you’re either greedy, disillusioned, or spoilt.
“And what to do about it”: Solutions always favor attention by saying, “Hey!
There’s hope for you yet. And here it is.”

This headline also speaks to those interested in minimalism and simplicity.

Key TakeawayNaming your solution in your headline can increase its viral power.
If your solution doesn’t have a fancy name, then give it one: a name increases the
perceived value of your solution and incites curiosity.

Viral Headline Example #17: Are You Good Enough?

How did this simple question get nearly 3,000 shares on Facebook?
Headline Type: Question
Infectious Agents: Anger | Anxiety | Fear | Surprise | Shock
Are you good enough?: It challenges people. It asks a question almost everyone
asks of themselves, wondering if they are good enough to be loved, accepted,
recognized, praised… all of Maslow’s needs.

You want to know the answer, right? So, you click. And you share.

Key TakeawayAsk a big question that drums up deep, human desires.

Viral Headline Example #18: 9 Things Managers Do That

Makes Good Employees Quit
This headline had over 18,000 social shares.
Headline Type: List Post
Infectious Agents: Awe | Anxiety | Fear | Shock | Surprise
“Things”: This is a power word or a “teaser word” in this context.
“Make Good Employees Quit”: If you can relate as a disgruntled employee, this
teases you with the possibility that you’re not wrong, your boss is the problem.

This headline sets up a division between managers (and employees) that is bound
to get a response. Either, you knew it all along so you share this headline as proof.
Or you know it’s not true and you share it as another way “bad” employees blame
managers instead of themselves.

Key TakeawayConfirming people’s beliefs can be as powerful a tactic as

challenging them because people have a strong desire to be proven right.
Viral Headline Example #19: Why I Stopped Selling SEO
Services and You Should, Too
This guest post by Ryan Stewart on Moz.com is a headline offering a bold
challenge:

SEO doesn’t work (at least not the way you think it does).

This challenge resulted in some serious shares on Twitter, LinkedIn, and

Facebook.

Headline Type: Heart-to-Heart

Infectious Agents: Awe | Anger | Surprise | Shock
“Why”: This word in this context sets up the feeling in people that they are about
to have their beliefs shaken.
“Stopped selling SEO Services”: That’s a controversial statement.
“And You Should, Too”: This implies that there is something wrong with anyone
selling SEO services, so if that applies to you, you can’t help but want to know the
reason why.

This headline is controversial. It goes against the norm and challenges your beliefs.

Key TakeawayGo against the grain and challenge industry doctrines and your
headline will be irresistible.

Viral Headline Example #20: Why SEO Is Actually All

About Content Marketing
This headline got a ton of shares on Twitter with over 20,000 tweets. Can you spot
the two big reasons why?
Headline Type: Heart-to-Heart
Infectious Agents: Awe | Anger | Surprise | Shock
“Why”: There’s that power word again!
“SEO”: This is a popular keyword. Did you guess this as one of the two big
reasons for this headline’s viral success?
“Content Marketing”: Did you guess this keyword phrase as the second big
reason? Kudos to you if you did.
“Actually”: This says that all those other posts about SEO have been misleading
you and now, you’re going to discover the real truth.

Key TakeawayGetting the right words into your headline and targeting it at the
right audience can help you turn a weak headline into an irresistible one.

Viral Headline Example #21: How To Write A Blog Post:

The Definitive 10,273-word Guide
This awesome post by Kevin Duncan on BeABetterBlogger.com with its
headline was a viral hit on Google plus.
Headline Type: How-To | Resource
Infectious Agents: Awe | Joy | Surprise | Shock
“Definitive”: This is a power word. It stamps its authority on the matter. It says
this guide is the only guide you’ll ever need.
“10,273-word”: 10,273-words? Wow! Must mean there’s a lot of detail and
information in it. The large number is what gives this headline authority.

Key TakeawayLong posts can be big hits with readers (as Neil Patel found out
when his 4,000+ word blog posts helped him grow his blog to over 100,000
visitors per month).

So what can we learn from 21 viral headlines? Out of the 21 headlines…

 9 are List Posts

 7 are Heart-to-Hearts

 3 are How-tos

 2 are Resources
  1 is a Question

List Posts and Heart-to-Hearts are really popular because they work really well.
Just remember to include infectious agents, words that grab attention, stir up
emotions, and appeal to people’s deep needs and desires.

How to Start Writing Your Own Viral Headlines

Follow these steps to write your own viral headlines…

Step 1. Really get to know your audience.

