1. Use numbers in headlines
There’s a reason most marketers love numbers in their content. Numbers resonate with audiences. They are a great way to add credibility to your claims and build interest.
A Conductor study published on Moz found that over 36% of readers preferred headlines with numbers.
An in-depth study of the top 700+ articles on Medium in 2020 showed that numbers were the second-most popular additions to headlines.
Numbers are an excellent visualization tool. For example, if your press release is about a charitable achievement, adding the amount donated or the number of people that benefited from the initiative helps readers understand how much you have truly helped the cause.
2. Find a Newsworthy Angle
Apart from writing style and grammar, your headline needs to focus on a newsworthy angle or perspective. Why does your press release deserve to be published ahead of hundreds of others? What makes it interesting or unique?
Some newsworthy perspectives to highlight include:
Local impact: Showcase community events your organization or employees undertook to improve the local community.
Progress: Share significant progress in your organization, such as reaching a goal or milestone.
Conflict: The conflict perspective tells another side to an ongoing dispute or disagreement.
3. Include your keyword
Conduct keyword research to find keywords and phrases that are relevant to your press release.
A few tips for adding keywords to press releases include:
Use your primary keyword or its variant in the headline, introduction, and 2-4 times in the body copy
Use secondary keywords (preferable longtail) naturally throughout the body copy
Add the primary keyword or its variant in the meta description and image alt text
4. Include multimedia
Show don’t tell. This is the number one rule of writing an engaging story. There’s no better way to help your reader visualize the story than with multimedia.
Press releases with visuals get three times more views than those without. For visual elements to be effective, they must be high-quality and relevant to the content.
However, it’s important to remember that journalists won’t accept images or videos that you don’t have the rights to.
Examples of multimedia content to include:
PDFs – Link to long-form copy like an eBook or whitepaper.
Images – Use images to support company announcements, product launches, or awards. Images for press releases need to be at least 300 dpi. Small images may appear blurry and stretched.
Videos – Great for driving audience engagement on social media. Keep it short with a max length of 60 seconds-2 minutes.
Infographics – Turn complicated information into a simple graphic that’s easy to digest
5. Make it engaging
Most press releases are drab and boring. It’s written in a monotonous tone that puts the reader to sleep faster than a lullaby. An engaging press release is fun to read. It takes the reader from the captivating headline through each line of text to the final action in the CTA.
Tips to write an engaging press release include:
Use simple language that’s easy to understand
Prioritize search intent
Focus on benefits over features
Use the voice of the customer to address your target audience’s needs
Infuse copy with a consistent brand voice
A/B test your press releases to see which one performs better
Add statistics, images, and quotes to support your statement
6. Put your most important information first
Most press releases follow the Inverted Pyramid format.
At the top, remember the 5Ws:
What is happening
When is it happening
Why is it happening
Who is in charge of the event
Where is it happening
In the middle, you can include secondary details like quotes. At the bottom, additional information like the boilerplate copy and whom to contact with more questions.
7. Follow the AP style
The Associated Press style guidelines, known as the AP style, is the most commonly used style guide for writing press releases.
Some tips for writing in AP style include:
Use a person’s first and last name when you mention them for the first time. After the first occurrence, you can refer to them using their last name
Expand on every abbreviation and acronym the first time it is used
Spell out all titles except Dr., Mr., and Mrs. when used in direct quotes
Use numbers when writing dates and years
Spell out all the names of the month when not referring to a specific date
8. Remove fluff and keep it under 500 words
Reporters don’t have time to sift through fluffy background information to find the facts. Keep your press release short and sweet. Typically, your press release should be around 250 words but no longer than 500 words.
A few tips to keep your press release concise:
Remove personal opinions, viewpoints, and commentary
Stick to the facts
Use a formal, direct tone
Avoid conversational footnotes or casual tones
Avoid unnecessarily long sentences and find the quickest way to communicate your message
Use an active voice over passive voice
Eliminate adverbs and meaningless words like “just,” “simply,” “completely,” “kind of,” and “actually,”.
For more info: BestPRguy@gmail.com www.PublicityandMarketing.com
Commentaires