Do you want to learn how to create a headline swipe file?
Swipe files can save you time, energy, and headaches as you search for battle-tested headlines that give results.
That’s why, in this post, we’re going to teach you how to create your own headline swipe file in under 5 minutes.
But first, let’s get clear on what a “headline swipe file” is and why it’s so valuable.
What Is a Headline Swipe File?
The idea behind a headline swipe file is simple: it contains different headlines that have been proven to work. The goal, then, is for you to use these more successful headlines as inspiration (or even better yet, “swipe” them) when crafting your own content.
This can be done by pulling headlines from your own content, trendsetters in the industry, or even past successes.
When you’re building a swipe file, it should contain anywhere from 20-100 different titles that are short and concise (around six to ten words) as well as unique enough so they don’t get repetitive.
But you might be wondering, “Is creating a headline swipe file even worth your time?”
The answer is a resounding “YES!”
As we mentioned before, swipe files are incredibly useful because they help you save time and energy when searching for headlines that work. In turn, this means your content is more likely to reach your intended audience as well as achieve the desired results.
Here are few other benefits of creating a headline swipe file:
- You’ll be able to generate more ideas and write faster.
- It becomes a go-to tool for inspiration when you’re stuck with writer’s block.
- When used continuously, it will help your writing skills improve over time too!
Now that you know what a headline swipe file is and why they’re so important, let’s look at how you can create one in under 5 minutes.
How to Create a Headline Swipe File
When creating a headline swipe file of your own, here are the steps to follow:
1) Gather your favorite headline from a successful article.
Imagine that you’re writing a headline for an article on social media trends. One of your favorite headlines from the past might be “101 Ways Social Media Is Changing Our Lives.”
If this is one of your favorites, go ahead and copy it into a new document. This will serve as the beginning of your swipe file!
If you can’t find any headline that immediately stands out, try running a Google search for popular headlines from the past couple of years. You’ll be able to uncover more powerful and engaging options this way.
It’s also worth noting that your swipe file doesn’t have to only include titles – it could also contain phrases or sentences that you think are interesting.
For example, if you’re writing about how social media is changing our lives, your swipe file might include other popular headlines like “Social Media Is Changing How We Communicate” or “The Rise of Social Media Changes The Face Of Advertising.”
This way, when it’s time to come up with a headline, you’ll have plenty of ideas to choose from.
2) Create an Excel spreadsheet or Word document
You can add as many columns as necessary to give you context about the headline you want. That includes adding the headline itself, phrases from the headline you liked, where the headline comes from, and more.
Add in any notes as necessary, such as what content marketing strategy this particular headline is best suited for, or why it’s a successful headline.
You can add in as many columns and rows as you want, but it’s best to keep the spreadsheet or document simple (and easy-to-use) so that you don’t get overwhelmed with options!
If possible, try saving your swipe file on Google Drive so that all of your headlines are accessible from anywhere.
3) Actually Using Your Swipe File
If you’ve decided to create your own swipe file, then congratulations! You’re already ahead of the game.
However, there are a few things to keep in mind when using it:
- Don’t be afraid to mix and match headlines from different sources. Sometimes building on someone else’s idea will lead you down an even more successful path.
- If you’re looking for inspiration, try opening your swipe file and scanning through all of the headlines that are listed. The one that’s most appealing to you is bound to kickstart your creativity in no time!
- If you’re feeling particularly stuck, start with one of the headlines in your swipe file to get back on track.
They may not be exactly what you were looking for at first glance, but they can help open up a whole new world of ideas!
Swipe File Headline Examples
In order to give you a better idea of what your swipe file might look like, let’s go through some examples:
- “Why We Love Taylor Swift”
- “Who Is Beyonce (Really)?”
- “What Gwenyth Paltrow Has in Her Home (That You Don’t…Yet)”
When writing headlines for articles about celebrities and their effect on society, these three headlines are great options to include in your swipe file.
But notice that a few of those examples about celebrities can be quickly modified for any niche or topic.
You could take “Why We Love Taylor Swift” and transform it into “Why We Love Email Marketing.”
Now you have a “go-to” headline formula whenever you’re stuck. Simply stick with “Why We Love” and insert the subject of your blog post there.
Here’s another example for headlines from the finance industry:
- “The Best Investment Strategies for 2021”
- “How To Fix Your Finances In Less Than One Year!”
- “Why You Should Start Investing Now.”
If you’re writing about finance and investing, these three headlines are great to include in your swipe file.
But you could easily substitute out “investing” with any other topic like gardening or blogging. The point is that it comes down to the benefits of whatever content marketing strategy you’re going for.
By taking the time to create a swipe file, you’re able to have more options and better results for your content marketing strategy.
Now it’s up to you to decide which headlines are worth including in your swipe file. The sky is really the limit here, as long as the headline fits with at least one of your strategies.
One last thing to remember is that a swipe file can be as simple or complicated as you want. The simpler and more streamlined, the better.
Here are some great examples of headlines from different sources:
- “Social Media Is Changing How We Communicate” by Entrepreneur Magazine’s Social Media Editor Stephen Johnson (from Entrepreneur Magazine)
- “This is What Happens When You Give Up Your Phone for a Month” by Rosemary Donahue (from The Huffington Post)
- “How to Be the Best Boss Ever in Less Than 30 Seconds Flat” by Jason Shenkman (from Entrepreneur.com).
The only limit to the swipe file is how many headlines you want in it. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, start with a few and add more as your needs arise.
And lastly, keep in mind that there’s not much value in creating a swipe file unless you’re actually using it.
That means you’ll want to test which formulas work best for you and make a habit of going to your swipe file for each piece of content that you create.