This means taking the time to decide who you want coming to your site.

What makes them tick? Are they looking for something specific? What do they
share and who do they follow?

Know your audience through and through, and crafting a winning headline
becomes so much easier.

Step 2. Know where your audience hangs out.

What is your audience’s favorite social media platform? You’ll notice that some
of these viral headlines got more shares on one social media platform versus
another. In some cases, that’s because some headlines are better suited to one
platform over another.

So before you write your headline, figure out where your audience hangs out and
what your best sources of traffic are. Armed with that information, some unique,
new headline ideas may come to you.

Step 3. Discover your audience’s infectious agents.

To find your audience’s infectious agents, follow them on social media and take
note of what they’re sharing. Look for patterns in the words or phrases that keep
recurring in topics, links, headlines, they share most.

That way, you’ll know exactly which emotions to hit with your headline.

Step 4. Layer in those infectious agents.

It’s OK to start with something bland. Just keep working on your headline by
layering in your infectious agents, and then eventually you’ll have a winner.

Here’s an example of the process:

Bland headline: How To Get More Traffic To Your Blog

Emotional headline: Why Nobody Visits Your Blog
Curiosity headline: 3 Little-Known Reasons Nobody Visits Your Blog
Promise headline: 3 Little-Known Reasons Nobody Visits Your Blog (and What
To Do About It)

See how much better the headline got after adding in more infectious agents? That
wasn’t so hard, was it?

Wrapping Up

Writing viral headlines isn’t rocket science: it just takes an understanding of what
causes people to share.

The critical point to remember is that people share content because of what it
shows about them. Start with a good base (one of the 5 types of viral headlines)
and then layer in your infectious agents (remembering to make use of Maslow’s
needs) to make them truly irresistible.
Recommended Resource Need to jumpstart your content marketing results? Get
more traffic and conversions with our Ultimate Guide to Content Marketing in
2020.

You may also be interested in trying out OptinMonster’s new headline analyzer
tool. This free analyzer will make sure you’re writing the most clickable and SEO-
friendly headlines that bring in more traffic.

By modeling these 21 attention-grabbing headline examples, you can craft your

own viral-worthy headlines, and you’ll be well on your way to enjoying their
success.

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Published by Tom Southern

Tom Southern is a blog coach. He helps people take the frustration out of getting traffic and
promoting their content. Download his new Power Words For Viral Headlines: a quick guide to
writing headlines that get clicked, liked and shared.

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2.

Mel WicksJune 6, 2016 at 3:52 pm

We have a growing problem on our hands. Pages are being
exited. Ads are getting skipped. Eyes are glazing over—
some even seen rolling—as uninteresting and overused
words take over the web.

The number of homepages with “innovative solutions” is at

an all-time high and “ultimate” guides are taking over the
SERP.

Something. must. be. done.

 Now, these words aren’t completely off-limits, but when
you really want something to pop—like in a headline,
subject line, blog introduction, or landing page—you’ve
gotta do better than “important” or “success.” And as
such, I present to you a list of 350+ more interesting words
to use in your content to capture clicks and interest and to
actually be innovative.

Power words table of contents

This word list is broken up by part of speech. You’ll see the
overused and/or uninteresting word followed by a boatload
of alternatives, plus some visual examples to show you
their impact. Enjoy!

 Power adjectives
 More interesting words for: best in
class | daunting | easy | effective | fast | great | important |
innovative | ultimate | unique
 Power verbs
 More interesting words for: boost | check
out | engage | improve | provide | stop | succeed
 Empowering verbs
 Adverbs
 Nouns
 More interesting words for: guide | sale | strategies
 Pain point power words
 Ideal state words
 Hook words

How to use these power words

 Think interesting, not impressive: Don’t replace a word
you have to sound smarter or to speak louder. This is a big
copywriting mistake. Trying to write “wow” copy will have
the opposite effect. Aim for subtle adjustments that are just
different enough to be memorable.
 Think specificity: Oftentimes, the better word choice is
not a fancier or hyperbolic version of that word, but
 something more specific. Instead of “seasoned experts,”
for example, you might say “GRC-certified experts.”
 Don’t force it: Good copy reads easily. Plain language
should be your base with interesting words sprinkled in like
accents.

