headline-formulas

---
name: headline-formulas
description: "25+ proven headline formulas that stop the scroll, capture attention, and drive clicks. Templates and examples for every situation. Use when: Writing headlines for landing pages, ads, or articles; Creating email subject lines that get opens; Crafting social media hooks; A/B testing headline variations; Overcoming headline writer's block"
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: ClawFu
  version: 1.0.0
  mcp-server: "@clawfu/mcp-skills"
---

# Headline Formulas

> 25+ proven headline formulas that stop the scroll, capture attention, and drive clicks. Templates and examples for every situation.

## When to Use This Skill

- Writing headlines for landing pages, ads, or articles
- Creating email subject lines that get opens
- Crafting social media hooks
- A/B testing headline variations
- Overcoming headline writer's block
- Training teams on headline best practices

## Methodology Foundation

**Source**: Compiled from David Ogilvy, John Caples, Gary Halbert, Joanna Wiebe, and decades of tested direct response advertising.

**Core Principle**: "On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy." (Ogilvy) Your headline is 80% of your ad's success.

**Why This Matters**: A great product with a weak headline fails. A decent product with a magnetic headline succeeds. Headlines are the highest-leverage words you'll write.

---

## What Claude Does vs What You Decide

> "Claude generates options. You choose winners."

| Claude handles | You provide |
|---------------|-------------|
| Generating 10-20 headline variations rapidly | The core benefit/offer to highlight |
| Applying proven formulas systematically | Audience knowledge and pain points |
| Mixing formula types for variety | Brand voice and tone constraints |
| Scoring headlines against criteria | Final selection based on intuition + data |
| Creating A/B test candidate sets | Testing decisions and winner analysis |

**Remember**: Headlines are iterative. Claude accelerates generation; you apply taste and test results.

---

## What This Skill Does

1. **Generates headlines by formula** - Plug-and-play templates
2. **Matches formula to goal** - Curiosity, benefit, news, etc.
3. **Creates headline variations** - A/B test candidates
4. **Evaluates headline strength** - Scores against proven criteria
5. **Adapts headlines to format** - Landing page, email, social, ad

## How to Use

### Generate Headlines
```
Give me 10 headlines for:
Product: [description]
Key benefit: [main value]
Format: [landing page/email/ad/social]
```

### Use a Specific Formula
```
Write 5 headlines using the [How-To / Number / Question / etc.] formula for:
[product/offer description]
```

### Evaluate Headlines
```
Score these headlines against best practices and rank them:
1. [headline]
2. [headline]
3. [headline]
```

### Headline Variations
```
Create 10 variations of this headline for A/B testing:
[original headline]
```

## Instructions

When creating headlines, apply these proven formulas:

### Category 1: How-To Headlines

```
## HOW-TO FORMULAS

The "how-to" headline promises practical instruction. Works when audience wants to learn.

### Formula 1: Basic How-To
"How to [achieve desired outcome]"

Examples:
- "How to Win Friends and Influence People"
- "How to Write Copy That Sells"
- "How to Double Your Conversion Rate in 30 Days"

### Formula 2: How-To for Specific Audience
"How to [achieve outcome] (Even If [obstacle])"

Examples:
- "How to Build a 6-Figure Business (Even If You Have No Audience)"
- "How to Run a Marathon (Even If You've Never Run a Mile)"
- "How to Write a Book (Even If You Failed English)"

### Formula 3: How-To with Timeframe
"How to [achieve outcome] in [specific time]"

Examples:
- "How to Learn Spanish in 90 Days"
- "How to Build Your Email List in 30 Days"
- "How to Get Your First 1,000 Customers in 6 Months"

### Formula 4: How I Did It
"How I [achieved specific result]"

Examples:
- "How I Built a $10M Business from My Bedroom"
- "How I Lost 50 Pounds Without Giving Up Pizza"
- "How I Got 1 Million YouTube Subscribers in 18 Months"
```

