5d (edited) • Tutorials
Mastering the Three‑Trigger Headline Formula
Why Headlines Matter
On social media and in your inbox, you have mere seconds to persuade someone to stop scrolling and click. A bland headline that simply states the topic won’t cut it. The solution isn’t gimmicky clickbait – it’s understanding how our brains decide what’s worth investigating. One effective approach is to layer three attention triggers into a single headline: relatability, curiosity and the wow factor.
The Three Attention Triggers
Relatability: make readers see themselves
People pay attention when a headline feels personal. Numbers, ages or roles act as a mirror. In the example used in the source article, “My 10 Sources of Income at 28 (Six‑Figure Entrepreneur),” the age tag (“28”) helps readers imagine themselves in the author’s position. Similar anchors could be “first‑time founder” or “busy parent.”
Curiosity: pose a question without answering it
Effective headlines hint at a secret and then stop short of revealing the answer. The parenthetical “(Six‑Figure Entrepreneur)” in the example sparks a question – how does this person make six figures? – and the only way to find out is to click. When done ethically, this makes your content magnetic; you must ensure the article actually provides value to avoid clickbait.
Wow factor: deliver a specific, surprising detail
Adding an unusual or eye‑popping detail gives readers a jolt. “10 sources of income” works because most people have one or two streams, not ten. You don’t need to exaggerate; choose a concrete fact you can stand behind. Examples might include “I tried 30 side hustles in 30 days” or “Five mistakes that cost me $100,000 as a founder.”
Stack the Triggers for Maximum Impact
You could use one of these triggers and see some results, but stacking all three makes the headline irresistible. Consider the contrast below:
• Flat: “Lessons from my startup journey.”• Stacked: “Seven mistakes I made in my first year as a founder (that cost me $42,000).”
The stacked headline is personal (relatability), teases a story (curiosity) and drops a specific number (wow).
Applying the Formula Across Platforms
This three‑trigger framework isn’t just for blog posts; it works wherever attention is scarce:
Platform Example headline (with triggers)
Email subject lines Five mistakes I made running ads at 29 (that wasted $12,000)
LinkedIn posts The three 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)
Anywhere you need to grab attention — emails, social posts, landing pages — combine a relatable angle, a curiosity‑inspiring hook, and a surprising detail.
A Five‑Minute Exercise
To put this into practice, pull up your last five headlines or subject lines and ask yourself:
- Did you give people a mirror? Is there something that makes readers think, “This could be me?”
- Did you leave them itching for closure? Is there a gap or question they can only fill by clicking?
- Did you offer a detail worth talking about? Do you reveal a concrete, unusual fact?
If any of these are missing, rewrite the headline using the three‑trigger lens and run it through a headline analyser to refine it. With practice, you’ll notice these elements in nearly every piece of viral content and apply them to your own, doubling your clicks
Here is a prompt you can run your headline through to rewrite it using these triggers
I’d like you to analyze a headline and suggest ways to make it more compelling. The headline is:“[INSERT YOUR HEADLINE HERE]”
Please do the following:
- Tell me whether the headline includes the following attention triggers, and explain your reasoning for each:– Relatability: Does it give readers something they can personally relate to (age, role, problem, etc.)?– Curiosity: Does it pique interest by hinting at something intriguing or unanswered?– Wow factor: Does it include a specific detail or number that makes people take notice?
- If any triggers are missing or weak, show me how to rewrite the headline so that it stacks all three triggers together.
- After rewriting, briefly explain why your new headline is more likely to attract clicks or opens.
6
4 comments
Mastering the Three‑Trigger Headline Formula
powered by
skool.com/tech-lite-business-builders-5878
From “tech-shy” to confident: Learn AI tools that help you create, post, and build income.
Suggested communities
Powered by