Adjectives: Power words for…

Best in class

As in, providing best-in-class solutions. This is an empty

buzzword that says you’re trying to market your business,
rather than share what you’re proud of and passionate
about. You can throw “cutting-edge” out the window too.
Here are some actual power words to use instead:
 Aptitude
 At last
 High standards
 High-caliber
 In our own category
 Masters of
 One of a kind
 Prowess
 Top-notch
 Unbeatable
 Unmatched
 Unparalleled
 Unrivaled
 Unstoppable
 Daunting

This word is a hard no. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve
seen the word “daunting” in an introduction to a how-to
blog post, I’d be rich. It’s the right idea to express
compassion around the pain point your business or piece of
content solves, but there are so many be alternatives to
try:

 Arduous
 Bane of your existence
 Burden
 Can feel like… rocket science? calculus?
 Challenging
 Complicated
 Cumbersome
 David and Goliath
 Demanding
 Discouraging
 Dreadful
 Gnarly
 Hefty
 Herding cats
 Intimidating
 Looming
 No easy feat
 Overwhelming
 Scary
 Slog
 Strenuous
 Struggle
 Tedious
 Trek
 Easy

Let’s be clear: “easy” is a marketing power word, so I

encourage you to use it. But if you’re looking for some
other ways to say it or how to be a bit more specific, this
list has you covered.
 Breeze
 X clicks away
 Digestible
 Direct
 Doesn’t have to be hard
 Drop your info
 Easier than you think
 Effortlessly
 Faster than you can say
 Hassle-free
 In 5 minutes or less
 In a cinch
 In a day
 In a flash
 Inexpensive
 No-nonsense
 Plain-English
 Quickly
 Seamless
 Simplified
 Smooth
 Walk in the park
 With your eyes closed
 Within reach
 Without the hassle
 Effective

Effective is not a bad word, but if you’re trying to

write compelling marketing copy, it’s weak. Effective at
what? Compared to what? Be more specific or try
something more interesting to stand out.
 Actionable
 Battle-tested
 Data-backed
 Expert-approved
 Fail-proof
 Fool-proof
 Future-proof
 Indispensable
 Like a pro
 Practical
 Pragmatic
 Proven
 Real-world
 Solid
 That we swear by
 Tried and true
 Uncontested
 Useful

Fast

Instant gratitude is the name of the game these days. This

is another strong word to use, especially when you need to
 be concise. For more creative copywriting, try out these
words:
 Activate
 Before tickets run out
 Before your next
 Before you even have time to
 By the time you
 Faster than you can say
 Glance
 Grab your copy
 In a jif
 In one click
 In the blink of an eye
 In the time it takes you to
 Instantly
 Let’s move
 Lightning
 X-minute guide/ in X minutes
 Moment
 Now
 Protect
 Stop by
 Stop in
 Swipe
 This week only
 Today only
 Great

Unless you’re going from good to great, there are lots of

better words to use than this one in your blog posts,
emails, and ad copy. Try more interesting synonyms to
“great” or get more specific about what “great” achieves:
 Brilliant
 Clickable
 Favorite
 Indispensable
 Key
 Killer
 Lucrative
 Must-have/must-read/must-try
 Non-negotiable
 Irresistible
 Popular
 Promising
 That work
 Undeleteable
 Unsubscribe-proof
 Winning
 Worthwhile/
 [Drool/etc]-worthy

Important

The mistake with this word is not overusing it, but rather in
underusing it. Most things you’re writing about are just
 plain important. Not crucial. Not extremely important. Not
imperative. Just, important. Unnecessarily overemphasizing
something often weakens your message.

BUT that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for stronger

synonyms. Save these for when they make sense, like
maybe in your elevator pitch:
 Cardinal
 Center of/central
 Core
 Crux
 Crucial
 Essential
 Foundational
 Game-changing
 Imperative
 Key
 Keystone
 Linchpin
 Mainstay
 Necessary
 Paramount
 Priority
 Staple
 Top of your list
 Vital
 Side note: If you want to write better introductions, stop
starting your blog posts with “X is an important part of Y.”
Try a personal story, fun fact, joke, stat, quote, funny
warning, or an analogy. Lots of options here.

