The 5 Headline Formulas Behind Screen Skills' Growth to 1,659 Subscribers in Just 68 Days

Learn the Science of Headlines That Make Readers Click (And How I Applied It to This Newsletter)

Screen Skills has grown at an average rate of 24 subscribers per day, reaching 1,659 followers in just 68 days. In the second part of this newsletter (available to paid subscribers), I show how the strategic use of Substack Notes fueled this growth and how a simple change in my approach led to a dramatic subscriber surge.

Did this headline grab your attention? If so, why? Headlines are important to convince your readers to read the article. That is why Mark, one of the supporters of this newsletter, asked me to "dive deeper into the topic of creating more engaging titles."

In this newsletter, we will explore the science behind effective headlines and how they've helped Screen Skills grow exponentially.

I'm writing this newsletter from Oslo, Norway, where I arrived after my hiking trip in Germany and a stay on the Dutch island. Interestingly, my location ties perfectly to our topic today. Research from BI Norwegian Business School here in Oslo has studied what makes headlines effective in generating clicks. Their findings show that question headlines with self-referencing cues (like "you") tend to perform better in engaging readers. Their study directly compared declarative headlines against question headlines and found that question headlines gained an average of 150% more clicks.

That comment crystallized something I've been thinking about since launching Screen Skills on February 22nd. Headlines might be the most underrated digital skill of all. They're the difference between your carefully crafted content being read or being ignored. Whether you're writing emails, social media posts, or your own newsletter, the headline is your first—and often only—chance to capture attention.

Today, I'll share practical strategies for creating compelling headlines that work across all your digital writing. But this newsletter continues after the paywall for the community of this newsletter of paying subscribers. There, I'll explain how Screen Skills grew to an astonishing 1,659 subscribers in just over two months, an average growth rate of 24 subscribers per day, with special attention to how Notes on Substack became a powerful growth engine despite some interesting challenges.

For those just joining us, welcome to Screen Skills! This newsletter provides practical digital advice without technical jargon. I focus on tools and techniques that give you the biggest benefit with the smallest learning curve—perfect for those who want to enhance their digital lives without turning technology into a second career.

The Science of Attention-Grabbing Headlines

The headline challenge is as old as publishing, but digital environments have made it even more critical. We're all drowning in content, and the average person now encounters thousands of headlines daily, scrolling past most of them without a second thought.

I've been writing professionally for decades, as a journalist, diplomat, and in the past decade again as a journalist and public speaker, and I've learned that headline creation isn't just art; it's science. Here are research-backed techniques that actually work for grabbing and holding attention:

1. The Curiosity Gap: Creating Irresistible Information Voids

Our brains are wired to seek completion. When we encounter a gap in our knowledge, we feel compelled to fill it. This is called the "curiosity gap," and it's a powerful force in headline writing.

Here's how to create this effect:

• Promise valuable information: Hint at specific knowledge the reader wants

• Create an information gap: Don't reveal everything in the headline

• Make it specific: Vague curiosity ("You won't believe what happened!") is less effective than specific curiosity ("The forgotten setting that doubled my iPhone battery life")

Example of weak curiosity: "Interesting Facts About Digital Privacy"

Example of strong curiosity: "The 2-Minute Security Check That Reveals Who's Tracking Your Phone"

The second headline creates a specific information gap (what is this quick check?) while promising valuable, actionable knowledge.

2. The Value Proposition: What's In It For Me?

We're all fundamentally self-interested readers. Headlines that communicate immediate value perform significantly better than clever or creative headlines that lack clear benefit.

Ways to emphasize value:

• Specify the benefit: What will the reader gain?

• Suggest ease or efficiency: How quickly can they achieve this benefit?

• Address common pain points: What problem will this solve?

Example of weak value: "Understanding Note-Taking Applications"

Example of strong value: "How I Organized My Entire Digital Life in 20 Minutes with This Simple Note System"

The second headline promises a specific, valuable outcome (organized digital life) with low effort (20 minutes) using a defined method.

Do you remember how I described the aim of this newsletter for new readers in one of the first paragraphs? If you prefer the second example of a compelling title, it shouldn't come as a surprise since Screen Skills attracts readers who seek exactly what that headline promises: "tools and techniques that give you the biggest benefit with the smallest learning curve."

