Headline Hacks PDF - The Fitness Entourage

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Headline!Writing!101!For!Fitness!Professionals:!How!
to!write!attention!grabbing!headlines!that!convert!
Does!a!blog!really!exist!if!there!is!no!one!there!to!read!it?!
Like!sound!itself,!it!exists!but!it!doesn’t!impact!if!there’s!no!one!around.!!
For!a!blog!to!contribute!to!the!success!of!your!business,!it!has!to!impact!upon!
its!readers.!!
The!only!way!it!can!do!that!is!if!people!read!it!in!the!first!place.!The!simplest!
way!of!getting!people!to!read!your!blog!is!to!incite!curiosity!from!the!first!word!
i.e.!Craft!a!Killer!Headline.!Contrary!to!what!you!might!think,!this!doesn’t!
require!the!skills!of!a!gifted!wordsmith!or!an!BA!in!journalism.!!Some!of!the!
most!lauded!journalists!in!the!world!are!terrible!headline!writers.!!
All!it!involves!is!filling!in!the!blanks.!There!is!a!whole!library!of!templates!out!
there!that!have!been!churning!out!effective!headlines!for!decades.!They!
mightn’t!be!original!but!original!headlines!aren’t!all!that!important!to!the!
success!of!your!blog,!you!need!to!implement!what!works!and!what!works!is!
using!tried!and!tested!headlines.!!!
As! a! fitness! professional,! what’s! important! is! that! your! blog! cements! your!
status! as! an! authority! in! the! industry,! an! expert! voice! that! readers! go! to! for!
valuable!tips,!trusted!advice!and!useful!information.!!
It! is! important! to! address! your! target! audience! specifically! in! your! headlines.!
For!example!if!you’re!targeting!a!young!professional!who!is!focussed!on!their!
career!you!could!try!a!headline!like!this;!Have!a!busy!work!life?!7!LittleMKnow!
Factors! that! could! be! affecting! your! health! (and! your! job).! This! will! actually!
reach! more! people! than! a! generic! ‘7! Factors! that! could! be! affecting! your!
health’.!Why?!Because!the!audience!you!are!targeting!feel!like!this!article!was!
written! directly! for! them.! Plus,! if! you! write! these! 7! factors! tailored! towards!
young! professionals! then! it! will! make! it! seem! like! you! understand! their!
dilemma! and! you! have! the! authority! and! expertise! to! help! them! conquer! it.!
The!generic!title!speaks!to!everyone!and!no!one!at!the!same.!It!is!not!personal!
enough!to!connect,!and!if!it!doesn’t!connect,!it!gets!ignored.!!
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The!purpose!of!your!headline!is!to!do!2!things.!
1. Get!the!attention!of!your!audience!
2. Compel!your!target!audience!to!read!the!rest!of!your!content.!!
Each! and! every! day! we! are! inundated! with! a! stream! of! marketing! messages!
and!we!have!to!duck!and!weave!them!to!make!it!through!the!day,!otherwise!
we!wouldn’t!have!time!for!anything!else.!The!truth!is,!if!the!headline!doesn’t!
pull!people!in,!you!will!have!lostage!!them!forever.!!
So,!how!do!you!make!yours!stand!out?!!
If!you!look!at!any!great!headline!you’ll!notice!that!you!can!usually!link!it!to!a!
fillMinMtheMblank!template!that!works!for!almost!every!topic!or!any!niche.!None!
of!those!irresistible!headlines!you!see!on!the!covers!of!Fitness!Magazines,!
Cosmopolitan!magazines!are!new.!Most!of!them!are!over!50!years!old.!They!
might!change!the!wording!and!modernise!the!language,!but!the!core!ideas!are!
pretty!much!the!same!and!they’ve!simply!been!used!over!and!over!again!by!
popular!magazines,!newspapers!and!blogs!all!over!the!world.!!
That’s!what!this!article!is!about.!We’ve!scoured!the!internet!for!templates!to!
help!you!so!you!can!start!writing!Killer!headlines!too.!We!found!an!incredibly!
good!article!full!of!templates!over!at!copyblogger.com!so!we’ve!included!some!
of!those!examples!in!this!article!so!thanks!to!Jon!Morrow!over!at!
copyblogger.com!for!their!help.!!
Then!we’ve!tailored!these!headline!hacks!and!filled!in!the!blanks!for!you!and!
created!examples!of!headlines!you!could!use!for!your!audience.!!
This!article!will!help!you!to!create!your!own!headlines!using!templates!where!
you!simply!fill!in!the!blanks.!These!templates!and!headlines!have!come!from!
some!of!the!most!popular!publications!in!the!world.!!
So!use!them.!!
Read!through!the!whole!report!and!start!writing!some!examples!of!your!own.!
