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Here’s the golden rule of writing online:
For anyone to read your writing, they… well, first need to click on it.👉📝
So, here’s my favourite way to find up-to-date headline templates. And, how you can use them to gain more views on your articles.
On any platform…
Why you should show (and not tell).
One of my favourite pieces of writing advice is “show, don’t tell”.
Instead of explaining an idea to your readers, pull them into your mind. Paint a picture and get them emotionally involved in the story you’re telling.
At the end of the day, the reader is the hero of every story. 🦸
Which means… well, you’re my hero.
So, instead of telling you the best practices for writing viral headlines, let me show you how to develop viral headlines of your own.
Here’s a treasure trove of proven headlines.
If there’s one thing all humans share, it’s the desire to carve our own path.
It’s why children naturally resist orders. But, are happy to follow instructions when they feel like the leader. And, why most adults resist being told what to do while often yearning for advice.
So, instead of listing out a million different ways to write better headlines, here’s where you can find a treasure trove of proven templates.
And, how you can use them to develop your own style of viral headlines.
Step #1: go to Medium.com’s story archives
If you’re not a Medium member, don’t worry. This method is available to everyone, for free, even if you don’t wish to read or write on the platform. 💡
Medium is home to over 150 million monthly visitors — making it one of the most popular websites for articles/essays on the internet.
And, because discoverability on Medium is largely governed by its algorithm, headlines dictate the vast majority of traffic.
Medium stories present some of the best headline templates on the internet. 📝 💪
On Medium, headlines reign supreme.
And, thankfully, Medium organizes all of its most popular headlines into story archives found within publications.
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To find any publication’s story archive, navigate to its homepage. Then, add “/archive” to the URL. This will bring up the most successful stories within that publication.
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👉 Here’s a master list of Medium's top publications.
If you’re not sure how many followers a publication has, you can add “/latest” to the URL instead of “/archive”. 💡
Step #2: look for headlines you vibe with
You can find the following phrase hidden in just about every article I post:
“What works for you is what works. Period.” 🙋✅
This is because writing is a personal journey. And, I believe understanding who you are as a writer is far more important than the words you write.
So, create a list of the headlines you like and start playing around with them.
Personally, 99% of my successful headlines fall under 3 categories:
“Do [blank] to achieve [blank]”
“I Tried [blank]. Here’s What Happened.”
”Here’s What [blank] Taught Me About [blank]”
Any time I get stuck, I revert to these 3 options. And, for a little flare, I frequent Medium’s story archives to discover trendy power words or new hooks.
Most importantly, to discover what’s working in real time. 💰
Step #3: practice in different formats
When it comes to writing online, less is more.
As William Zinsser writes, in his book, On Writing Well,
“The secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components.” 📝 ✅
So, I find it valuable to practice on multiple platforms — particularly those offering word restrictions.
Although I don’t enjoy the excess stimuli of social media, what I’ve discovered is, headlines are the universal language of the internet.
And, can be used for any type of content:
Hooks (Twitter, LinkedIn & Substack Notes)
Video titles (on YouTube, TikTok, or Facebook)
Captions (under images on Pinterest or Instagram)
👉 Here’s a master list of every major writing platform.
If you can nail the headline, you’re guaranteed views. No matter the content type. Or, what platform you post on.
Final thoughts: writing is a personal journey.
So, take it one step at a time. 👣
Here’s a secret about me: I think in metaphors.
So, to me, headlines are doors opening up the possibility for your words to be read. And, if you want to get more views on your articles, clear the pathway to your door, paint it well, and build it sturdy.
Use viral headlines as molds to build insatiable doors readers need to open.
Thanks for reading! 🙌
If you’re not yet a subscriber to Writer’s Hub, why not become one? 👇
👉 And, for weekly videos on how to make money as a writer, subscribe to my YouTube channel. 🍿
Finally, if you know anyone who will benefit from this post, share it with them. 👇
That’s it from me.
Talk soon! 🙋♂️
— Hudson
Writing resources:
🙋♂️ Here’s everything I’ve got going on
📚 These are my favourite books on writing
🗣️ This A.I. voiceover was created with Eleven Labs
Meanwhile, how about using an online headline analyzer?
'...my successful headlines fall under 3 categories...'
Moving forward, I'll definitely try to incorporate more of such phrases for my articles' titles.
Thanks for these tips, Hudson.