Amanda - I couldn't agree more.

In my experience the opening headline is the first thing that your reader will look at. If it doesn’t catch their attention you can kiss your attempt goodbye. People have a very short attention span and usually sort their mail over the wastebasket.

Here are three headlines that have consistently worked for me:

“HOW TO _____________________”

People love to know how to do things. When combined with a powerful benefit the “How to” headline always gets people’s attention. In fact, they’re probably the two most powerful words you can use in a headline.

“SECRETS OF _________________ REVEALED!”

People always want to know “insider secrets.” We love to know things that other people aren’t privy to. Knowledge is power and those who have it feel powerful. Besides that, most of us enjoy a good mystery, especially in the end when the “secret” is revealed.

WARNING: DON’T EVEN THINK OF ___________ UNTIL YOU ___________.

Remember that people are motivated by fear of loss more than the promise of gain? Well, the “warning” headline screams fear. The word “warning” demands attention and combined with something of interest to the reader, is a very powerful headline.