your headline achieving all three of its goals: 1) telling the reader what this piece is about, 2) whether it’s for them, and 3) whether the PROMISE is worth their time. The way I write and rewrite headlines is I first try to say whatever it is I’m trying to say, in as many words as I need to say it.

instead of focusing on their product they should be focusing on their customer, and trying to give the best possible solution to their customer instead of trying to find a way to sell their product. When you shift your mindset like that, all the sudden this contrarian angle no longer feels contrarian. It sort of feels like the right thing to do, or

You need to uncover your customer’s deepest and most primal desires. You must delve into their fears, hopes, wishes, and dreams. This is the stuff they’re thinking but don’t tell anyone. You need to move beyond the obvious and work out how your audience thinks, feels, and acts. As Robert Collier said…

Before you start writing anything, the very first thing you should do is think deeply about the headline, the frame, and the focal point you are presenting to your reader. Even if you’re writing a 100-character Tweet, I encourage you to question, “What would be the headline of this Tweet?” To be honest, I used to write my headlines last. A younger