Swipe Files. No, it isn’t like swipe on, swipe off.
It’s more like, “I had a unbelievable weekend and in my rush to finish my work early on Friday, the day I usually write my blog posts, I’m stumped because I am dreaming about that trip we just got back from. Now what?”
You shall go to your Swipe File.
A Swipe File is now going to be your collection of tested headlines for sales letters and now more often blog posts. Copywriters have a swipe file and as a business blogger you’d be shooting yourself in the foot if you didn’t start creating your own file.
It is intended to cure the ever annoying dilemma of “I have to write a blog post, but I don’t know what to write about!”
It is also great to use these headlines for your Twitter and Facebook updates.
This is something you create and update forever.
Here’s a few entries from my swipe file.
- If You Don’t [blank] Now, You’ll Hate Yourself Later.
- The Lazy [blank’s] Way to [blank]
- Do You Recognize the [number] Early Warning Signs of [blank]?
- See How Easily You Can [desirable result].
- You Don’t Have to Be [something challenging] to be [desired result].
Do you see the awesomeness of it?
So adapt it to your business. If you are a vegetarian blogger, you could do this.
- If you don’t cut out this dangerous red meat Now, You’ll Hate Yourself Later.
- The lazy vegetarian’s way to making lunch at the office less boring.
- Do you recognize the 3 Early Warning signs that you aren’t getting enough protein.
Now, you take that headline and you should be inspired with a direction to blog about, right? Right.
Where do you find ideas for your swipe file? You could check out the gossip mags… they always have lots of stuff that whether you want to admit it or not draw you to read. Then it makes you want to open the magazine to read the story. Maybe you start to take note of what you click on and then make note of how you can adapt it to work for your niche. Then take all the headlines and create a simple file that you can reference all the time.
Or get a free one swipe file here to use to start building your own file…
Headline Hacks by Jon Morrow
