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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:

15 tips for being funny at work
2Want to be funny at work? Follow these 5 steps
3This is how you balance our being mean & funny in presentations
4hello snarkness my old my friend
55 Things you should do to become a funnier presenter
65 Silly reasons to be funny at work
7Punch up your presentation and knock ’em down
85 Comedy commandments for crafting a funnier presentation
9How snarky should you be to become funny
10How to pepper some laughs into your work day
11How to make your co-workers like you
12How to be funny at work
13Please tell me you didn’t try doing THIS at work
14Need to make a funny sketch at work?
15How to make comedy at work, work
16Can insulting your boss actually be good for your career?
17Funny presentations are better. Here’s why.
18Present like a stand-up comic
19Boss ask you to do something funny again?
20Ever been to great presentation before?
21Give your workplace presentations a much-need kick in the keester
22Your guide to creating funny work presentations
23There’s more to being funny at work than a comic sans font
24How to make jokes about your boss while she’s watching
25Bringing the silly to work
26Tips for making your office more fun
27Things you should never do during presentations
28The someday-comic’s guide to making your presentation funnier
295 Funny ways to punch up your presentation (and be funny at work)
30How to own the room while you present (and fill it with laughter)
31What do when your boss thinks he’s a clown
32How being a little mean can help your career
33How to be funny at work (without getting in trouble with HR)
34I work funny and you are too
35The worst thing you can do is try to help someone be funny
36How to help your co-workers be funny
37Just because you want to funny doesn’t mean you should be
38How to write a group sketch at work
39Does your boss think he’s funny? Here’s how to help him make it real
40Where to draw the line while being funny at work
41Want to make life at the office more interesting? Here’s how
42Nobody likes to give boring presentations
435 ways to funny up your workplace
44What to consider before trying to make your presentation funny
45Everything you need to know about being funny at work
46Why you owe it to your audience to be funny
47Making corporate life a bit more funny
48There’s funny, then there’s work funny
49How to knock ’em out with your presentation by punching up the comedy
50How to spice up the workplace with some humor
51Ever want to be the funny one at work?
52How to give a funny presentation
53Comedy hacking with your co-workers
54Why it’s bad to force funny
55Get the laughs at work
56The dangers of being funny at work (and how you can avoid them)
57How to add punch(lines) to your presentation
58Here’s why you should never make fun of your boss in public
59Laugh your way to the top
60Reach your maximum hilarity presentation potential
61How to make HR nervous
62Yes, even you can be funny at work. Here’s how.
63What to do when you’re asked to write a sketch
64Do you want to be the class clown of your office?
65Here’s what to do if someone asks for help them make their presentation funny
66What you should know about being funny at work
67How to make your co-workers laugh (with ought upsetting your boss)
68How to be the funniest (looking!) guy at the office
69What’s the proper balance for insulting your audience
70Is it better to make fun of your boss or your assistant (getting this wrong could get you fired!)
71Better presentations take practice
72How to turn your presentation into an open-mic at a comedy club
73How to be funny at the office
74Hearing an uncomfortable silence after you make a joke in your presentation?
75Put some personality into your presentation
76How to make your work presentation funny
77Here are 6 methods that are transforming offices into comedy clubs
78Always leave your audience with a smile. Here’s how:
79Practice your stand-up on unsuspecting co-workers
80Take your silly to work day
81How a hat for pot-bellied pigs can make you a better presenter
82Stand-up comedy from a cubicle
83Punch up your punchlines
84Can being a little mean make you more likeable?
85Are you missing these presentation opportunities for comedy gold?
865 ways to create a presentation good enough to take on the road
87How to be the office clown
88The hidden meaning behind mean at work
89Should you be a little mean when you present?
90The art of being funny
915 surefire tips to make your presentations punchier
92Comedy hacks to make your presentation funny
93How to get more laughs per minute when you present
94Why it’s safer to write ridiculous insults than real ones
95How to make being a smart mouth pay off
96The fine line between funny and mean at work
97Punch up your presentations with these 5 tips
98Leave your co-workers with a smile
995 easy ways to be funny at work
100What happens if you make fun of the wrong person at work?
101Funny presentations take practice
102Here’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.