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Publicity Secrets: Writing a Killer Headline
Author: Tom Peric
Website: www.wackydays.com
Added: Tue, 22 May 2007 14:54:03 -0700
Category: Writing
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Read This & Editors Will Use Your Press Release
Yes, I made a guarantee. And watch me fulfill it . . . all you have to do is stay with me for three minutes to learn the most important commandment in writing a press release and one almost no one really follows.
I’m going to stun all my readers this month with a simple, yet powerful rule that is one of the most consistently ignored commandments in the media business. I see top gun PR flaks break the rule (often) and even solid journalists. If you think this is hyperbole, remember, as the editor of five different publications I read more than 1,000 press releases each year.
Here’s the secret everyone ignores: Most people who write a press release compose lousy headlines. Most headlines are dull, say nothing, too cute or promise something the story can’t deliver. Sometimes the headline is just wrong.
Yet headlines are the most important element of a press release. One of America’s top marketing experts, someone who gets, from what I hear, about $25,000 per appearance, is allegedly to have said that you could sell anything with a great headline and testimonials.
Well, I’m not in complete agreement, but I know what he meant with the headline.
It boils down to this: If you can’t get your reader to go to the next line you’re dead. Proof? Why do you read a newspaper article especially if it’s NOT on a topic that you usually read, what makes you actually read the article? It’s the headline. If you’re not drawn it, you stop and turn the page or move on to another story.
There isn’t enough time for me to give you a complete lesson on writing a headline. But I got you this far with a pretty fair headline. So now comes the reward.
Here Comes That Secret Tip:
Here’s your big PR tip: Solve a problem in the headline. That’s it. Just solve a problem.
I recently wrote a press release for an insurance organization that has ties to the HVACR industry. The original headline mentioned the connection. Nice, but so what? Does the reader REALLY care?
What did Tom do with the headline? I showed that the insurance company could LOWER medical coverage costs IF they belonged to the trade organization.
Yes, I kept the connection between the two organizations but it was important to give them a reason to read more. The reason? Save money, it’s something everyone, especially contractors, wants to do. (Sorry, can’t reveal who it is but you’ve heard of them if you’re in the HVACR business.)
Here’s a quick example:
Company XYZ Releases New Value (Who Cares!!!)
New Value Saves Technicians 20 Minutes on Service Calls (Now, you care because you’re saving time. You solved the problem of time that all technicians face.)
Another Tip.
I was a very average headline writer for many years as a journalist. Frankly, I didn’t care about headlines (even though I “knew” the rule about its importance) I always reasoned that my writing was so good readers would just devour my words. I was wrong. The simple truth is that without a compelling headline, they won’t bother to read what you write.
I got better at headline writing with a very simple approach. Practice. I started paying attention to headlines. Remember your first change out with brand XXX? Tough! How could you ever do it by yourself, you asked. A year or two later and you’re ready to show someone else how it’s done. Practice is what gave you the skill and the confidence. Practice really does almost make perfect. And if you don’t have the talent for it (after all, who has talent for EVERYTHING), find someone who does.
© Galileo Communications Inc. 2007
About the Author:
Publicity expert Tom Peric, president of Cherry Hill, NJ-based Galileo Communications Inc. spent more than 25 years in the media business. He reveals all his secrets in his book Wacky Days: How to Get Millions of $$$ in Free Publicity by Creating a “Real” Holiday & Other Tactics Used by Media Experts (www.wackydays.com). Contact him at tom@thegalileo.com or visit www.thegalileo.com.
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