The!more!you!do!it,!the!easier!it!will!get!or!feel!free!to!use!some!of!the!
examples!we’ve!provided.!!
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Just!remember!that!you!should!always!be!authentic!with!what!you!write!and!
never!ever!be!deceiving!as!you’ll!lose!readers!real!fast!if!your!article!isn’t!in!line!
with!what!you’ve!put!as!a!headline,!but!it!doesn’t!mean!you!can’t!incite!
curiousity!and!it!doesn’t!mean!you!can’t!create!a!headline!aimed!to!simply!get!
your!audiences!attention!and!then!provide!an!article!full!of!immense!value!that!
will!actually!help!them!to!reach!their!goal.!!
Just!Do!it:!The!How!to!Headline!
How! to! articles! have! proven! themselves! effective! time! and! time! again.! They!
are! an! indispensible! tool! for! fitness! blogs! because! they! immediately! stamp!
your!authority!on!topics!relevant!to!your!industry.!Because!there!are!so!many!
blogs! written! like! this,! try! to! make! it! more! appealing! by! offering! something!
specific.! One! way! copywriters! do! this! is! with! the! inclusion! of! the! word!
‘without.’! Or! ‘even’.! By! inserting! the! word! ‘even’! into! your! headline,! you! are!
predicting! the! reader’s! excuse! before! they’ve! even! had! the! chance! to,! thus!
denying! them! permission! to! use! it.! Without! permission! to! use! their! goMto!!
excuse,!they!have!to!read!your!insightful!blog!on!how!they!can!fit!a!healthy!life!
into!their!lifestyle!no!matter!how!busy!their!life!or!how!powerful!their!sweetM
tooth.!!
Fill!in!the!blank:!
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]!
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How!to![Blank]!–!The!Ultimate!Guide!
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Real!world!examples;!
How! to! get! fit! and! healthy! without! jeopardising! your! job! (truth! is…! it’s! not!
that!hard!if!you!know!what!to!do).!
How!to!burn!fat!without!losing!muscle!
How!to!enjoy!carbs!without!gaining!weight!
How!to!get!fit!and!healthy!without!jeopardising!your!job!
Another!cheeky!word!that!works!well!is!‘even.’!
How!to!stay!fit!and!healthy!(even!if!you!have!a!hectic!work!schedule.)!
How! to! exercise! effectively! at! home! (even! when! you’re! looking! after! the!
kids.)!
How!to!stick!to!a!diet!(even!if!your!cheat!day!is!calling!your!name)!
How!to!squeeze!in!an!early!morning!20!minute!workout!!(even!if!you!love!the!
snooze!button.)!
How!to!avoid!these!mistakes!in!the!gym!
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Oops…The!Mistake!Headline!
Oh!My!Godness…!you’re!doing!it!again.!And!you!don’t!even!know!that!you’re!
doing!it.!This!headline!template!works!very!effectively,!especially!in!the!fitness!
industry!where!people!need!to!be!made!aware!of!the!mistakes!they!make!in!
their! diet! and! in! their! fitness! regime.! Whether! it’s! a! fad! diet! they! heard! Kim!
Kardashian!is!trying!out!or!it’s!a!workout!that!could!lead!to!injury,!it!is!your!job!
as!a!professional!to!set!the!record!straight.!And!the!most!effective!way!to!do!
this!is!to!highlight!the!mistakes!being!made.!!
Do!You!Make!These!9![Blank]!Mistakes!
5![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]!
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Real!Life!Examples:!
Ignoring! Your! Health?! The! #1! mistake! you’re! probably! making! that! could!
impact!your!career!
Do!you!make!these!mistakes!at!the!Gym?!
Gym!mistakes!that!make!you!look!like!an!amateur!
5!Eating!Mistakes!that!are!Making!us!Fat!(And!it’s!not!food!or!drink.)!
The!diet!mistakes!we!make!in!our!twenties!!
The!biggest!mistake!people!make!when!they!follow!celeb!diet!tips!
Debunking!myths!is!another!way!to!create!a!great!headline!that!warns!people!
of! false! information! being! circulated.! There! are! so! many! articles! out! there!
promoting!weightMloss!products!and!diets!that!don’t!work.!It’s!your!job!as!an!
expert!in!the!industry!to!call!these!articles!out!on!their!BS!and!guide!the!public!
towards!a!way!of!life!that!actually!improves!their!health,!not!endangers!it.!!
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Weightcloss!Myths:!Which!are!true!and!which!are!false!
Debunking!Muscle!Myths:!The!REAL!Way!to!Gain!Muscle!
Fitness!Myths:!Separating!Fact!from!Fiction!
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The!Listicle!
If!there!is!one!type!of!headline!that!can!be!said!to!be!‘en!vogue’!right!now,!it!is!
