This week we’re talking titles – something that can make all the difference to people opening your emails and consuming your content so that they buy.
I read an article recently that broke down the strategy of one highly successful online entrepreneur who brings in a seriously impressive income every year.
What stuck with me, though, wasn’t the income. It was their simple method for crafting titles that people cannot ignore. They stack three triggers in almost every headline: Relatability, Curiosity, and Wow.
So I tried it…and it doubled my clicks.
It sounds almost too simple but once you notice it, you’ll see it in almost all viral content.
The article used this example, which is a perfect illustration: “My 10 Sources of Income at 28 (6 Figure Entrepreneur).”
Let’s break it down:
- “28” makes it relatable. You immediately compare yourself to them.
- “(Six-Figure Entrepreneur)” sparks curiosity. What does that actually mean? How?
- “10 sources of income” is the wow detail. Ten is unusual enough to make you pause.
Each trigger lines up with how our attention works which is why the combination is so reliable.
Let’s Go a Little Deeper…
Relatability – The Human Anchor
Why does an age tag change everything? It tells the brain, This person could be me. It’s advice from a peer, not a distant guru.
This is why headlines like “How I Paid Off $40K of Debt at 26” spread so easily. If you’re anywhere near that age or problem, you lean in.
If your last five headlines read like generic advice, add a human anchor. A number, a life stage (“first-time founder”) or a specific role turns a headline from background noise into a mirror.
Curiosity – The Itch You Have to Scratch
Great titles whisper a secret and then stop mid-sentence.
That’s why the parentheses in that example work. You know they’re a six-figure entrepreneur, but six figures how? The only way to close the loop is to click.
Done poorly, this becomes cheap clickbait. Done well, it makes your content magnetic. The difference is simple: you have to pay it off in the content.
The Wow Factor: The Jolt of Specificity
Some details do more than inform. They jolt.
“10 sources of income” is a jolt because most people juggle one or two revenue streams, not ten. Our brains pay extra attention to unusual scale and specific numbers.
Wow doesn’t require exaggeration. It requires a concrete detail you can stand behind.
- “I tried 30 side hustles in 30 days.”
- “5 mistakes that cost me $100,000 as a founder.”
The Magic is in the Stack
The goal isn’t to use one trigger. It’s to stack all three.
Let’s revisit our example title:
“My 10 Sources of Income at 28 (Six-Figure Entrepreneur).”
- Relatable: the age.
- Curious: the parenthetical tease.
- Wow: the unusually high number.
Here’s a quick contrast:
- Flat: “Lessons from my startup journey.”
- Stacked: “7 mistakes I made in my first year as a founder (that cost me $42,000).”
One is vague. The other feels personal, teases a story, and drops a specific, painful number. Which one would you click?
Let’s Go Further…
This framework is a powerful start. To really master the art of the hook, I’ve put together some incredible free resources for you that dive deeper into the psychology and mechanics.
The Ultimate Headline Swipe File – BuzzSumo’s Blog. Just search for any topic and see the most-shared headlines. It’s a live lab for seeing the Relatability-Curiosity-Wow stack in action.
The Best Headline Analysers. See which you like best:
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/best-free-headline-analyzer
101 Great Subject Lines. Working right now:
https://reallygoodemails.com/subject-lines
Headlines that went viral. 90 examples including 21 that went viral and why:
Data-Driven Headlines. Love proof? Here are data-driven headlines that smash it…
https://coschedule.com/headlines/headline-ideas
This Works Everywhere
Anywhere attention is scarce, these triggers help. Here are some examples:
Email Subject Lines: “5 mistakes I made running ads at 29 (that wasted $12,000).”
LinkedIn Posts: “The 3 words that took my cold email replies from 2% to 45%.”
Landing Pages: “Join 4,200 creators who doubled their audience in 30 days (without paid ads).”
Your Challenge This Week
Pull up your last five headlines or subject lines. Ask three questions:
- Did you give people a mirror? (Relatability)
- Did you leave them itching for closure? (Curiosity)
- Did you offer a detail worth talking about? (Wow)
If the answer is no, rewrite one of them using this lens. Run it through one of the analyzers above and see what changes.
In a world where most people hit publish and hope, the ones who stack these triggers stand a much higher chance of getting the views, clicks, and subscribers that move everything forward.
Your TED Talk this week is on how to let curiosity lead…
P.S. Take a look at the headline of this article…see what I did there?
