Tips and tricks.
Facebook Ads that don’t suck.
LinkedIn lead generation that actually works.
Let’s all agree to stop using these phrases, okay?
They are a few of my least favorite things. These copywriting and title phrases were great once… until they were used to death. Now, use them and you sound lazy and unoriginal.
It’s frustrating, because the phrases are pretty good. They grab the attention, they stick.
But this is what happens: somebody writes something good, then everybody follows suit. For a little while, it works because the phrases are fresh enough to resonate. But the novelty wears off. The same phrases appear in everyone’s copy and captions. Game over.
Think about the BEST copy you’ve ever read – an email subject line that you immediately opened; a blog post you vividly remember, a Instagram caption you saved. What worked on you?
Favorite titles I’ve seen:
- Bullish: How to Build a Modern Woman’s Hope Chest Without Looking Like an Insane Harpy
- Bullish Life: 3 Romantic Mistakes That Young Women Make That Cause Weeping Among The Angels And Kittens
- Bullish Life: Hanging Out With People In Real Life Is Now Like Herding Cats. Cats That Suck.
What works on me? I love the extremes – insane harpy, angels and kittens. They’re unexpected in their extremity, and that’s what makes them stick. They’re memorable.
The unexpectedness is what don’t suck and actually works have going for them (tips and tricks is just alliteration. It’s my least favorite used-to-death phrase of all. Especially because, how often is it used to describe ideas that are 100% do NOT involve trickery?? ARGH). They’re bold, they call it out, they’re even a little extreme.
But, as the Bullish titles above make clear, there are ENDLESS creative ways to write unexpected headlines. You can do so much better than relying on hat tricks – especially with extremity in your arsenal.
This post is part of my 100 Blog Posts in 100 Days series. View the rest here.