Innovative

This word is in the same camp as “best in class” and

“cutting edge.” That’s not to say that you’re not actually an
innovative company. But if you’re truly innovative, you’ll
break away from every other business using this word in
their ads and about pages and come up with something
different…am I right?
 A step ahead
 Adventurous
 Ahead of the game
 Brave
 Brilliant
 Break tradition
 Bright
 Clever
 Customary
 Enterprising
 Forward-thinking
 Frontier
 Imaginative
 Ingenious
 Inventive
 Leading
 Masterminds
 Original
 Pioneers
 Proprietary
 Patented
 Redefining
 Talented
 Uncharted
 Unconventional
 Ultimate

What’s wrong with this word, you ask? Nothing. It’s

interesting, rolls of the tongue, and compels the reader…
until every guide and checklist you put out there is the
ultimate one. Remember, a great headline delivers on its
promise and doesn’t over-sensationalize. This word—and
the synonyms below—are okay to use sparingly, just save
them for when you really have something comprehensive.
 A-Z
 All-in-one
 Complete
 Comprehensive
 Definitive
 Drop everything
 Epic
 Finally
 Indispensable
 Last/only you’ll ever need
 Official
 Soup to nuts
 You’ve always wanted
 You’ve been waiting for

Unique

If you’re looking to use this word to describe your business,

abort that mission and instead just use unique words,
images, and designs in your content. But if you’re sharing
unique tips or strategies, and want something different to
use in your ad headlines, try any of these:
 Beat of your own drum
 Clever
 Crafty
 Creative
 Different
 Eccentric
 Extraordinary
 Lesser-used
 Non-generic
 Not your average
 Offbeat
 Outside the box
 Quirky
 Sneaky
 Uncommon
 Weird
 Whimsical
 More power adjectives

Here is a miscellaneous list of interesting description words

that just bubbled to the surface in my brain while writing
this post.

 Bold
 Cathartic
 Contagious
 Curated
 Electric
 Endearing
 Fresh
 Genuine
 Hand-picked
 Humbling
 Ideal
 Magnetic
 Underrated

Verbs: Power words for…

Boost

Now this word is definitely more interesting than “increase”

but I see this one everywhere, too. And while some of the
words on this list aren’t necessarily as exciting, you can
sometimes have a greater impact by downgrading to a less
exciting but less-common (and therefore more interesting)
word.

 Advance
 Amplify
 Augment
 Climb the ranks
 Double/triple
 Elevate
 Enhance
 Expand
 Extend
 Fire up
 Further
 Gain ground
 Ignite
 Increase
 Jumpstart
 Level up
 Lift
 Make strides
 Move the needle
 Multiply
 Pick up
 Polish
 Raise
 Ramp up
 Scale
 Skyrocket
 Spark
 Take off
 Touch up
 Wake up
 Widen

Check out

I use this one wayyyyy too much so I’m always looking for
alternatives. It’s a harmless word that works in any
scenario, but if you’re ever looking to spice things up, here
are a few seasonings to try:

 Browse through
 Borrow
 Consider
 Dabble
 Dip your toes in
 Dive into
 Explore
 Get your feet wet
 Give these a shot
 Implement
 Incorporate
 Have a look-see
 Have you seen?
 Head on over to
 Meet
 Peruse
 Steal
 Take a gander
 Take a look at
 Take a page out of
 Take in

Engage

Marketing is basically one big effort to engage your

audience. So as a person who markets marketing, you can
bet that I find myself overusing this word. Here are some
alternatives:

 Activate
 Attract
 Catch their eye
 Enthrall
 Excite
 Draw
 Impress
 Inspire
 Intrigue
 Invite
 Motivate
 Spark
 Spur to action
 Sweep off their feet
 Take that first step
 Wake up
 Wow
 Improve

Here is another word that isn’t really overused, it’s just

plain bagel. Cheese pizza. Vanilla ice cream. If you’re more
of a rocky roader, these words might suit you:

 Brush up on
 Correct/course-correct
 Fine-tune
 Fix
 Fortify
 Hone
 Level up
 Make over
 Mend
 Polish up
 Recover
 Refine
 Regain
 Renew
 Reset
 Revamp
 Reverse
 Revitalize
 Straighten out
 Shape up
 Sharpen
 Step up
 Strengthen
 Touch up
 Turn around
 Turn the corner
 Upgrade
 Provide

You’ll notice that in our blog posts, the introduction always

tells the reader what the piece of content is about. As in,
“In this post, we’re going to provide …” which means that
I’m always trying to come up with alternative way of saying
this. Here are some!
 Break down
 Coming at you with
 Cover
 Deliver
 Discuss
 Dish out
 Dissect
 Examine
 Explore
 Fill you in
 Hand out
 Hand over
 Reveal
 Run through
 Share
 Spill
 Suggest
 Talk about
 Unleash
 Walk you through

Stop

“Stop” is actually a great word for marketing with emotion.

