I’m a journalist at heart, and we’re taught to fight against cliches. They represent dull writing, a lack of creativity and an overall laziness. I’m sure I get lazy and throw out some typical writing formulas every once in a while, but I try to be conscious of using stock phrases and stereotypes.

That’s why I’m bristling at guidelines I received from an SEO advice company to help me create blog headlines for one of my clients. He sent me links to headline writing advice from copyblogger’s Magnetic Headline series and added…

I highly recommend creating a post schedule that is refreshed on a monthly basis and built while reviewing the title templates presented in the links above. Those exact templates don’t have to be used repetitiously of course but the same type of elements should be present in the majority of the post titles.

Here are some of his examples:

• [#] Killer [Item] That You Probably Don’t Know About
  • Example: 10 Killer Time Savers You Probably Don’t Knows About
• Warning: [Compelling Issue]
  • Example: Warning: Your Manager Is Going to Get you Fired
  • Example: Warning: Don’t Get Fired For your Coworkers
• Will [X] for [Y]
  • Example: Will Sing for Collaboration
• Introducing [X], The New [Y]
  • Example: Introducing Mom, The New Project Manager
• Who Else Wants [X]?
  • Example: Who Else Wants their Weekend Back?

I’m not bristling at the guy who sent me the advice. I’m bristling that the advice works. I hate it that we as blog readers DO tend to like those types of headlines, even though we’ve seen them everywhere for years. Do we as readers not want anything more than a list of 5 tips from an expert blogger? Are we so attracted to an article that begins: If you don’t [blank] now, you’ll hate yourself later?

We are indeed. A public relations blog advises people to use formula press release titles. A post on the Home Business Center blog recommends starting every headline with “how to.” Writers in our society have proved that people read these articles, and that makes me sad that we don’t demand more creativity. I’m heartened by the fact that the blogger at Escape Job Hell pleads “‘Who Else’ Wants Marketers to Stop Using This Headline Formula?” I know others out there are ready for a change.

Frankly, though, I’m not placed to start the revolution against bad headline writing. I’ve got a responsibility to my clients to make sure their info is read, and I’ll keep using these formulas as long as they work.