“Popups never work. So annoying and distracting.”

“Spending hours creating a popup? Such a waste of time!”

Some people think popups are dead, even forever.

Annoying, distracting. Got it.

But let us tell you this:

POPUPS AREN’T DEAD.

From big brands like Armani, Estee Lauder, Shiseido to marketing experts like Neil Patel, Brian Dean, Tim Soulo - they all have been using popups for years (until now).

“OK. I’m using a popup, too. But why did I get only a few conversions?”

It’s because you did it wrong.

The truth is it’s not about the popup itself that makes you fail. It’s about your understanding of what makes a successful popup (that doesn’t annoy visitors).

The headline, call to action (CTA) button, and image design - everything in your popup should be well-designed.

Today, we’ll show you 29 over-the-top amazing headline formulas that help you create an attention-grabbing popup.

For the CTA button and image design, read this article to learn secret tips and tricks: 18 best call to action tactics.

Why headline?

You may now go bananas for 29 headline formulas. But before jumping into them, you should first learn the role of popup headline. In other words, why you should care about the headline when it’s just a line of a short text (usually less than 10 words)?

There are two main reasons:

  • A headline attracts visitors’ attention. Most of the time, headlines in popups are large text, which makes them eye-catching.
  • A headline is possibly the first thing that visitors see when they visit your store. It motivates them to read the rest of the popup.

That’s it! Now is the time to discover the best headline formulas that your visitors can’t help but click.

Note: You’ll need SiteKit to edit your popup headline. If you haven’t had an account, get SiteKit right now for free.

29 headlines formulas to rocket your subscribers and conversions

There isn’t one right formula to write a headline. But some specific formulas of headlines have proven themselves to be super-effective for a long time.

Here they are:

1. The number headline

Formula: [Discount/$X] Off Your First/Next Order/Purchase/Specific Item

Example:

  • 10% Off Your First Order
  • 50% Off Your First Pair
  • $20 Off Your First Lipstick

Headline Formulas

Source: Shwood Eyewear

2. The ‘Get’ headline

Formula:

  • Get [Discount/Gift/Promo Code] Off (Your First/Next Order)
  • Get Free Shipping

Examples:

  • Get 20% Off
  • Get 20% Off Your First Order
  • Get 20% Off Your Next Order
  • Get Free Shipping
  • Get a Free Sample
  • Get a Free Book
  • Get Free Writing Tips
  • Get [Brand] Delivered Straight To Your Inbox

Headline Formulas

Source: MeUndies

3. The ‘Win’ headline

Formula: Win A [Gift/Discount/Promo Code]

Examples:

  • Win A Free Lipstick
  • Win All This
  • Win A 15% Discount
  • Win A Trip to Vancouver

Source: Ebbets

4. The ‘Become’ headline

Formula: Become An/A [Brand] Insider/VIP

Examples:

  • Become A ReserveBar Insider
  • Become A SiteKit Insider
  • Become An AU LIT VIP

Source: ReserveBar

5. The ‘Here’s’ headline

Formula: Here’s [Discount/Promo Code/Gift/Tips/etc.]

Examples:

  • Here’s 30% Off Instantly!
  • Here’s The Best Lipstick Forever!
  • Here’s Your Last Chance!
  • Here’s The Ultimate Guide You Ever Need!

Source: Robin McGraw Revelation

6. The ‘Take’ headline

Formula:

  • Take [Discount/Promo Code/$X] Off Your First/Next Order/Purchase
  • Take A Free [Gift/Sample] With Your First/Next Order/Purchase

Examples:

  • Take A Full $150 Off Your First Order
  • Take 10% Off Your First Purchase
  • Take A Free Bracelet With Your First Order

Source: EM Cosmetics

7. The ‘Enjoy’ headline

Formula:

  • Enjoy [Discount/Promo Code/$X] Off Your First/Next Order/Purchase
  • Enjoy A Free [Gift/Sample] With Your First/Next Order/Purchase

Examples:

  • Enjoy 10% Off Your First Purchase
  • Enjoy $50 Off Your First Order
  • Enjoy 15% Off Your Next Order
  • Enjoy A Free Dress With Your Next Purchase

Source: XHibition

8. The ‘Wait’ headline

Formula:

  • Wait Just [Number] Second
  • Wait Before You Go […]

Examples:

  • Wait Just A Second
  • Wait Before You Go - Check Out Your New Lipstick

Source: Vessi Footwear

9. The ‘Stay’ headline

Formula:

  • Stay In The Loop
  • Stay Curious

Examples:

  • Stay In The Loop
  • Stay Curious! Sign Up To Get The Latest News About US

Source: Mythical Store

10. The ‘Save’ headline

Formula: Save [Discount/$X] On Your First/Next Order/Purchase

Examples:

  • Save 20% On Your First Order
  • Save $20 On Your Next Purchase

Source: Raen

11. The ‘How About’ headline

Formula: How About [Discount/$X] Off Your First/Next Order/Purchase

Examples:

  • How About 10% Off Your First Order
  • How About $20 Off Your Next Purchase

Source: Pipsnacks

12. The ‘Join’ headline

Formula:

  • Join […] And Get/Win [Gift/Discount/Promo Code] Off
  • Join Today And Save [Discount/$X]

Examples:

  • Join Today And Save 10%
  • Join Us And Get A Free Gift
  • Join Our Newsletter

Source: Quest Nutrition

13. The ‘Sign Up For’ headline

Formula:

  • Sign Up For [Discount/$X] Off Your First/Next Order/Purchase
  • Sign Up For A Free [Gift] With Your First/Next Order/Purchase
  • Sign Up For An Instant [Discount] Off Coupon

Examples:

  • Sign Up For 5% Off Your First Order
  • Sign Up For $10 Off Your Next Purchase

Source: Mansur Gavriel

14. The ‘Want’ headline

Formula:

  • Want [Discount/$X] Off?
  • Want A Free [Thing] To […]

Examples:

  • Want $10 Off?
  • Want A Free Guide To Make More Sales In 3 Days?

Source: Copyhackers

15. The ‘Up To’ headline

Formula: Up To [Discount/$X] Off […]

Examples:

  • Up To 70% Off All Products
  • Up To $40 Off All Bracelets

Source: Ru La La

16. The ‘Save’ headline

Formula: Save [Discount/$X] On [Products]

Examples:

  • Save 20% On All Products
  • Save $40 On Suitcases
  • Save $40 Now!

Headline Formulas

Source: CandyStore.com

17. The ‘Framework’ headline

Formula: [Desired Outcome] Framework

Examples:

  • 100K Blog Traffic Framework
  • $100K Sales Revenue Framework

Source: BloggerJet

18. The ‘Unlock’ headline

Formula: Unlock [Discount/Promo Code/Gift]

Examples:

  • Unlock 10% Off
  • Unlock A Free Gift

Headline Formulas

Source: Supergoop

19. The ultimate list headline

Formula: X Things/Hacks/Tips, etc. To Do Something

Examples:

  • 10 Hacks To Drive Your Sales Like Crazy
  • 20 Things To Help You Build Your Career In 2019
  • 15 Tips To Stop Diet And Stay Healthy Forever

Source: Marc and Angel

20. The game invitation headline

Formula:

  • Try Your Luck
  • Spin To Win
  • Enter To Win

Examples:

  • Try Your Luck! This Is Your Last Chance
  • Spin To Win! Today Is Your Lucky Day!

Headline Formulas

Source: Liquor Barn - Try Sitekit if you want to create the same win-wheel popup

21. The bold statement headline

Formula: [Use Power Words To Describe What You Can Give To Your Visitors]

Examples:

  • Best Marketing Tips You Ever Need
  • Best Bags. Cheapest Price. Fastest Shipping.

Source: Life-long Learner

22. The promise headline

Formula:

  • We Can Help You […]
  • […] That Gets You […]

Examples:

  • We Can Help You Make A $10,000 Revenue In Two Days
  • This Is The Definitive Guide That Gets You Hired by Google

Headline Formulas

Source: Occam’s Razor

23. The urgency headline

Formula: Last Chance [To Do Something]

Examples:

  • Last Chance To Get 15% Off
  • Last Chance To Get This Free Book
  • 70% Of All products Ends Tomorrow!

Source: Shiseido

24. The inspiration headline

Formula: [Use Power Words To Encourage Your Customers To Take Action]

Examples:

  • Always Be First!
  • Never Be A Second Behind!

Source: ASICS

25. The testimonial headline

Formula: How I Made [Number] From [Things/Doing Something]

Examples:

  • How I Made $10,000 From Running Only Facebook Ads
  • How I Got 20,789 Subscribers From Using A 10-second Popup

Source: Twelveskip

26. The question headline

Formula:

  • Do You […]?
  • Are You […]?
  • Want To Know More […]?
  • Want To Take [Gift/$X/Discount] For Free?

Examples:

  • Are You Doing SEO Wrong?
  • Do You Think You Already Have The Best Smartphone?
  • Want To Take A 20% Discount For Free?

Source: Become A Writer Today

27. The news headline

Formula: [Use Power Words To Make Your News Exciting That Visitors Can’t Miss]

Examples:

  • Today’s Flash Sale
  • Today’s Best Deal
  • New Product Launch!
  • It’s Time For Spring Cleaning!

Source: GlobeIn

28. The social proof headline

Formula: Join [A Specific Number/Hundreds/Thousands/Millions] Of Followers/Subscribers, etc.

Examples:

  • Join Millions Of Subscribers
  • Join 250,000 Fans

Source: HubSpot

29. The curiosity headline

Formula:

  • [Number] Secrets To [Achieve Desired Outcome]
  • […] To Get Your Secret Gift
  • There Are [An Ultimate List]…
  • Can You Keep A Secret?

Examples:

  • 10 Secrets To Dress like Taylor Swift and Kendall Jenner
  • Enter Email To Get Your Secret Gift
  • There Are Only 3 Types Of Friends That You Should Have In Your Life

Source: Start a Mom

Your turn

It’s easy to write a boring headline, but it can be quite tricky to write an irresistible one.

Boring headlines for email opt-ins and popups can make you lose a lot of potential subscribers and conversions. It’s time to tune your headlines up to win back them.

The best thing is you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. All you need to do is making use of 29 headline formulas above - they’re all proven to convert.

Take action right now, and if you have any questions, feel free to reach us. We’re glad to help you out.

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