A press release is one of the most important tool used by organizations for brand recognition till date. The question is would anyone bother to read the press release if the headline isn’t catchy? Me neither. Journalist skim through hundreds of press releases in a day, which makes them look at the headline first and if yours doesn’t stand out then i’ve got bad news for you.
So, you must be wondering how to write the most compelling press release headline? Then don’t worry we’ll answer your question in this blog by discussing different must have features in the headline.
- Keeping it Concise and Clear
While writing a headline, make sure you’re not confusing your audience further. Your headline should mirror the content written in the press release. Journalists and readers often skim through the headline so if you’re making it confusing the chances of getting noticed are almost zero. The key is to keep it 10-12 words long straight to the point.
- Use Action Oriented Approach
Action oriented verbs are normally expected to do better. It creates the sense of urgency and excitement among the readers and encourages them click to see what’s actually happening. For example in the headline of this press release “Tech Company Teams Up with Health Innovators to Revolutionize Wearable Tech” “Revolutionizing” is used as an action verb creating more excitement.
- Ensure Newsworthiness
People are generally more inclined towards headlines which somehow sounds like a news heading i-e timely, relevant and important. No matter what the press release is about, it should resonate with audience about why it matters be it a product launch, award show or a partnership. Journalists mostly go for headlines that are timely and relevant so if your headline look like news then it might get your press release selected.
- Using Figures and Stats
Including numbers and figures makes your press release more appealing making readers curious about the attained figures. Numbers provide a clear picture and authority. percentage of growth, number of users or even milestones lend credibility and help your press release stand out. A press with the headline “XYZ Company exceeds expected growth this year” won’t work well but “XYZ Company Experienced 50% Growth in Revenue Following the Launch of New Product” is expected to do alot better.
- How it Benefits the Reader
Highlighting how the news benefits the audience in the headline helps grabbing attention. People are likely more interested in knowing how they can be impacted that too in a positive way. Writing “XYZ Company launches software updates boost by 30% for small business” is expected to resonate with people more.
- Keep it SEO Friendly
Using the right keywords will also help human eyes find the headline with ease. Ensure they’re entering words that match the relevant news you’re writing about.
Why it works: The primary purpose of incorporating an SEO headline into a press release is so that it ranks as one of the top results in search engines and is visible to other media professionals and the public.
- Keep it Relevant and Original
Make sure the essence of the news is where the headline stems from. Do not attempt to tell an embellished tale that is overly dramatized. Instead, attempt to calm the tone because twisting the truth is not good for building credibility.
Erroneously over-dramatized headlines attract attention but fail to resonate Further clicks on your link only damage your business image, eroding trustworthiness.
Final Thoughts
Keep in mind that the headline captures the eyeballs for the press release which must be informative and even tell the reader what to expect. And yes, do not forget your audience, think about what interests them. After all, a well-written headline is the key to garnering attention instead of blending in with the rest.
After these suggestions, I hope to have aided you in crafting more engaging and premium press releases that capture the interest of your audiences.