/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 Y