Headline Generator

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Generate 20+ headline options for a blog post, article, or landing page
• Create subject line variants for email campaigns
• Produce ad headlines for paid campaigns
• Test different angles and formulas for the same topic

DO NOT use this skill for writing full articles, taglines, or brand slogans. This is for headlines and subject lines only.

Core Principle

A HEADLINE HAS ONE JOB — EARN THE CLICK. IF IT DOES NOT CREATE CURIOSITY, PROMISE A BENEFIT, OR TRIGGER EMOTION, IT FAILS.

Phase 1: Brief

Required Inputs

GATE: Confirm inputs before generating headlines.

Phase 2: Outline

Skip formal outline — move directly to generation. Present headlines organized by formula category.

Phase 3: Write

Generate 25+ Headlines in 8 Categories

Category 1: How-To (3+ headlines)

- How to [Achieve Result] Without [Common Obstacle]
- How to [Achieve Result] in [Timeframe] (Even If [Objection])
- How [Specific Person] [Achieved Result] — And How You Can Too

Category 2: Listicle / Number (3+ headlines)

- [N] [Things] That [Achieve Result] (Most [Audience] Miss #[N])
- [N] [Mistakes/Myths/Lies] About [Topic] That Cost You [Loss]
- The [N]-Step [System/Framework] for [Desired Outcome]

Category 3: Question (3+ headlines)

- Are You Making These [N] [Topic] Mistakes?
- What If [Common Belief] Is Actually Wrong?
- Why Do [Successful People] Always [Do This Thing]?

Category 4: Curiosity Gap (3+ headlines)

- The [Topic] Mistake 90% of [Audience] Make (And the Simple Fix)
- I [Did This Thing] for [Time Period]. Here's What Actually Happened.
- The [Adjective] Truth About [Topic] Nobody Talks About

Category 5: Benefit-Driven (3+ headlines)

- [Achieve Result] in [Timeframe] With This [Method/Tool/System]
- Stop [Pain Point] — Start [Desired Outcome] Today
- The Fastest Way to [Achieve Result] When [Common Situation]

Category 6: Contrarian / Provocative (3+ headlines)

- Why [Common Advice] Is Dead Wrong (And What to Do Instead)
- [Popular Practice] Is Killing Your [Metric]. Here's Proof.
- I Stopped [Common Practice] and [Positive Result] Happened

Category 7: Social Proof (3+ headlines)

- How [N] [Audience Type] [Achieved Result] Using [Method]
- The [Strategy] That Helped [Person/Company] [Achieve Specific Result]
- [N] [Audience] Swear By This [Approach] — Here's Why

Category 8: Urgency / Timely (3+ headlines)

- [Topic] Is Changing in [Year] — Here's How to Stay Ahead
- The [Time-Limited] Guide to [Achieving Result] Before [Deadline]
- Why [Topic] Matters More in [Current Year] Than Ever

Scoring Each Headline

Rate every headline on three criteria (1-5 each):

Mark the top 5 headlines with a star and explain why each one works.

Phase 4: Polish

1. Top 5 Recommendations

Present the 5 highest-scoring headlines with rationale:

## Top 5 Headlines

1. **"[Headline]"** — Score: [X/15]
   Why: [1 sentence explaining why this works]

2. **"[Headline]"** — Score: [X/15]
   Why: [1 sentence]
...

2. A/B Testing Pairs

Suggest 2-3 A/B test pairs — two headlines with different angles so the user can test which resonates:

## A/B Test Suggestions

**Test 1:** How-to vs Listicle
- A: "[How-to headline]"
- B: "[Listicle headline]"

**Test 2:** Benefit vs Curiosity
- A: "[Benefit headline]"
- B: "[Curiosity headline]"

3. Headline Checklist

## Headline Quality Checklist

- [ ] Under 70 characters (SEO-friendly for search results)
- [ ] Contains the target keyword (if SEO applies)
- [ ] Promises a specific benefit or triggers curiosity
- [ ] Avoids clickbait — delivers on the promise
- [ ] Reads naturally — not keyword-stuffed
- [ ] Works for the intended platform (blog, email, ad)

Example: Headlines for "Email Marketing for Freelancers"

How-To:
- How to Build an Email List That Lands You Freelance Clients
- How to Write Emails That Convert Subscribers Into $5K Clients

Listicle:
- 7 Email Marketing Tactics Every Freelancer Should Steal
- 5 Emails That Turned Cold Leads Into Paying Clients

Question:
- Is Your Email List Making You Money — or Wasting Your Time?

Curiosity:
- I Sent 1 Email a Week for 6 Months. Here's How Much Revenue It Generated.

Top pick: "I Sent 1 Email a Week for 6 Months. Here's How Much Revenue It Generated."
Why: Specific, personal, curiosity-driven, and promises a measurable result.

Anti-Patterns

• Clickbait without substance — "You Won't Believe What Happened!" promises drama it cannot deliver. Every headline must be backed by the content.
• Keyword-first, reader-second — "Email Marketing Freelancers Tips Guide 2024" is SEO garbage. Write for humans.
• Too clever — puns and wordplay that require context to understand reduce clarity. Be clear before being clever.
• Vague headlines — "Thoughts on Marketing" tells the reader nothing. Add specificity: who, what, how many, how fast.
• All one formula — 25 how-to headlines provide no variety. Cover multiple formulas to find what resonates.
• Ignoring character limits — headlines over 70 characters get truncated in search results. Keep SEO headlines tight.

Recovery

• No keyword constraint: Generate purely for curiosity and click-worthiness. Optimize for clarity and engagement instead of SEO.
• User hates all 25 headlines: Ask which category felt closest. Generate 10 more in that category with different angles.
• Topic is dry or technical: Lead with the outcome, not the topic. "Compliance" becomes "How to Pass Your Next Audit Without Losing Sleep."
• Need more than headlines: Suggest pairing each top headline with a meta description or subtitle.