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Press Release Headline - Create Catchy Headline To Be On Top

Don't worry, but a good press release headline for your press release will either make or break the whole thing. You could have written a press release that was a magnum opus, filled it with the most beautiful pictures ever seen, and Beethoven could have written the press release's theme song. But none of that will matter if the headline is bad. Again, no pressure.

Sep 06, 202239 Shares575 ViewsWritten By: Alastair MartinReviewed By: James Smith
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  1. What Is A Headline In A Press Release?
  2. The Importance Of A Strong Press Release Headline
  3. Why Is It So Hard To Write Great Press Release Headlines?
  4. The Anatomy Of A Good Press Release Headline
  5. Elements Of A Successful Press Release Headline
  6. Killer Press Release Headline Tips
  7. Dos And Don’ts Of Creating A Headline
  8. People Also Ask
  9. Conclusion

Press release headlinecan make or break whether it helps you reach your marketing goals. After all, this is the first metaphorical step you need to take to get the attention of the media. That's why the headline of your press release should not only be true but also catchy.

You want a headline that is interesting enough to convince a journalist that your story is worth telling to their audience. Still, it's hard to learn how towrite the right headline.

It can't be too short because it needs to include important information, and it can't be too long because the reader will stop paying attention. Ten words or less is the sweet spot for a headline.

Even if you spend a lot of time thinking about every part of a good press release, the headline will still be there, staring back at you and asking, "Are you sure you're done with me?"

What Is A Headline In A Press Release?

Press release wooden blocks
Press release wooden blocks

A press release is a formal statement that tells people about you or your business. It tells the public about an important event or other news you want to share.

The goal of these releases is to let journalists and members of the press know about any changes in your businessor company. By sending out a good press release, you can get more people to know about your business and improve its reputation.

The headline is the most important part of a story, summed up in no more than 10 words, and it determines whether or not the story is published. A catchy headline will tell the reader what the article is about and make them want to keep reading. A good headline stands out, makes a good first impression, and makes you want to read more.

The Importance Of A Strong Press Release Headline

A press release is an important part of a marketing plan, but it's not easy to write one. A headline is important because it is the first thing journalists look at to decide if a story is newsworthy.

Most of the time, the titles of press releases are enough for journalists to know if they have a story worth telling. Then, the media start to care about the story you want to tell.

Once you've published a headline that gets people's attention, you can also use it as part of your marketing plan. A good headline can affect Search Engine Optimization(SEO) and put your business near the top of browser searches.

It's also good for relations with the public (PR). If you have a catchy newspaper headline, it might get the attention of other reporters. This could lead to radio or TV interviews, newspaper articles, and other PR activities for your business.

When writing a headline for a press release, the first question you should ask is, "What does my press release want to do?" A press release will help you tell the story you want, whether it's about a new product, an award you've won, a company event, or something else that went well.

The best way to reach more people is through the headline of a press release. A catchy headline not only hooks your audience but also tells them how to read and react to the rest of the copy.

If you play your cards right, the headline will help you control how the PR is interpreted, covered, and shared by journalists, the media, social media, your clients, and potential customers.

Why Is It So Hard To Write Great Press Release Headlines?

Well, here are some reasons why:

  • For journalists to keep reading, your headline has to be interesting enough.Keep in mind that the people you're pitching to get a lot of press releases. Why should they stop to read yours?
  • It has to quickly get across the main point of your message, which may or may not be easy to sum up in a neat way. Ideas that are very complicated boiled down to a few words? You have to deal with this.
  • It needs to do all of this with only a small fraction of the words or charactersyou think you need.

If you think that's hard, you're right. Nobody said it would be easy. But it's important to keep in mind that writing headlines are both a science and an art. There are some rules you can follow, but you'll get better at them through practice and using your own creativity.

The Anatomy Of A Good Press Release Headline

The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Press Release - Make Your Headline Concise

A good headline for a press release should make it clear what the story is about and why it's important. Think about the 5 W's:

  • Who is the press release about?
  • What is being discussed?
  • When will the eventstake place?
  • Where is the action happening?
  • Why does any of this matter?

Your audience shouldn't have to try to figure out what's going on or why you're sending out a press release. The short headline should tell readers what to expect before they even click on it.

Having said that, you don't have to give up your brand's identity in order to be professional. Many companies can get away with a cheeky or funny press release, even if it makes the message a little less clear. Our advice is to be on the safe side and put clarity ahead of being clever.

Elements Of A Successful Press Release Headline

Think of writing a good press release headline as both a science and an art. You have to follow a standard set of rules for formatting and vocabulary, but you can be creative with the words and style.