It can convey urgency and panic (as in, “stop paying your
landlord’s mortgage) while at the same time empowering
the reader. Use these stop words in your Facebook ad
copy, landing page headlines, email subject lines, and
more.
 Avoid
 Break up with
 Crack down on
 Eliminate
 Eradicate
 Freeze in tracks
 Halt
 Kick out
 Prevent
 Put an end to
 Put the kibosh on
 Say goodbye to
 Say no to
 Side-step
 Squash
 Take a break from
 Tamp down on
 Succeed

This one is another easy fallback, especially with B2B

marketing. After all, every business wants to succeed,
right?
 Access
 Achieve
 Beat
 Break down barriers
 Capture
 Conquer
 Crush
 Defeat
 Dominate
 Flourish
 Fulfill
 Gain ground
 Get the hang of
 Grow
 Lock in
 Master
 Make it
 Nail it
 Outperform
 Outrank
 Outshine
 Prevail
 Prosper
 Pull off
 Satisfy
 Secure
 Reach
 Realize
 Victory
 Win

More empowering verbs

 Arm yourself
 Bring on
 Combat
 Command
 Control
 Deflate
 Demolish
 Destroy
 Dodge
 Ditch
 Evade
 Escape
 Maneuver
 Navigate
 Tame
 Take back
 Take hold of
 Take on
 Wrangle

More power verbs

 Activate
 Attract
 Avoid
 Check under the hood
 Crave
 Deter
 Discover
 Drive
 Employ
 Energize
 Illuminate
 Grab
 Gratify
 Hook
 Juggle
 Lack
 Maneuver
 Raise the standards
 Remix
 Strike
 Navigate
 Nourish
 Reflect
 Rethink
 Save
 Sprint
 Take advantage of
 Power adverbs
 Actually
 Alarmingly
 Curiously
 Deliciously
 Downright
 Ferociously
 Hands down
 Incredibly
 Infinitely
 Interestingly
 Refreshingly
 Relentlessly
 Ridiculously
 Surprisingly
 Truly
 Undeniably
 Unquestionably

Nouns: Power words for…..

Guide

 Action plan
 Calendar
 Cheat sheet
 Checklist
 Full scoop
 Game plan
 Handbook
 Hidden gems
 Inside scoop
 Playbook
 Pocket guide
 Quickstart guide
 Rulebook
 Shortcuts
 Starter kit
 Survival guide
 Toolkit
 Sale

 Bargain
 Bonus
 Deal
 Giveaway
 Offer
 Marathon
 Opportunity
 Promotion
 Special
 Treat

Strategies

 Approaches
 Clues
 Formulas
 Hints
 Ideas
 Ingredients
 Intel
 Methods
 Ploys
 Pointers
 Predictions
 Secrets
 Shortcuts
 Signs
 Steps
 Suggestions
 Tactics
 Techniques
 Tips
 Tricks
 Ways
 Words of advice

More interesting nouns

 Breath of fresh air

 Bridge
 Catalyst
 Guesswork
 Inside track
 Music to their ears
 Secret sauce
 Secret weapon
 Pain point power words
Here’s how your customers don’t want to feel

 Boring
 Clunky
 Confusing
 Cumbersome
 Dependent
 Difficult
 Draining
 Exhausting
 Expensive
 Gimmicks
 Lackluster
 Limited
 Mundane
 Ordinary
 Pesky
 Plain
 Pressured
 Reliant on
 Powerless
 Stressful
 Repetitive
 Resource-heavy
 Rough
 Tedious
 Time-consuming
 Time suck
 Unclear
 Underwhelming
 Undue
 Unnecessary
 Ideal state power words
 Accomplished
 Ahead
 Confident
 Envied
 Fulfilled
 Heard
 Validated
 Light
 Lucky
 Relieved
 Smart
 Satisfied

Hook words
 Didn’t know you needed
 Or so you thought
 That might change your mind
 Think again
 Until now
 You thought you knew
 You didn’t know about
 Wish you knew about sooner

Want more power words?

If you’re looking for more creative ways to communicate
with your audience, you’re in luck because here at
WordStream, we happen to love words…

 120 of the Best Words & Phrases for Marketing

 273 Words & Phrases for Emotional Copywriting
 7 Power Words to Test in Your Facebook Ads

MEET THE AUTHOR

Kristen McCormick
Kristen is the Senior Managing Editor at WordStream, where she helps
businesses to make sense of their online marketing and advertising. She
specializes in SEO and copywriting and finds life to be exponentially more
delightful on a bicycle.
See other posts by Kristen McCo