But as tempting as it can be, you don't want to treat your press release headline like it's clickbait. Catchy press release headlines are fine, but avoid clickbait Journalists can keep reading the rest of the press release to fill out their story, but ultimately they should have 80% of the details right in the title. If you can, give all the relevant information in the headline. We even included a meme we made to appeal to the youths Leave the meandering text and flowery prose for Wattpad. A quality press release offers clear, concise, accurate information as quickly and succinctly as possible. You don't want to 'surprise' your readers at any point. Typically (especially if you're not Apple) a quality press release should be about informing and not necessarily about entertaining. A good press release headline doesn't bury the lede When crafting a press release headline, decide if being clever or less-than-informative for the sake of flair is worth a journalist possibly glossing over your story because your title isn't clear. Apple could write their press release in wingdings font and still get on the cover of Forbes. In addition, there are brands whose name recognition means they don't actually have to play by the rules. There are even some entire industries, like the fashion industry, where it's a boon for the press releases to be edger, flashier, and break some of the rules. Some agencies just don't have to rely on press coverage in the same standard way as others. Some brands and companies will get away with (and even benefit from) cheekier headlines.

Your press release type, your industry, and the people you want to reach will ultimately determine exactly how you should craft your press release headline. Is it better to be interesting or informative?

Be clear, concise, actionable, and engaging. They'll go on to the next story or the next press release that won't make them parse out the meaning. If your intended audience has to guess what your press release is about, they won't. Kelsey Ogletree talks here about the importance of maximizing the value of minimum space and why this is so crucial for journalists and writers: Think of the journalists when you write the thing. The details and minutia of your press release come second to answering the most important question: 'who gives a crap?'īefore even writing out your press release headline, ask yourself, 'why would anyone care? How can this press release impact my audience?' If the point is to gain coverage and buzz around your company, merger, acquisition, or product launch, great! What does that matter to anybody besides the people within the company? Of the 5 W's, we would argue that the 'why?' is the most important. Publicists writing their adorable, alliterative nightmare of a press release headline Write your press release headline with your audience in mind Our advice is to err on the side of caution and prioritize clarity over cleverness. Many companies successfully pull off a cheeky, witty press release, even if it does muddy the intent a little bit. That being said, you don't have to necessarily sacrifice your brand identity for the sake of professionalism. Before they even click on it, readers should know what to expect just from the short headline. Your audience shouldn't have to guess what is happening and why you've chosen to distribute a press release.

The anatomy of a good press release headlineĪ good press release headline needs to make the subject and purpose crystal clear. In summary, if you don't want your audience to fall asleep before they even get to the actual text, make sure your press release headline is stellar. If the point is to be covered, then your press release headline must be invigorating. Rarely does a company put out a press release and not want coverage. … then you've got to make that headline pop. Communicate an update, company change, product launch.But the headline honestly does a lot of the heavy lifting, sets the stage for your press release, and reels the reader into your story. It can be tempting to think of the headline as an afterthought, just the cherry on top of the main event. So we see a lot, and I mean a lot, of press releases and press release headlines. We at Prezly are in the PR software business. Try now! Who even cares about the press release headline?

Great newspaper headline examples