---

### Category 2: Number/List Headlines

```
## NUMBER HEADLINES

Specific numbers create curiosity and implied ease. Odd numbers often outperform even.

### Formula 5: The Basic List
"[Number] Ways to [achieve outcome]"

Examples:
- "7 Ways to Increase Your Email Open Rate"
- "21 Productivity Hacks for Remote Workers"
- "101 Blog Post Ideas for Any Niche"

### Formula 6: Things You Didn't Know
"[Number] [Topic] Secrets [Audience] Doesn't Know"

Examples:
- "7 Copywriting Secrets Most Marketers Never Learn"
- "5 Tax Deductions Your Accountant Forgot to Tell You"
- "9 Things Your Competition Doesn't Want You to Know"

### Formula 7: Mistakes/Errors
"[Number] [Topic] Mistakes That Are Costing You [Loss]"

Examples:
- "5 Landing Page Mistakes Costing You Conversions"
- "7 Resume Errors That Get You Rejected"
- "3 Diet Mistakes That Make You Gain Weight"

### Formula 8: Reasons Why
"[Number] Reasons Why [unexpected claim]"

Examples:
- "11 Reasons Why You're Not Getting Traffic"
- "5 Reasons Why Your Ads Aren't Converting"
- "7 Reasons Why Smart People Stay Poor"

### Formula 9: Specific Result Number
"Get [specific number] [result] with [method]"

Examples:
- "Get 10,000 Email Subscribers with One Landing Page"
- "Generate $5,000/Month with This Simple System"
- "Lose 15 Pounds in 6 Weeks Without Exercise"
```

---

### Category 3: Question Headlines

```
## QUESTION HEADLINES

Questions engage the brain automatically. The reader mentally answers—and keeps reading.

### Formula 10: Do You Make This Mistake?
"Do You Make These [Topic] Mistakes?"

Examples:
- "Do You Make These Mistakes in English?" (famous John Caples headline)
- "Do You Make These LinkedIn Mistakes?"
- "Do You Make These Common SEO Errors?"

### Formula 11: Are You...?
"Are You [characteristic of target audience]?"

Examples:
- "Are You Too Busy to Be Rich?"
- "Are You Tired of Diets That Don't Work?"
- "Are You Losing Money While You Sleep?"

### Formula 12: What Would You...?
"What Would You Do With [desirable thing]?"

Examples:
- "What Would You Do With an Extra $1,000 a Month?"
- "What Would You Do With 10 Extra Hours a Week?"
- "What Would You Do If You Could Start Over?"

### Formula 13: Who Else Wants...?
"Who Else Wants [desirable outcome]?"

Examples:
- "Who Else Wants to Write a Bestselling Book?"
- "Who Else Wants to Build a 6-Figure Side Hustle?"
- "Who Else Wants Gorgeous Skin at 50?"

### Formula 14: What Happens When...?
"What Happens When [intriguing scenario]?"

Examples:
- "What Happens When an AI Writes Your Emails?"
- "What Happens When You Ignore Your Customer's Complaints?"
- "What Happens When You Stop Chasing Clients?"
```

---

### Category 4: News/Announcement Headlines

```
## NEWS HEADLINES

News headlines leverage our wired attraction to novelty. Works best for launches, updates, discoveries.

### Formula 15: Announcing/Introducing
"Announcing: [New thing and its benefit]"
"Introducing: [New solution to old problem]"

Examples:
- "Announcing: The First AI That Writes Like You"
- "Introducing: The Fastest Way to Build a Website"
- "Finally: A CRM That Works the Way You Do"

### Formula 16: Now You Can
"Now You Can [previously impossible/difficult thing]"

Examples:
- "Now You Can Build an App Without Coding"
- "Now You Can Get Custom Suits Without the Tailor"
- "Now You Can Invest Like a Hedge Fund"

### Formula 17: Discover
"Discover [surprising benefit or method]"

Examples:
- "Discover the Morning Routine of Top CEOs"
- "Discover Why 80% of Diets Fail (And What Actually Works)"
- "Discover the One Change That Tripled Our Revenue"

### Formula 18: New/Revolutionary/Breakthrough
"New [category] [does remarkable thing]"
(Use sparingly—overused and often feels hypey)

Examples:
- "New Software Writes Emails in Your Voice"
- "New Study Reveals the Real Cause of Burnout"
- "Breakthrough Technology Cuts Shipping Costs 50%"
```