This might seem scary, but once you know the hard and fast rules of press release headlines, you can move on to the fun part: making a story that people will want to read.

Here are some tips for writing a good headline for a press release, whether it's your first or hundredth:

  • Keep it short, sweet, and straightforward: You don't want to lose the reader halfway through, so keep it short, sweet, and to the point. If you can, try to keep your headline to 10 words or less. This will make it strong and clear.
  • Don't use too much exaggeration: A journalist can be very turned off by this. Keep to the facts and don't exaggerate the story. The news should be interesting enough on its own to be worth talking about.
  • Focus on what's new or different:Journalists will cover the news the same way your headline does, so use that to your advantage and write it the way you want the press release to be covered.
  • If you can, try to use numbers: Statistics are important. Make sure to put numbers in the headline if you have them. When the headline of a press release includes a number, readers and (especially) journalists will be more likely to read it.
  • Avoid using cliche phrases or words: You might want to make your headline funny, but if that means using a pun or "dad joke," don't do it. You want the headline to catch people's attention, not make them roll their eyes.
  • Don't lose sight of the main point: A press release has a reason for being written, so don't forget it! Find the main point of your story and make sure that the headline gets that point across quickly.

Killer Press Release Headline Tips

How to write a press release that gets the media's attention

Remember Who You’re Writing For

Your press release is for journalists and other people who can cover your announcement in the news. It says so right in the title: press release.

We say this obvious fact because your headline has to get their attention. Why should they care about what you have to say? Why should they care about what you have to say? What will they get out of sharing it on their platform? How will their readers be better off?

If you don't write the headlines of your press releases with this specific and limited audience in mind, you're already headed in the wrong direction. Start off on the right foot by remembering that your press release is your pitch to the media and that the people who read it are looking to check certain boxes as they do so. If they don't think the press releases are useful, it's time to move on to the next one.

Use Numbers Where You Can

Which makes you feel better: "Sales Up in the Third Quarter" or "Sales Up 60% in the Third Quarter"? Of course, the second one. Numbers always help the reader get a clearer and more interesting picture in their mind.

If you can improve your announcement with numbers, statistics, or anything else that helps the reader understand what you're trying to say, do so. This will make it easier for the reader to feel what you're trying to say.

Journalists and readers both like it when you put a number on what you're talking about, so do yourself and everyone else a favor and make those numbers the focus of your message.

Think Of Your PR As Your Company’s Or Organization’s Newspaper

You've probably noticed that headlines for press releases and headlines for newspapers (both online and in print) have a lot in common. You could even say that it's the same language.

When writing a press release header, you face the same problem that newspapers do: you only have a small amount of space to grab people's attention and get them interested.

So do what the pros do and pretend you're competing for attention by putting the main point of your press release in the headline in a way that makes people want to know more.

You have the same job as the person who writes the headline for the newspaper, and you know from your own experience what gets your attention there. Use the same structures, shortcuts, and ways of putting things in the headlines of your press releases.

Apply Some Simple Grammar Rules

Ok, we don't want to turn this into an English class, but there are a few rules of grammar to remember when writing titles for press releases. First of all, keep in mind that when it comes to writing headlines, the tenses can be used in a number of different ways.

Because they are news, we use the present tense. In the world of headlines, nothing happens in the past, so the past tense is out. Using "to" takes the reader into the future when you're talking about plans or activities for the future.

Also, when it comes to grammar, the old saying that you should use the active voice and avoid the passive voice is correct. We don't know a lot about the details, so if you don't know which is which, you can read more about it here.

Just one more thing before we go. We know that grammar and punctuation are different, but let's sneak this in here anyway. Using punctuation correctly can help you and the person reading your work. It helps you save space and helps the reader understand what might have been hard to understand otherwise.

There's no need to get too deep into the rules of commas and colons. Just remember that one or the other might be just what you need for your next headline.

Leave Your Name Out Of Headlines (When Possible)

Depending on the situation, this isn't always possible, but most of the time, you don't have to put your name in the headline of the press release. People who get your press release and read it will know that we're talking about you.

The press release already has your logo and some basic information about your company, so there's no need to use your name again in the headline.

Save the valuable headline space for other information and try not to sound like an ad. Remember that your message, not you, is what the press release is about. Don't forget what was said above about paying attention to your audience and how your announcement applies to them.

Avoid Sales-y Language And Tone

Information is what press releases are about, not advertising. Journalists don't want to spread something that is basically an ad. The who-what-when-why format works here, but keep in mind that "why" means "why it's important," not "why you should buy this."

