My first 2 attempts at writing new headlines for my old content were miserable. I hated them both, and they felt like cheap click bait. They were templated schlock and required zero thought. Just 100 lines of fill-in-the-blanks.
But I have a theory…
My dismay may have been due to the type of content I was covering. Informational rather than entertaining.
So today I’m going to mix it up.
About a year ago, I wrote this piece about making work presentations funny. I’ve been meaning to revisit it for a while because I think it could become a cornerstone piece if it’s fleshed out. Right now, it’s more of a quick hit. But it’s got a terrible headline. It fits the piece but ain’t nobody is gonna click it.
(Truth be told; my old blog was more therapeutic than anything. It’s got nothing to do with my writing today—and it’s been dormant for ages.)
Anyway, I wanted to see if I’d have better luck with a fun content post.
Turns out, I did.
Here are 102 way better headlines than Tryin’a Be Funny At Work:
| 1 | 5 tips for being funny at work |
| 2 | Want to be funny at work? Follow these 5 steps |
| 3 | This is how you balance our being mean & funny in presentations |
| 4 | hello snarkness my old my friend |
| 5 | 5 Things you should do to become a funnier presenter |
| 6 | 5 Silly reasons to be funny at work |
| 7 | Punch up your presentation and knock ’em down |
| 8 | 5 Comedy commandments for crafting a funnier presentation |
| 9 | How snarky should you be to become funny |
| 10 | How to pepper some laughs into your work day |
| 11 | How to make your co-workers like you |
| 12 | How to be funny at work |
| 13 | Please tell me you didn’t try doing THIS at work |
| 14 | Need to make a funny sketch at work? |
| 15 | How to make comedy at work, work |
| 16 | Can insulting your boss actually be good for your career? |
| 17 | Funny presentations are better. Here’s why. |
| 18 | Present like a stand-up comic |
| 19 | Boss ask you to do something funny again? |
| 20 | Ever been to great presentation before? |
| 21 | Give your workplace presentations a much-need kick in the keester |
| 22 | Your guide to creating funny work presentations |
| 23 | There’s more to being funny at work than a comic sans font |
| 24 | How to make jokes about your boss while she’s watching |
| 25 | Bringing the silly to work |
| 26 | Tips for making your office more fun |
| 27 | Things you should never do during presentations |
| 28 | The someday-comic’s guide to making your presentation funnier |
| 29 | 5 Funny ways to punch up your presentation (and be funny at work) |
| 30 | How to own the room while you present (and fill it with laughter) |
| 31 | What do when your boss thinks he’s a clown |
| 32 | How being a little mean can help your career |
| 33 | How to be funny at work (without getting in trouble with HR) |
| 34 | I work funny and you are too |
| 35 | The worst thing you can do is try to help someone be funny |
| 36 | How to help your co-workers be funny |
| 37 | Just because you want to funny doesn’t mean you should be |
| 38 | How to write a group sketch at work |
| 39 | Does your boss think he’s funny? Here’s how to help him make it real |
| 40 | Where to draw the line while being funny at work |
| 41 | Want to make life at the office more interesting? Here’s how |
| 42 | Nobody likes to give boring presentations |
| 43 | 5 ways to funny up your workplace |
| 44 | What to consider before trying to make your presentation funny |
| 45 | Everything you need to know about being funny at work |
| 46 | Why you owe it to your audience to be funny |
| 47 | Making corporate life a bit more funny |
| 48 | There’s funny, then there’s work funny |
| 49 | How to knock ’em out with your presentation by punching up the comedy |
| 50 | How to spice up the workplace with some humor |
| 51 | Ever want to be the funny one at work? |
| 52 | How to give a funny presentation |
| 53 | Comedy hacking with your co-workers |
| 54 | Why it’s bad to force funny |
| 55 | Get the laughs at work |
| 56 | The dangers of being funny at work (and how you can avoid them) |
| 57 | How to add punch(lines) to your presentation |
| 58 | Here’s why you should never make fun of your boss in public |
| 59 | Laugh your way to the top |
| 60 | Reach your maximum hilarity presentation potential |
| 61 | How to make HR nervous |
| 62 | Yes, even you can be funny at work. Here’s how. |
| 63 | What to do when you’re asked to write a sketch |
| 64 | Do you want to be the class clown of your office? |
| 65 | Here’s what to do if someone asks for help them make their presentation funny |
| 66 | What you should know about being funny at work |
| 67 | How to make your co-workers laugh (with ought upsetting your boss) |
| 68 | How to be the funniest (looking!) guy at the office |
| 69 | What’s the proper balance for insulting your audience |
| 70 | Is it better to make fun of your boss or your assistant (getting this wrong could get you fired!) |
| 71 | Better presentations take practice |
| 72 | How to turn your presentation into an open-mic at a comedy club |
| 73 | How to be funny at the office |
| 74 | Hearing an uncomfortable silence after you make a joke in your presentation? |
| 75 | Put some personality into your presentation |
| 76 | How to make your work presentation funny |
| 77 | Here are 6 methods that are transforming offices into comedy clubs |
| 78 | Always leave your audience with a smile. Here’s how: |
| 79 | Practice your stand-up on unsuspecting co-workers |
| 80 | Take your silly to work day |
| 81 | How a hat for pot-bellied pigs can make you a better presenter |
| 82 | Stand-up comedy from a cubicle |
| 83 | Punch up your punchlines |
| 84 | Can being a little mean make you more likeable? |
| 85 | Are you missing these presentation opportunities for comedy gold? |
| 86 | 5 ways to create a presentation good enough to take on the road |
| 87 | How to be the office clown |
| 88 | The hidden meaning behind mean at work |
| 89 | Should you be a little mean when you present? |
| 90 | The art of being funny |
| 91 | 5 surefire tips to make your presentations punchier |
| 92 | Comedy hacks to make your presentation funny |
| 93 | How to get more laughs per minute when you present |
| 94 | Why it’s safer to write ridiculous insults than real ones |
| 95 | How to make being a smart mouth pay off |
| 96 | The fine line between funny and mean at work |
| 97 | Punch up your presentations with these 5 tips |
| 98 | Leave your co-workers with a smile |
| 99 | 5 easy ways to be funny at work |
| 100 | What happens if you make fun of the wrong person at work? |
| 101 | Funny presentations take practice |
| 102 | Here’s who you should be making fun of at work |
Overall: Considerably better! I always knew that original headline sucked, so the bar was set pretty low. And while I did use the templates a good bit, and it’s not the most interesting post to read, the results are a vast improvement over the original.
Lessons: I think the difference between this and my previous content headline posts was that I wasn’t swapping a formula for a formula. I was making an upgrade.
- I have more of a personal connection to this piece. Yes, I wrote the other 2, but they aren’t in my voice. This one is.
- I was able to be more specific and allude to jokes within the content.
- Some of these still feel generic or like click bait, but they’re all better than the original line.
- Writing this gave me a few ideas about how to improve this post.
- Watch for me to re-purpose and expand this piece once the headline project is over.
- Wow, the “bigly” line is definitely dated. The meme was right.
- Content templates do have a place. It’s not necessarily a place I’ll visit often because I’ve pivoted from that medium, but I won’t dismiss them as quickly as I did before.
Using templates isn’t a challenge. But it can produce decent results.
Time: This was quick. Just over 50 minutes in 1 session. Mostly fiil-in-the-blanks.
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