media update’s Taylor Goodman delves into three tips you can utilise to up your headline-writing game and garner more reads.
The world of press releases is over-saturated, with journalists often inundated with different press statements that they just don’t read.
However, focusing more attention onto a well thought-out headline is a simple way to get that content published and to catch the audience’s attention.
The importance of a good headline is proven by Copyblogger, which stipulates that ‘
eight out of 10 people read headline copy, but only two of those people continue to read the rest’.
Now, without further ado, let's dive into three tips you can employ to write a more compelling headline:
1. Strike a balance between ‘simple’ and ‘emotive’
One of the most important things to consider when writing an attention-grabbing headline is making it
concise.
When a journalist comes across a long-winded headline, it gives them the inclination that your content is just as drawn out; and it also means that the readers of that publication will,
ten to one, think the same. This means you’ve lost the press release game before it has even begun.
To catch your reader’s attention, you need to ensure that your headline conveys the
most pertinent information in your press statement.
Include any key information or statistics so that your recipient is able to see what your press release is about before they delve deeper. You should avoid any exaggeration or hyperbole — stick to the facts. And, ensure that your headline is around 100 characters for greater text appeal.
As important as simplicity is, it is also key that your headline strikes a chord with readers. This can be done by using emotive language to stir up feeling with readers — be it humour, curiosity or concern.
For example, a headline like ‘AI makes recruitment easier than ever before’ is more enticing to readers than ‘5 ways AI simplifies recruitment’.
2. Consider trends
When writing press releases, is it key to keep note of any trending topics or frequently used terms as you will earn points with journalists when your content is relevant.
A simple way to recognise these trendy keywords is by writing your headline
after you write your content. By doing this, you are able to pick up on keywords that popped up multiple times throughout the writing process.
Once you find these keywords, you can take things a bit further by
using a keyword tester, like Google Trends, to see how popular that word is amongst your audience.
This enables you to understand which words and phrases your audience is most receptive to, and will make them more inclined to read your press release.
3. Utilise the correct tools
Using a headline analyser helps you to put the finishing touches into writing a compelling headline.
Examples of popular headline analysing tools are:
These applications allow you to enter your heading idea, which the program will then analyse. These tools grade the strength of your headline based on the number of common / uncommon, emotive and powerful words used. They also conduct length analysis, a Google search preview and more.
These tools are not your one-stop-shop for a winning headline, but they
can help you understand where you are going wrong and what you can do to improve your headline efficacy.
As a PR pro, what are some tips you utilise for writing a winning headline? Let us know in the comments section below.
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*Image courtesy of Vecteezy