There may not be a clear line between what goes in an ad and what goes in a press release, but there is still one. Make sure that when you write the headers for your press releases, you don't use words that sound like they belong in an ad or an email that you would delete right away without reading.

Again, journalists don't want to be treated like they're part of your marketing team, so don't pitch them like they are.

Careful With Comedy

"Coffee industry facing a latte trouble" is a great example of a clever headline with a funny twist. It's a great way to get people's attention, and they will definitely appreciate the extra effort you made to make them laugh.

There are a lot of industries, products, and sectors that work well with something out of the ordinary like this, but there are also some that don't. Banks aren't funny. Not funny is insurance.

What are funeral homes, fertility clinics, different medical procedures, and tax accountants? Yeah, not funny. Investors don't want to think that news about moneyis funny. You should be able to figure this out with your good sense and taste.

When writing your headline, it can be hard to resist the urge to be clever, especially if you have a frustrated comedian inside you. If you try something and it works, it can be a big step toward getting the media's attention, but if you mess up, it can cost you. Be careful and conservative when adding funny twists to your press release headlines to make them stand out.

Write The Headline Last

It might sound strange, but if you're stuck on the headline and nothing looks or feels right, move on and come back to it after you've written everything else. Explaining your announcement in more detail in the body of your press release can help you think of something you hadn't thought of before or help you see things from a different perspective.

Also, if you write your headline first, you might feel like you have to stay on that path, even if it means leaving out other information. By writing the body of the press release first and leaving the headline last, you might find that the main point isn't what you thought it was at the beginning.

When it comes to writing great headlines for press releases, there is more than one way to get to the same place, so choose the order that works best for you.

Dos And Don’ts Of Creating A Headline

The Do's and Don'ts of press release headlines

Even though there are no hard and fast rules about headlines, if you look at some good examples of press release headlines, you can see some common elements. Some headlines, on the other hand, don't make journalists happy and don't get many people to read them.

We've made a list of things you should and should do to help you write the best headlines for press releases.

Ask Questions

Most headlines that get your attention do this by asking a question. This will make people curious and get them involved. To find the answer to your question, they will want to move on to the content.

Use Numbers

Sometimes, numbers stand out better among words (or letters) and are easier to understand than numbers that are written out. This is an excellent way to put numbers in the headline.

Insert Keywords

By putting a keyword in the headline, you can make sure that it comes up when someone searches for that topic. If you put in a few keywords, the headline will be relevant to a lot of searches.

Anticipate The Audience’s Intent

The best headlines for press releases are those that make people want to read the rest of the story.

Write Several Versions

Before you send in your final headline, you should write several versions that try to say the same thing. When you look at all of your headlines, you'll be able to tell which one fits your content the best.

If you want a good headline, you should try to avoid these.

Generic Headlines

Make sure that your headline stands out from all the others that are about the same thing. If the headline isn't interesting, users probably won't want to read the rest of the content.

Repetitiveness

Don't use the same word twice in a headline if you want it to be catchy. And don't use words that your competitors have used to talk about the same things. Think outside the box and come up with something new.

Too Many Words

When people read press releases, they don't like headlines that are too long because they might seem too revealing. The headline should get the reader's attention and make them want to know more.

Puns Or Jargon

Some people might not understand puns or professional or street jargon, which could make things seem unclear and confusing. Some people might like these words and phrases, but you shouldn't use them if you risk turning away a big chunk of your regular readers.

Clickbait Headlines

If you don't have the content to back up a catchy title, it can hurt your article. Your headline will lose points with readers if it makes promises it can't keep.

People Also Ask

How Long Is A Press Release Headline?

Your headline should have no more than 10 words. In those 10 words, you should also say what your main point is to get people to read the rest of the press release. It's also important to talk about the company in this case.

What Is The Title Of A Press Release Called?

First of all, if you want your press release to do well, it needs to have a catchy headline. It's the first thing people will read, and based on that, they'll decide whether or not they want to read the rest. Try to make it quick.

What's A Catchy Headline?

A content article's headline is its catchy title if it has things that make people want to read it. Writing a good headline can be one of the most important parts of your content. A catchy title can get people to click on your article by telling them what it's about or what they'll get out of it.

Conclusion

Good press release headlines are a sign that the content is good, and they are the main thing that gets people to read an article. If you want to get more people to read your articles and, more importantly, want them to come back, you need to take the time to write the best headlines you can.

You can use some of the tips above to help you write your headline. And you should write more than one headline for the same article to see which one works best. If you can write a headline that gets people's attention, your article and the rest of your content will get the attention they deserve.

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