Copywriting for copywriters. I randomly chose a newsletter for post #1. The Weekly Spooky, by Brit McGinnis over at Black Bow Communications. She’s the Elvira of Copywriting. Dark, macabre, and damn good people. Give her a follow if you can.
Without diving too deep, I came up with 100 ideas, phrases & titles I thought could fit her theme. Mind you, Brit had no idea I was doing this and they’re not for any specific post. I’m just getting my feet wet here and this one didn’t come out quite how I planned—more of a blog brainstorm than a specific headline. But it’s a start.
I imagine there’ll be a lot of learning over the first dozen or so, and this should (hopefully) be the worst one I write. Sign up at the bottom to get the recap & follow along.
OK, enough stalling. I put a few of my favorites in bold.
Notes below the list.
| 1 | The Bride of Frankenstein’s hair was red – and 12 other facts you didn’t know |
| 2 | Copy to kill for |
| 3 | Bloggers! Are you scaring your audience enough? |
| 4 | Lessons from the chamber |
| 5 | Nightmare Copy |
| 6 | How to escape the pit & the pendulum |
| 7 | 13 things you didn’t know were true about these horror legends |
| 8 | These 6 items can help you survive any horror scenario |
| 9 | What they saw before they died |
| 10 | the ultimate guide to horror movie survival |
| 11 | Great copy that makes your hair stand on end |
| 12 | The story technique Hitchcock used in all 49 of his movies |
| 13 | The handbook for the undead business writer |
| 14 | Never underestimate a teenage girl with an axe |
| 15 | Why you should lock the door before you write |
| 16 | Freddy vs. Jason vs. You |
| 17 | Things the demons should always know about girl power |
| 18 | Lessons learned from Alfred Hitchcock |
| 19 | Slashing straight to the point |
| 20 | Blood spatter analysis |
| 21 | Stop thinking you wouldn’t have been killed. You would. |
| 22 | Lessons to keep you alive until the final credits |
| 23 | 9 gruesome details about your favorite monster’s face |
| 24 | Spine-tingling tales of writing |
| 25 | Tales from behind the bookcase |
| 26 | Bloody Business |
| 27 | 7 horror classics written by women |
| 28 | 4 secrets to killing a zombie |
| 29 | How to swing an axe like Jason |
| 30 | Lessons learned from the dead |
| 31 | The torture chamber |
| 32 | Sacrificial copy |
| 33 | Could “The Mist” actually happen? |
| 34 | Why cardio workouts don’t mean anything when you’re running from the dead |
| 35 | Tales from the dungeon |
| 36 | The dark art of copywriting |
| 37 | Life lessons learned from horrifically dead people |
| 38 | What the dead things can teach us |
| 39 | Burn these ideas into your brain |
| 40 | What would really happen if you got stabbed by Freddy? |
| 41 | The secrets buried in your basement |
| 42 | Here’s why you’ll never stop being afraid of kid ghosts |
| 43 | Scary stories to tell at work |
| 44 | Tales of black magic |
| 45 | The twisted path to the dark castle |
| 46 | After learning how movie guts are made, you may never want to eat this dessert again |
| 47 | Disturbing secrets of how we process copy |
| 48 | Sharp-witted tales that cut through your flesh |
| 49 | Science says you should watch more horror movies |
| 50 | Tales from the creature shop — insider secrets to building the perfect beast |
| 51 | Should you be more like Michael Myers or Jamie Lee Curtis? |
| 52 | Halloween shouldn’t be the only day you’re afraid of (what happened this week in horror) |
| 53 | Horrific lessons |
| 54 | The bloodstained writer |
| 55 | Voodoo & Witchcraft copy |
| 56 | I analyzed 6 of the scariest movies and here’s what I learned |
| 57 | The death knell heard ’round the internet |
| 58 | How the creature from the black lagoon saved cinema |
| 59 | 26 ways to kill monsters |
| 60 | What I learned about simple scare techniques from watching Stranger Things |
| 61 | Weekly bloodstain |
| 62 | Business secrets inside the screams |
| 63 | Dark words & black shadows |
| 64 | Weekly apparitions |
| 65 | Lessons from the dead / the other side |
| 66 | Copy tips for beating hearts |
| 67 | 6 reasons why I want to be besties with H. R. Giger’s Alien |
| 68 | How to increase your audience size by never showing the monster |
| 69 | Where to hide when the monsters come |
| 70 | How to outrun a demon |
| 71 | It was this one thing that made me fear sweat |
| 72 | Messages from the other side |
| 73 | Why watching horror movies make you smarter |
| 74 | Why we love to watch people die |
| 75 | Can you spot the editing mistake in this scene? |
| 76 | Newsletters to keep your business from dying |
| 77 | Strange & unusual secrets |
| 78 | The last thing he saw before his face was ripped off was this. |
| 79 | If Jason knew about this one thing, he would have made it to Saturday with both arms |
| 80 | Stabs, jabs & quick attacks you should you be doing with your business |
| 81 | How to survive the ______ experience |
| 82 | It’s tough to look back when you don’ t have a head |
| 83 | Words that go bump in the night |
| 84 | Lessons learned from Norman Bates / Freddy Krueger / Jason Voorhees |
| 85 | All the ooze that’s fit to print |
| 86 | abominable mistakes every movie victim makes |
| 87 | Mistakes made by the dead (series of villains & their downfalls / tragic hero lessons) |
| 88 | Interviews with ghosts |
| 89 | The true science of horror movies |
| 90 | The copy at the end of your bed |
| 91 | Why you should be terrified of mermaids |
| 92 | Dark words that watch you sleep |
| 93 | How to survive possession —and other secrets for moving beyond bad ideas |
| 94 | Why it’s OK to outwardly cheer for the bad guy |
| 95 | Forget the dark, these are the lessons you should really be afraid of |
| 96 | The fear-monger |
| 97 | Warning! Most characters are dead before the 2nd act |
| 98 | If you want to live, read this |
| 99 | Things movie victims wish they knew before they died |
| 100 | Don’t look back when running up the stairs (all the things you should leave behind when you advance) |
| 101 | How to beat the demon |
| 102 | 11 mistakes people make when running from ghosts |
| 103 | 13 things Edgar Allen Poe got right |
Overall: Meh. Though there are a few good post ideas here, this wasn’t what I was aiming for. I want to focus on key messaging.This turned into a smorgasbord of potential content. I wouldn’t mind reading a few of these, but I need to get focused on ONE idea. Brit (or anyone else), they’re all yours if you want ’em.
Lesson Learned: Try something more focused than a newsletter. Cut out the general blog headline formulas
Total time spent: 1:28 (all at once)
More tomorrow.
1/100
This is fantastic! I think it’s great how much you focused on the language of the niche and THEN sought out topics around it.
Thanks, Brit! I was hoping to do you justice. I really like what you’re putting out there. The world needs more decapitations. Feel free to use anything!
I gᥙess he iis PEᏒϜECT at it!? Laugһed Laгry.