‘The! List.’! It’s! testament! to! a! generation! that! likes! biteMsized! chunks! of!
information.!They!want!something!they!can!digest!as!easy!as!their!lunchMbreak!
snack.! Sunday! mornings! are! for! lieMins! with! a! week’s! worth! of! current! affairs!
and! social! commentary.! The! rest! of! the! time,! reading! is! often! filler,! quick!
nuggets!of!content!to!satiate!the!hole!between!life!happening!and!life!standing!
still.!List!articles!give!readers!the!assurance!that!this!will!only!take!a!minute.!In!
a!way,!a!list!article!is!like!reading!through!a!series!of!headlines.!The!list!can!be!
incorporated! into! almost! any! headline! template,! as! you! can! see! from! the!
examples!given!below.!A!variation!that!also!works!well!is!the!chartMarticle!aka!
The!Top!10.!Any!person!who!has!sat!in!front!of!the!TV!in!the!last!few!days!of!
any!given!December!watching!a!runMdown!of!events!that!have!just!happened!
can! attest! to! that! fact.! People,! for! whatever! reason! like! summarised!
information!tied!up!in!a!neat!little!bow.!List!articles!are!your!pretty!pink!ribbon!
with!which!to!tie!all!the!useful!information!you!have!at!your!disposal.!It’s!also!
one! of! the! greatest! means! you! have! of! addressing! specific! factions! of! your!
target!audience.!!
Fill!in!the!blanks!
7!Way!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]!
The!5!Laws!for![Blank]!
7!Steps!to![Blank]!
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Get![Bank]!!10!Ideas!That!Really!Work!
7!Things!Your![Target!Audience]!Needs!to!Hear!You!Say!
Can’t!Keep!up?!11!Ways!to!Simplify!Your![Blank]!
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Real!Life!Examples!
7!things!young!professionals!must!know!to!avoid!burnout!
7!Simple!rules!that!will!reshape!your!body!for!life!
Top!10!exercises!for!toning!your!thighs!
5!Easy!ways!Mums!can!Work!out!with!their!Kids!
10!exercises!the!Family!can!do!together!
8!Supercfoods!that!will!boost!your!Metabolism!
Top!5!tips:!How!to!pick!the!right!training!shoes!
Top!10!ways!to!improve!your!fertility!
30!best!value!foods!to!improve!your!workout!
Super!6:!Give!your!health!a!boost!with!the!six!extras!every!woman!needs!
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Scare!Tactics:!The!Threatening!Headline!
Using!people’s!fears!to!create!eyeMcatching!headlines!is!nothing!new!and!there!
are!a!number!of!ways!you!can!implement!this!strategy!into!your!own!blog.!It!
may!seem!like!a!predatory!manipulation,!preying!on!the!fears!and!weaknesses!
of!those!who!don’t!know!any!better.!But!what!you!are!really!doing!is!appealing!
to! their! predictability.! People! won’t! ignore! articles! that! address! their! fears.!
And! as! fitness! professionals,! sometimes! scaring! people! can! be! the! best!
weapon! you! have! to! drive! them! towards! a! healthier! lifestyle.! Sometimes!
people! need! to! be! reminded,! just! how! much! damage! they! are! doing! to! their!
health?! If! you! have! to! scare! them! into! coming! to! you! for! help! –! but! you! can!
help! them! reach! their! goals! and! live! a! healthier! and! happier! life,! then! don’t!
feel!bad!about!using!these!kinds!of!headlines.!Why?!Because!they!work.!!
Fill!in!the!Blanks:!
How!safe!is!your![valuable!person/object]!from![threat]?!
7!Warning!Sign!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!
9!Lies![Group!of!People]!Like!to!Tell!
13!Things!Your![Trusted!Person]!Won’t!Tell!You!
5!LittlecKnown!Factors!That!Could!Affect!Your![Blank]!
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Real!life!examples:!
7!Warning!Signs!that!you!are!in!danger!of!Diabetes!
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10!Health!Risks!you!don’t!even!know!you’re!taking!at!Work!
5!Dangers!that!live!inside!your!Child’s!Lunchbox!
WARNING:!These!‘diet’!foods!could!be!destroying!your!health!
Is!your!job!making!you!fat?!Delete!these!workday!diet!saboteurs!
Warning:! Residents! of! Melbourne,! don’t! waste! another! dollar! with! your!
personal!trainer!until!you!read!this…!!
What!personal!trainers!don’t!tell!you!
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Pssssst…!The!Secret!Headline!
Who!doesn’t!like!a!good!secret,!right?!There!is!nothing!more!synonymous!with!
intrigue!and!allure!and!so!too!is!the!dark!and!mysterious!headline,!teasing!its!
readers! with! all! they’ve! ever! wanted! to! know,! or! overturning! all! they! ever!
thought!they!knew.!A!headline!that!reveals!a!secret!is!a!sure!fire!way!to!ensure!
readers!will!click!on!your!blog!post.!
