We are all afraid of an unexpected attack.
Whether it's a person, an asset, or a personal keepsake, none of us wants to lose
something we value. What's more, we worry about whether we're really doing enough to
protect it. Are we missing something that could come back to bite us?
There's no way to know, and that's why these headline hacks work. If you can pinpoint
something your audience is afraid of losing and the person they are afraid of taking it, you
can get inside of their head and craft a headline that's impossible to ignore.
The key is to be specific. You want the reader to think, "How on earth did they guess that
I'm afraid of that? Are they psychic?" Like many headline hacks, your power to use it will
grow in proportion to how well you know your audience.
How Safe Is Your [ Valuable Person/O bject] from [ T hreat]?
Oh, this one is evil.
It sounds so innocent. It sounds so concerned. It sounds so understanding. And all the
while, it's subtly directing your subconscious to imagine an attack.
10
Questions have always made powerful headlines because... well... our minds want to
answer them. It's almost like a reflex reaction. Even if you're not consciously aware of it,
your subconscious will work on it in the background, until it comes up with an answer.
In this case, the question forces anxiety. Not only does it ask you to imagine an attack on
something you value, but it implies there might be new threats you're not aware of. You
could've taken great pains to protect yourself, but you'll find yourself thinking, "Is it really
as safe as I thought? Maybe I'd better read this, just to be sure."
Examples:
• How Safe Is Your Husband from the Secretary Sitting Right outside His Office?
• How Safe Is Your Family's Land from Developers with Powerful Friends?
• How Safe Are Your Shoes from These 10 Types of Dogs?
Whether it's a person, an asset, or a personal keepsake, none of us wants to lose
something we value. What's more, we worry about whether we're really doing enough to
protect it. Are we missing something that could come back to bite us?
There's no way to know, and that's why these headline hacks work. If you can pinpoint
something your audience is afraid of losing and the person they are afraid of taking it, you
can get inside of their head and craft a headline that's impossible to ignore.
The key is to be specific. You want the reader to think, "How on earth did they guess that
I'm afraid of that? Are they psychic?" Like many headline hacks, your power to use it will
grow in proportion to how well you know your audience.
How Safe Is Your [ Valuable Person/O bject] from [ T hreat]?
Oh, this one is evil.
It sounds so innocent. It sounds so concerned. It sounds so understanding. And all the
while, it's subtly directing your subconscious to imagine an attack.
10
Questions have always made powerful headlines because... well... our minds want to
answer them. It's almost like a reflex reaction. Even if you're not consciously aware of it,
your subconscious will work on it in the background, until it comes up with an answer.
In this case, the question forces anxiety. Not only does it ask you to imagine an attack on
something you value, but it implies there might be new threats you're not aware of. You
could've taken great pains to protect yourself, but you'll find yourself thinking, "Is it really
as safe as I thought? Maybe I'd better read this, just to be sure."
Examples:
• How Safe Is Your Husband from the Secretary Sitting Right outside His Office?
• How Safe Is Your Family's Land from Developers with Powerful Friends?
• How Safe Are Your Shoes from These 10 Types of Dogs?
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