How to Write a Press Release Headline That Goes Viral
Let’s face it, most press release headlines are pretty boring. Sure, the information in the press release may be relevant and valuable, however the title offers little interest or benefit. That’s unfortunate because the press release headline is probably the single most important element of a quality press release.
Sure, to achieve desired results the rest of your release needs to be darned good as well. But if your headline isn’t working, no one is going to read your press release. And if you want to capture massive attention and have your release go viral, well… the secret is in the headline. So, let’s look at some surefire tips to write a press release headline that goes viral.
- Short and Sweet – Think of your press release headline like a tweet. It needs to say as much as possible in as few characters as possible. In fact, you can and should make your headline tweetable but we’ll talk about that in a separate tip. Strive to make your headline concise.
- Power Words – Pay attention to the words you choose to use in your headline. Some words have more weight or oomph than others. For example, “Proven methods” sounds stronger than “verified methods.” Once your headline is written, work with the language in it to make the words as powerful as possible.
- Leverage Emotions – People make decisions based on their emotions. This is particularly true for buying decisions. However, it also applies to decisions to read, share, and comment on content. If you integrate emotions into your headline, more people will click on that headline, read your press release, and share your press release with others.
When we’re talking about using emotions in your headline there are two ways to approach this. You can hit it straight on and use emotional words in your headline. For example, “Say goodbye to overwhelm and exhaustion.” Both overwhelm and exhaustion are emotions that you feel. You can also tap into the emotions without directly calling them out. For example, “proven methods to have more energy.” This headline assumes your reader’s curiosity will be aroused and that they may be tired of not having enough energy.
- Trending Words – Sometimes it’s possible to use trending words in your headline. Of course, the trending words have to be relevant to the content of your press release. You can’t throw “Donald Trump” into the headline and then not talk about him or how he relates to your content.
- Keywords – This should be standard practice; however, people often forget. Include your keywords in your headline whenever possible. It helps make your press release more search friendly, which grows your audience. And it can help your content go viral.
Finally, it’s a good idea to make your press release social media friendly. Make it possible to Tweet your headline, quotes, and facts in the body of your content. Include social sharing options, images, and other social media friendly features. And invite people to share and engage in your press release. Distributing your press release ensures you get it in the most hands as possible – from there your headline can do the heavy lifting and help your release go viral.
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