Assembling Headlines

This is the first in a four-part series on press release headlines continuing through March.

Over the past decade, the game has changed substantially for press release headlines. They are no longer just “lead ins” to releases. They are a big piece of the press release puzzle, and can make or break news stories.

In the past, your readers sat beside a stack of faxed press releases in a crowded newsroom. When they read your document, they had a hard copy of it in their hands. The page itself naturally took their eyes from Point A (your headline) to Point B (the body of your release).

Nowadays, press releases appear online everywhere, and about 90% of the time your reader will view yours on a computer screen. You’ll find releases in email inboxes, on web pages, in RSS readers, and micro-blogging platforms like Twitter. In each of these cases, when a reader receives your press release they will (more than likely) only see your headline initially. To view your release in its entirety, your reader needs to take action. Specifically, they need to click on a link.

So, what does a reader look for in a press release headline? The answer is simple: Details. Readers want to know the email or feed they received is newsworthy and important to them.

In order to incorporate all of the necessary details from your press release into your headline, you must do two things:

First, you need to write your entire press release BEFORE writing your headline. Then ask yourself the following question: “What do I want my readers to take away from this release?” In other words, what is your main point? Incorporate your answer into your headline.

Ideally, you should only have one answer to this question. If your goal is to have your audience take away multiple main points, consider splitting up your story into multiple releases.

Second, you need to know what your keywords are. Certain words and phrases should appear in your headline to help readers find your news in search engines. Always include your most important words and phrases in your headline. If you’re looking for more information on keywords, check out these tips:

Be a Keyword Master

Writing For Robots

Think of your press release as a puzzle. Every part fits together, giving readers the full picture. A press release without a good headline is like a puzzle missing an integral piece. Take the time to write a great headline, and stay tuned in the coming weeks for more tips.

We’ll be diving deeper into the headline pool next week as our four-part series on news release headlines continues.