---

### Category 5: Benefit-First Headlines

```
## BENEFIT HEADLINES

Lead with what they GET. The most direct approach.

### Formula 19: Get [Benefit]
"Get [Specific Desirable Result]"

Examples:
- "Get More Traffic With Less Content"
- "Get Abs Without Sit-Ups"
- "Get Booked Solid Without Cold Calling"

### Formula 20: The Only/Ultimate
"The Only [Category] That [Unique Benefit]"
"The Ultimate Guide to [Topic]"

Examples:
- "The Only Landing Page Builder With Built-In A/B Testing"
- "The Only Email Tool Made for Creators"
- "The Ultimate Guide to Facebook Ads in 2024"

### Formula 21: Transformation Statement
"Go From [Current State] to [Desired State]"

Examples:
- "Go From Freelancer to Agency Owner in 90 Days"
- "Go From Overwhelmed to Organized in One Week"
- "Go From Zero Followers to Verified in 6 Months"

### Formula 22: Without
"[Achieve Result] Without [Common Pain Point]"

Examples:
- "Lose Weight Without Counting Calories"
- "Build Muscle Without Living at the Gym"
- "Get Clients Without Cold Outreach"
```

---

### Category 6: Curiosity/Intrigue Headlines

```
## CURIOSITY HEADLINES

Create a gap between what they know and what they want to know. Compels the click.

### Formula 23: The Secret
"The Secret to [Desirable Outcome]"
"The [Unexpected] Secret to [Outcome]"

Examples:
- "The Secret to Writing 10X Faster"
- "The Weird Secret to Getting Your Kids to Listen"
- "The Japanese Secret to Living Past 100"

### Formula 24: What [Experts] Know
"What [Authority Figures] Know That You Don't"
"What [Industry] Doesn't Want You to Know"

Examples:
- "What Top Salespeople Know About Closing"
- "What Insurance Companies Hope You Never Find Out"
- "What Your Doctor Won't Tell You About Sleep"

### Formula 25: The Reason Why
"The Real Reason [Surprising Fact]"
"Why [Counterintuitive Statement]"

Examples:
- "The Real Reason Your Content Isn't Working"
- "Why Working Harder Makes You Less Successful"
- "Why Your Best Clients Came From Your Worst Marketing"

### Formula 26: Strange/Unusual/Weird
"The Strange [Method] That [Achieves Result]"

Examples:
- "The Strange Email That Gets 60% Reply Rates"
- "The Weird Diet Trick That Actually Works"
- "The Unusual Marketing Strategy Behind a $50M Brand"
```

---

### Category 7: Social Proof Headlines

```
## SOCIAL PROOF HEADLINES

Leverage what others have achieved. Creates credibility and FOMO.

### Formula 27: Number of People
"Join [Number] [People] Who [Achieved Result]"

Examples:
- "Join 50,000 Marketers Getting Our Weekly Newsletter"
- "Join 10,000 Developers Who Shipped Faster"
- "Join 25,000 People Who Lost Weight Our Way"

### Formula 28: Stolen/Borrowed Authority
"[Celebrity/Brand] [Uses/Recommends/Does] [Thing]"

Examples:
- "Why Warren Buffett Reads 500 Pages a Day"
- "The Productivity System Used by Elon Musk"
- "The Framework McKinsey Uses for Strategy"

### Formula 29: Specific Testimonial
"[Person] Went From [Before] to [After]"
"How [Person] [Achieved Specific Result]"

Examples:
- "How Sarah Went From Side Hustle to $1M Business"
- "How This Teacher Built a YouTube Channel With 500K Subs"
- "How Tom Made $47K in 30 Days (Starting From Zero)"
```

---

### Headline Power Words

```
## WORDS THAT BOOST HEADLINE PERFORMANCE

### Urgency Words
- Now, Today, Immediately, Instant
- Limited, Final, Last Chance
- Deadline, Expires, Before

### Benefit Words
- Free, Save, Easy, Simple
- Fast, Quick, Guaranteed
- Proven, Tested, Works

### Curiosity Words
- Secret, Hidden, Discover
- Revealed, Unusual, Strange
- Shocking, Surprising, Finally

### Emotion Words
- Afraid, Frustrated, Overwhelmed
- Excited, Confident, Peaceful
- Embarrassing, Devastating, Life-changing

### Specificity Words
- Exactly, Precisely, Step-by-step
- Complete, Comprehensive
- [Specific numbers and percentages]
```

## Examples

### Example 1: Headline Generation for SaaS

**Context**: Landing page for email marketing software

**Input**:
> Give me 10 headlines for an email marketing tool. Key benefit: higher deliverability. Audience: frustrated marketers.

