Charlie Rogers

Jon Morrow‘s “52 Headline Hacks” is an interesting application of junk mail copywriting to the web. It’s free and worth reading the descriptions of how each headline is used. However, the URL changes a little to often for me to track, so search for it — and, the next time you’re on Buzzfeed or another crowd-pleaser website, keep your eyes open for examples.

Here are the 52 hacks:

Threat Headlines – What Keeps Your Readers up at Night?

  • How Safe Is Your [Valuable Person/Object] from [Threat]?
  • Warning Signs That [Blank]
  • Warning: [Blank]
  • Can We Really Trust [Person/Company/Product]?
  • The Shocking Truth about [Blank]
  • The Great [Blank] Hoax
  • How [Blank] Gamble with Your [Blank]: 7 Ways to Protect Yourself
  • Lies [Group of People] Like to Tell
  • 13 Things Your [Trusted Person] Won’t Tell You
  • 5 Little-Known Factors That Could Affect Your [Blank]
  • [Your Audience] Alert: The New [Blank] Scam to Avoid

Section 2: Zen Headlines – Promising Your Readers a Simpler Life

  • The Zen of [Blank]
  • Can’t Keep up? 11 Ways to Simplify Your [Blank]
  • How to Take Charge of Your [Unruly Problem]
  • The Minimalist Guide to [Aggravation]
  • 10 Shortcuts for [Completing Tedious Process] in Record Time
  • Get Rid of [Recurring Problem] Once and for All
  • How to End [Problem]
  • How to [Blank] in 5 Minutes
  • 101 [Blank] Hacks: A Cheat Sheet for [Blank]

Section 3: Piggyback Headlines – Riding on the Back of a Famous Brand

  • [Do Something] Like [Famous Person]: 20 Ways to [Blank]
  • [Famous Person’s] Top 10 Tips for [Blank]
  • The [World-Class Example] School of [Blank]
  • The [World-Class Example] Guide to [Blank]
  • 29 Secrets of [Famous Group]
  • What [World-Class Example] Can Teach Us about [Blank]

Section 4: Mistake Headlines – Irresistible Teasers from the Masters

  • Do You Make These 9 [Blank] Mistakes?
  • 7 [Blank] Mistakes That Make You Look Dumb
  • 5 [Blank] Mistakes That Make You [Look/Sound] Like a [Blank]
  • 11 [Blank] Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making
  • Don’t Do These 12 Things When [Blank]

Section 5: How to Headlines – The Oldie but Goodie That Never Fails

  • How to [Blank]
  • How to Be [Desirable Quality]
  • How to [Blank] (Even If [Common Obstacle])
  • How to [Blank] Without [Objectionable Action]
  • How to [Do Something] While You [Do Something Else]
  • How to [Blank] and [Blank]
  • How to [Do Something] That Your [Target Audience] Will Love
  • How to Use [Blank] to [Blank]
  • How to [Blank] in [Year]
  • How to [Blank] — The Ultimate Guide
  • How to Be Smart in a World of Dumb [Group]

Section 6: List Headlines – Bite-Sized Content That Readers Adore

  • 7 Ways to [Do Something]
  • 101 [Blank] for [Event/Cause/Process]
  • 72 Killer Resources for [Audience/Process]
  • The Top 10 [Blank]
  • 7 [Blank] Secrets Every [Audience] Should Know
  • 7 Surprising Reasons [Blank]
  • The 5 Laws for [Blank]
  • 7 Steps to [Blank]
  • Get [Blank]! 10 Ideas That Really Work
  • 7 Things Your [Target Audience] Needs to Hear You Say

(Here are some places where, in the past, it has been available for download: Headline Hacks, Boost Blog Traffic, Smart Blogger, and LeadPages.)