Last week I wrote about how easy it is to fall back on the same bland, well-worn phrases that everyone else in your industry uses.
Instead, I recommended that you build a lexicon of interesting words that express your brand personality and help you communicate with a consistent tone-of-voice.
Your[ brand language](http://inkspiller.co.uk/blog/archive.php?cat=brand-language "") (as Jamie Oliver has proven - see our post [here](http://www.inkspiller.co.uk/blog/2016-06-07-how-to-do-brand-language-like-jamie-oliver "jamie oliver") ) can be such a powerful tool for building your brand. But a good brand language lexicon is also a terrific time-saver.
Every single professional copywriter has a bank of formulas, swipe files and scripts to get the old grey matter firing when they need to write.
In the same way, a brand language lexicon can cut down your writing time and help you write even when you feel like a zombie (as we talked about in [this](http://www.inkspiller.co.uk/blog/2016-05-17-write-copy-like-a-pro-even-when-you-feel-like-a-zombie "zombie") post).
Considering that headlines are so critical to your copy and they take the longest time to write, I highly recommend compiling a library of generic headlines that you can fall back on when you need to write something quickly, or if you’re short of inspiration.
### First, you’ll need to download the [5-step formula](http://www.inkspiller.co.uk/5-steps "5 steps").
Now look at Step One and Step Four.
For Step One, write down the problems, issues or challenges your customer faces that relate to what you’re offering (Bonus points for problems that keep them awake at night).
For Step Four, write down the results your offering makes possible - what will it them to be, feel or do? Remember people don’t buy products, they buy what the results those products make possible! For example, nobody wants a mortgage, they simply want a home.
### Now, use your answers to fill in the blanks in these headline prompts-
- Don’t accept [ problem ]. Find out how you can enjoy [results] instead.
- Join/download/watch/read [your offering] and achieve [results ] in just [ small number of] [minutes/hours/days/steps]
- Don’t live with [problem ]. Find out how you can enjoy [ result ] instead.
- Create more [result ] just like other [ people like your customer, e.g. innovators ] are already doing.
- Join other [ people like your customer, e.g. innovators] who are already loving [ your offering ] .
- Join the other [ people like your customer, e.g. innovators] who already enjoy [ results ] .
- Create more [ results ] like these other [ people like your customer, e.g. innovators ] have done.
- Our [ your offering ] means way less [problem ] and way more [ result ] , [ result] and [ result ]
- Overcome [ problem ]. Find out how you can enjoy [result ]
- Master [ problem] and achieve [result ] in just [small number] [minutes/hours/days/steps]
- Find out how other [people like your customer, e.g. innovators ] achieved [ result ] in just [ X ] [minutes/hours/days/steps]
- Join other [people like your customer, e.g. innovators ] and achieve [result] in just [ X ] [minutes/hours/days/steps]
- If you read one thing about [ your subject area ] today, make it this one.
- Suck at [ your subject area]? Join fellow [ people like your customer, e.g. innovators ] and learn how to suck less.
- Get the secret recipe for more [ result ] without more [ problem]
- [ Your subject area ] gurus tell you to [ add in some stereotypical advice ] or to [ add in some more stereotypical advice ]. Find out why they’re wrong
- Everyone says [ your subject area ] is hard and getting harder. We say it can be simple.
- Do you suffer from the curse of [ problem ]? Find out how to overcome it.
- Break through [ problem ] easily with [ your offering ]
- Find out how this new [your offering ] helps you achieve [result ] in just X [minutes/hours/days/steps]
- Overcome [ problem ] and start enjoying more [ result ], [ result ] and [ result ]
**Next in the [brand language series](http://inkspiller.co.uk/blog/archive.php?cat=brand-language "") we’ll be looking at how you can build a library of on-brand scripts to keep your copy on point. Sign up on the right to stay updated.**