**Output**:

1. **How-To**: "How to Land in the Inbox (Not the Spam Folder)"
2. **Number**: "5 Reasons Your Emails Aren't Getting Delivered—And How to Fix Them"
3. **Question**: "Are Your Emails Even Reaching Your Subscribers?"
4. **News**: "Finally: Email Deliverability You Can Actually Trust"
5. **Benefit**: "Get 99.2% Deliverability Without Changing Your Content"
6. **Curiosity**: "The Inbox Secret That 2,500 Brands Already Know"
7. **Social Proof**: "Join 10,000 Marketers Who Stopped Losing Emails to Spam"
8. **Problem-Agitate**: "Your Emails Are Going to Spam. Here's the Fix."
9. **Specific**: "Go From 73% to 99% Deliverability in 14 Days"
10. **Without**: "Maximum Deliverability Without Deliverability Headaches"

**Winner Analysis**: #9 leads with specificity (before/after numbers). #5 leads with a bold, specific claim. Both would make strong A/B test candidates.

---

### Example 2: Subject Line Variations

**Context**: Email promoting a webinar

**Input**:
> Create 10 subject line variations for a webinar about content strategy for B2B SaaS

**Output**:

| # | Subject Line | Formula Used |
|---|--------------|--------------|
| 1 | The content strategy mistake every SaaS makes | Mistake |
| 2 | How we generated 200 leads from one blog post | How I + Specific |
| 3 | [Webinar] Your content isn't working. Here's why. | Problem |
| 4 | 3 content plays that actually work for B2B SaaS | Number + Specificity |
| 5 | Why your blog isn't generating leads (free webinar) | Why + Offer |
| 6 | Steal our B2B content strategy (it took 3 years to build) | Curiosity + Value |
| 7 | Join 500 SaaS marketers for this live session | Social Proof |
| 8 | Stop creating content. Start this instead. | Counterintuitive |
| 9 | The $0 content strategy behind our growth | Curiosity + Specific |
| 10 | Your competition's content playbook (revealed) | Curiosity |

**A/B Test Recommendation**: Test #3 (direct pain) vs #6 (curiosity + value) vs #4 (number + specificity)

---

### Example 3: Headline Scoring

**Context**: Evaluating three headline options

**Input**:
> Score these headlines:
> 1. "Introducing our new software"
> 2. "The software 10,000 marketers switched to"
> 3. "Get 3X more leads with half the effort"

**Output**:

| Criterion | #1 | #2 | #3 |
|-----------|----|----|-----|
| Specific benefit | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Curiosity/Interest | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Target audience clear | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Self-interest appeal | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Avoids vagueness | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Memorability | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| **TOTAL** | **6/30** | **18/30** | **26/30** |

**Verdict**:
- #1: Too vague, no benefit, could be anything
- #2: Decent social proof, but lacks specific outcome
- #3: Winner—specific, benefit-driven, measurable claim

**Improved version of #1**: "Introducing: The First Email Tool Built for Conversion (Not Just Sends)"

## Checklists & Templates

### Headline Evaluation Checklist

```
## Before Publishing, Check:

### Clarity
- [ ] Can someone understand it without context?
- [ ] Is the benefit obvious?
- [ ] Is the audience clear?

### Specificity
- [ ] Are there specific numbers?
- [ ] Is it concrete (not abstract)?
- [ ] Could only YOUR product use this headline?

### Emotion
- [ ] Does it trigger curiosity, desire, or urgency?
- [ ] Does it speak to a real pain or aspiration?
- [ ] Would someone want to click to learn more?

### Credibility
- [ ] Is the claim believable?
- [ ] Can you prove it?
- [ ] Does it avoid hype words?

### Format
- [ ] Is it the right length for the platform?
- [ ] Does it work on mobile?
- [ ] Is key info at the start (in case of truncation)?
```

---

### Formula Quick Reference

```
## Copy-Paste Formula Bank

HOW-TO:
□ How to [achieve outcome] in [timeframe]
□ How to [achieve outcome] without [common pain]
□ How I [achieved specific result]

NUMBER:
□ [#] Ways to [achieve outcome]
□ [#] [Topic] Mistakes Costing You [Loss]
□ [#] Reasons Why [surprising claim]

QUESTION:
□ Do You Make These [Topic] Mistakes?
□ Are You [characteristic of target]?
□ Who Else Wants [desirable outcome]?

BENEFIT:
□ Get [Specific Result] Without [Pain]
□ The Only [Category] That [Unique Benefit]
□ Go From [Current] to [Desired] in [Time]

CURIOSITY:
□ The Secret to [Outcome]
□ Why [Counterintuitive Statement]
□ What [Experts] Know That You Don't

SOCIAL PROOF:
□ Join [#] [People] Who [Achieved Result]
□ How [Person] [Achieved Specific Result]
```

