Headline Formulas Skill for Claude

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

Write 5 headlines using the [How-To / Number / Question / etc.] formula for:
[product/offer description]

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

Create 10 variations of this headline for A/B testing:
[original headline]

## 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"

## 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"

## 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?"

## 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%"

## 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"

## 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"

## 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)"

## 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]

## 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)?

## 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

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] |

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