Headline writing is an art.  Even today, PRs and journalists recall fondly some of the greats (and The Sun wins hands down) - 'Up Yours Delors', 'If Kinnock wins today will the last person to leave Britain please turn out the lights', and my favourite 'Zip Me Up Before You Go Go', following George Michael's public indiscretion. 

The headline's job is to grab attention and draw the reader in, and these do that in spades.

The headline writer's art is, however, changing. The unrelenting torrent of online click-bait journalism calls for ever louder hooks.  

Today, a typical Buzzfeed headline will read "24 secrets radio DJs will never, ever tell you'.  I suspect in 20 years time very few people will remember that. 

Content agency Buzzsumo have analysed over 100 million headlines and have shared those words or phrases that lead to the highest levels of online engagement. 

The phrase 'will make you' is by a very long way the most useful phrase in a headline to encourage  reader click-throughs. 

Of course, it isn't a headline in itself, but a linking phrase between content and impact. 

Professional services firms are churning out more and more content every day, and I guess a lot of it is unread.  It would be a brave firm that would adopt some of these phrases - but in the battle to stand out there is some food for thought. 

Perhaps the next client briefing may start with "Law firm x merges with y in a deal that everyone is talking about', or 'Tax proposals that will make overseas investors cry'.  Or perhaps not.