---

### Headline Swipe File Template

```
## Headline Swipe File

Collect winners here for future inspiration:

### [Category: e.g., Email Subject Lines]

| Headline | Source | Why It Works |
|----------|--------|--------------|
| [Headline] | [Where found] | [Notes] |

### [Category: e.g., Landing Pages]

| Headline | Source | Why It Works |
|----------|--------|--------------|
| [Headline] | [Where found] | [Notes] |
```

## Skill Boundaries (Frontier Recognition)

### This skill excels for:
- Landing page headlines where one line determines conversion
- Email subject lines needing variety for A/B testing
- Ad copy generation (Facebook, Google, LinkedIn)
- Content headlines for articles and blog posts
- Social media hooks that stop the scroll

### This skill is NOT ideal for:
- **Brand taglines** (longer-term, needs brand strategy context) → Use brand-strategy skill first
- **Technical documentation** headlines → These follow different conventions
- **Headlines requiring specific legal language** → Requires human/legal review
- **Very niche B2B** where formulas feel too "marketingy" → Adapt tone or use softer formulas

### Quality Checkpoints

Before publishing, verify:
- [ ] Headline is specific to YOUR product (couldn't be used by competitor)
- [ ] Key benefit appears in first 6 words (for mobile/truncation)
- [ ] No unsubstantiated claims you can't prove
- [ ] Matches the actual content/offer (no bait-and-switch)
- [ ] Sounds like something a human would say

---

## Iteration Guide

> "The first batch is raw material. Polish through iteration."

### Recommended Iteration Pattern

| Pass | Focus | Questions to Ask |
|------|-------|------------------|
| **1st** | Volume | "Give me 15 headlines using different formulas" |
| **2nd** | Selection | "Which 5 have strongest hooks? Why?" |
| **3rd** | Refinement | "Make these more specific to [audience detail]" |
| **4th** | Testing | "Create 3 variations of the winner for A/B" |

### Useful Follow-up Prompts

After the first batch, try:
- "These feel generic. Add [specific product benefit or stat]"
- "Too salesy. Make them more conversational/editorial"
- "The audience is [sophisticated/skeptical]. Tone down the hype"
- "Create 5 more using ONLY the Question formula"
- "Shorten these to under 8 words for mobile"

---

## Learning Curve

| Usage | What You'll Experience |
|-------|----------------------|
| **1st use** | Discover the formula categories, get 15+ options fast |
| **5th use** | You develop favorites, request specific formula types |
| **20th use** | You internalize formulas, use Claude mainly for speed/variety |

**Pro tip**: Keep a swipe file of headlines that worked. Feed Claude your best performers as examples for even better results.

---

## References

- Ogilvy, David. "Ogilvy on Advertising" (1983)
- Caples, John. "Tested Advertising Methods" (1932)
- Halbert, Gary. "The Boron Letters" (1984)
- Wiebe, Joanna. Copyhackers headline research
- CoSchedule Headline Analyzer methodology
- Upworthy headline testing (curiosity gap research)

## Related Skills

- [copywriting-ogilvy](../copywriting-ogilvy/) - Ogilvy's headline principles in depth
- [copy-frameworks](../copy-frameworks/) - Structure the rest of your copy
- [email-writing](../email-writing/) - Subject lines in context
- [cta-writing](../cta-writing/) - What comes after the headline

---

## Skill Metadata


- **Mode**: cyborg
```yaml
name: headline-formulas
category: content
subcategory: copywriting
version: 2.0
author: GUIA
source_expert: Multiple (Ogilvy, Caples, Halbert, Wiebe)
source_work: Compilation of proven headline patterns
difficulty: beginner
mode: cyborg  # Cyborg = rapid iteration, creative exploration, tight feedback loop
estimated_value: $500 headline workshop
tags: [headlines, copywriting, formulas, templates, subject-lines, A/B-testing]
created: 2025-01-24
updated: 2026-01-28
```

---

*This skill is part of the GUIA Premium Marketing Skills Library — the 201 layer that bridges AI basics and technical implementation.*