3. Numbers and Specificity: The Power of Precision

Research consistently shows that headlines with numbers outperform those without. Numbers provide clarity, set expectations, and signal organization.

How to use numbers effectively:

• Be precise: "7 Steps" is better than "Several Steps"

• Choose unexpected numbers: "9 Ways" may perform better than "10 Ways" because it feels less arbitrary

• Lead with numbers when possible: Put the numeral at the beginning for maximum impact

Example of weak specificity: "Ways to Improve Your Smartphone Photography"

Example of strong specificity: "5 Professional Camera Settings Hidden in Your Phone"

The second headline uses a number and suggests specific valuable secrets, making it much more clickable.

A word of caution though: there's a fine line between effective headlines and clickbait. Adding phrases like "(The Third One Changed My Travel Photos Forever)" can make your headline seem manipulative and diminish trust. Use the tools mentioned above, but don't overdo it so that it becomes clickbait.

There's also an important stylistic consideration that sometimes conflicts with the data-driven approach of leading with numbers. As a writer with a background in journalism, I adhere to the style convention of spelling out numbers one through nine while using numerals for 10 and above. This rule becomes even more meaningful at the beginning of sentences, where starting with a numeral can feel jarring to readers with traditional editorial sensibilities.

You'll notice this tension resolved in this newsletter's headline, where I compromised between writing style and scientifically proven efficiency by adding "The" before "5 Headline Formulas..." This solution preserves the impact of the specific number (using "5" instead of "five" for visual prominence) while maintaining stylistic integrity with a proper lead-in word. This minor adjustment satisfies both the journalist and the marketer in me.

4. Emotional Triggers: Words That Create Response

Certain words consistently trigger emotional responses that increase engagement. Research from analyzing millions of headlines shows these high-performing trigger words:

For utility content (how-to, advice):

• "How to..."

• "Why..."

• "The art/science of..."

• "...that will change your..."

For emotional engagement:

• "surprising"

• "essential"

• "incredible"

• "actually works"

• "finally"

Example of weak emotional triggering: "Managing Digital Distractions"

Example of strong emotional triggering: "Finally: The Surprising 30-Second Trick That Actually Works to Break Phone Addiction."

The second headline incorporates multiple emotional triggers while promising a quick, effective solution to a common problem.

I recently recommended Grammarly as an excellent tool for a final check before sharing your article. As I write these words, Grammarly highlights my screen with suggestions, particularly its notorious vendetta against the word "actually." The tool is practically offended every time I use it—and yes, that first "actually" in this paragraph was flagged immediately. While Grammarly is often right (the word frequently adds nothing of value), headline writing operates under rules different from formal composition.

When crafting headlines, you're not submitting to a grammar competition—you're competing for attention in an overcrowded digital landscape. It's the difference between politely asking, "Would you be so kind as to assist me with this urgent situation?" versus shouting "HELP!" when your house is on fire. Emotional trigger words like "surprising," "finally," and yes, even the grammatically questionable "actually works" serve a vital purpose in headline psychology. They signal to readers that your content delivers something beyond the ordinary, precisely when the ordinary won't cut through the noise.

5. Testing Method: My Two-Headline Approach

Here's a practical technique I use for my headlines: I write at least two completely different versions, then ask:

1. Which headline would make me click if I saw it in my crowded inbox?

2. Which headline most honestly represents the value of the content?

3. Which headline uses at least one of the techniques above?

The headline that best answers these questions is usually the winner. This simple testing approach has significantly improved my open rates over time.

Substack recently introduced a subject line testing feature that allows you to compare different email subject line options before sending your newsletter. This feature lets you test multiple variations with a small segment of your audience to see which performs best in terms of open rates. To access it, use the email-sending interface when preparing your post. Using this tool can significantly improve your open rates without requiring any technical expertise.

Learn From the Screen Skills Success Story: How I Gained 1,659 Subscribers in 68 Days

I carefully studied Screen Skills' spectacular growth from zero to 1,659 subscribers in just over two months, including the recent acceleration in growth to sometimes hundreds of new subscribers per day.

I've identified several actionable growth strategies that transformed my newsletter. These are strategies you can implement immediately, regardless of your current subscriber count or topic.

Continue reading to discover the exact blueprint I used and the unexpected insight that led to my most dramatic subscriber surge yet.