In! the! fitness! industry,! this! one! will! come! in! useful! time! and! time! again! as!
people!are!constantly!looking!for!the!secret!to!glowing!skin,!or!silky!soft!hair!or!
a!successful!career!or!the!perfect!body.!Of!course,!fitness!professionals!know!
that! the! only! secret! is! that! there! is! no! secret.! But! healthy! eating! and! regular!
exercise! are! boring! on! their! own.! They! need! to! be! spiced! up.! When! people!
think!that!you!can!give!them!a!washboard!stomach!or!a!diet!that!allows!you!to!
have! naughty! food! for! dinner,! people! will! hang! on! your! every! word.! People!
can’t!chase!perfection!standing!still.!But!they!can!read!a!blog!that!might!give!
them! the! motivation! to! go! and! work! for! it.! If! you! have! to! lure! them! in! with!
‘secrets’!or!‘shortcuts,’!it’s!merely!a!case!of!the!ends!justifying!their!means.!
Fill!in!the!Blanks:!
Secrets!of![Famous!Group]!
[Blank]!Secrets!Every![Audience]!Should!Know!
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Real!life!examples:!
7!Secrets!Celebrity!Personal!Trainers!use!to!get!AcListers!Motivated!
10!little!known!factors!that!could!be!putting!you!at!risk!of!heart!disease!
6!Secrets!Top!Athletes!use!to!improve!their!performance!
Secret! Exercises! You! can! do! in! the! Office! (that! will! save! you! a! trip! to! the!
gym!)!
Health!Secrets!Men!Learn!from!Women!(or!at!least!they!should!)!
The!Secret!to!NOT!gaining!weight!on!your!next!holiday!
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The!Secret!Truth!about!your!morning!coffee!
Have! a! busy! work! life?! 7! LittlecKnow! Factors! that! could! be! affecting! your!
health!(and!your!job)!
Hopefully! you! can! see! how! easy! it! is! to! create! your! own! attentionMgrabbing!
headlines.!Always!remember!that!the!blogs!that!go!viral!aren’t!necessarily!the!
ones! with! the! best! headline! but! the! ones! with! the! best! content.! A! great!
headline! might! get! your! article! read,! but! a! great! article! will! get! it! read,! liked!
and! shared.! That’s! what’s! ultimately! going! to! build! your! reputation! as! an!
expert! in! your! field.! Speaking! directly! to! your! target! market! is! crucial! to!
acquiring!regular!readership.!If!you!are!a!fitness!instructor!specialising!in!bodyM
building! techniques,! middleMaged! women! with! a! bad! back! are! not! your!
audience.!Don’t!write!blogs!for!them.!Write!blogs!for!people!who!will!benefit!
most!from!what!you!have!to!say.!!
Some!additional!examples!of!headlines!you!can!use!
An!open!letter!to!female!residents!of!Melbourne,!Australia!
Who!else!wants!to!lose!10kg!in!X!weeks?!
What!everybody!ought!to!know!about!working!out!with!a!personal!trainer!
Give!me!x!weeks!and!I’ll!help!you!lose!x!kilos.!!
Tired!of!low!carb!diets!and!counting!your!calories?!
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What!to!do!next?!
So! you’ve! gone! through! our! headline! hacks! pdf! and! now! you’re! wondering!
what!to!do!next?!!
My!suggestion!is!to!keep!writing!headlines.!It!will!take!a!little!while!before!you!
get!the!hang!of!it,!but!it’s!such!a!great!skill!to!develop,!because!you!can!use!it!
not! only! for! your! content,! but! also! for! your! advertising! material! as! well.! So!
grab!a!pen!and!paper!this!weekend!and!start!practicing!your!headline!writing.!!
Plus! –! here’s! another! incentive! for! you.! If! you! write! a! blog! post! that! you’re!
really!proud!of!or!perhaps!a!headline!you’d!like!me!to!take!a!look!at!then!email!
me!at!jaimee@thefitnessentourage.com!and!I’ll!take!a!look.!!
Good!luck!with!your!headlines!!
Jaimee!Maree!
Founder!
www.thefitnessentourage.com!
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P.S! If! you! feel! like! headline! writing! isn’t! your! thing! or! you! want! help! with!
writing! your! content,! then! get! in! touch.! We! help! fitness! professionals! every!
day! to! write! killer! content! which! helps! them! to! generate! leads! and! clients! –!
and!we!can!help!you!too!!Just!head!over!to!the!contact!section!of!our!website,!
or!send!an!email!to!jaimee@thefitnessentourage.com.!!!
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