Marketing headlines of the week

Obsidian, Lyon, Stateshift

January 17, 2025

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Hey there!

Welcome back to H1 Gallery — a collection of the best marketing headlines on the internet.

Justin Welsh wrote about the power of specificity. What do you think? Is “being vague costing you money”?

— Ryan (@rjgilbert)

P.S. In case you somehow found this newsletter from somewhere/someone other than me… I also publish another newsletter called Workspaces that I think you might also enjoy.

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Obsidian's marketing headline "Sharpen your thinking." is a powerful and concise message. It's especially engaging to potential users who are already familiar with the writing space.

"Sharpen" is the word where this headline really shines. It evokes the image of honing a tool to make it more precise and effective, suggesting that Obsidian can help refine and improve your thought processes where other tools fall short.

By focusing the headline on "thinking" rather than specific features like "notes" or "organization," the headline elevates Obsidian from a mere note-taking tool to something that enhances cognitive capabilities.

Including "your" makes it personal, letting potential users know that Obsidian adapts to their individual thought processes rather than forcing them into a predetermined system.

The brevity of the headline does a great job of reflecting the clarity of thinking it promises. Just as a sharp blade cuts cleanly, this sharp headline delivers its message without any excess words or bloat.

Overall, this headline is effective because it positions Obsidian not just as a productivity tool but as a means of improving how you think. The metaphor of sharpening is thought provoking while keeping the overall message broad enough to appeal to anyone who values clear thinking.

Lyon's marketing headline "Get faster releases without sacrificing quality" is a powerful and reassuring message.

H1 Gallery friend Corey Haines and his agency Conversion Factory did the copywriting, design, and web development of their website.

Here's what he had to say about the headline:

Lyon was started as a traditional QA firm who wanted to get more embedded in the software development cycle but couldn't figure out how to tell that story or bring it back to business value.

Essentially, people see QA as a cost center and necessary evil instead of a value-add.

But they did have some clients who were very happy, and the main thing they kept saying was that when Lyon brought QA further "upstream", they shipped better software, faster, and with way less errors. That helped us hone in on the main JTBD of their clients: ship faster.

So I did some brainstorming using some of my go-to formulas like "get [benefit] without [pain]" and landed on the H1 you see on the page.

Corey Haines, Co-Founder of Conversion Factory

Stateshift's headline "More relaxing than a Swedish massage. Better focus than double espresso." is a bold (potentially risky) and playful message.

The use of a familiar and tangible comparisons makes the benefits relatable. The hope is that potential users will understand the relaxation of a massage and the focus boost from espresso, making the promised benefits concrete rather than abstract.

Structuring the headline as two parallel statements creates a unique headline as well. Each comparison addresses a different benefit (relaxation and focus), suggesting that Stateshift can deliver seemingly contradictory benefits simultaneously.

The specificity of "Swedish massage" and "double espresso" adds to the headline's message. Instead of vague comparisons, these specific references make the promises feel more measurable and real… but again, only if the user knows what both of these things are/feel like.

Finally, the headline is casual — almost conversational. The tone created by these comparisons makes the product feel approachable, despite dealing with sophisticated brain-state technology.

Overall, this headline is effective because it makes ambitious claims while keeping them grounded in relatable experiences. It suggests that Stateshift can deliver both relaxation and focus — traditionally opposing states — while using familiar reference points that help users immediately understand the promised benefits. The playful tone and concrete comparisons make what could be a complex product feel accessible and appealing.

Risky headline. But IYKYK.

ICYMI

Here are three other scroll-stopping headlines that grabbed my attention to close out 2024.

“The best way to jam on email as a team” — Jelly

“Payroll, benefits and government bullsh*t for startups” — Central

“The world's destination for design.” — Dribbble

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See you back here next week!

— Ryan (@rjgilbert)