Master the inverted pyramid writing style for greater press release impact
If you want to create a press release that hooks the audience’s attention, then you need to learn how to use the inverted pyramid writing style. According to a 2019 study, our attention span is getting lower and lower. The main cause is the excessive use of electronic devices, media, and applications, all of which combine to make it harder for people to concentrate. Considering this data, if you want to capture and retain a reader’s attention, then you need a press release that doesn’t take too long to read.
That means that whoever is writing your press release needs to follow a structure that will hook the reader’s attention. Depending on what information you share and the way you present it, you can encourage a reader to linger long enough to read more before they get distracted by something else. Fortunately, there’s a simple technique you can leverage to do this.
The inverted pyramid writing style is the key to capturing and engaging users quickly and efficiently. It’s powerful enough to encourage your audience to seek more information.
What’s the inverted pyramid writing style?
For starters, the writing style for the newspaper press release is different from that of a product brochure. In a brochure, you’ve got more freedom to be creative and even get personal. However, when it comes to a newspaper article, you don’t have that privilege.
However, you can compensate for this through your delivery and structure.
The inverted pyramid style prioritizes key details at the top and includes supporting information below. Thanks to this structure, your readers get access to the information in the beginning – when they are fully concentrating. After you’ve given them a hint of what’s to come by highlighting the important details, they’ll be more likely to read your supporting content. This writing style will capture the audience’s attention first, spark their interest, and motivate them to read on.
The early telegraph is the typical origin of this writing style. News outlets would leverage this format when writing the first sentences. Following the inverted pyramid structure proved successful when they found that readers would be more likely to stay long enough to read the whole article after consuming the critical details first.
Nowadays, the inverted pyramid has become a common technique that media writers and journalists leverage to create content for their audience. In fact, this technique is now an industry standard. It’s not just the media outlets that use it, but famous institutions as well. Some well-known examples of media outlets that subscribe to this style of writing are the Associated Press and the New York Times.
Benefits of following the inverted pyramid
There are several writing styles with attention-grabbing capabilities that you can leverage to deliver your news. In some cases, your choice of writing style should vary depending on the target audience and topic. Additionally, most writers focus 99% of their attention on the headline, since it’s proven to be the most powerful part of any article. Focusing on the headline first is actually in line with the inverted pyramid writing style. After all, this writing style dictates that you should put the most important information at the top – right around where the headline is.
That being said, what makes the inverted pyramid style the most effective writing style?
It’s direct and quick
Efficient delivery of information is the key aspect of the inverted pyramid structure. When you focus on the vital information first, readers are more likely to read the whole article. That’s because they don’t have to dig for the important information in the rest of the article. Since this writing style is more focused, readers are less likely to lose focus and wander off to explore another article halfway through.
It inspires further reading
Besides incorporating essential details at the top, the inverted pyramid inspires your readers to consume more information. When you provide vital info at the beginning, you’re likely to capture and retain your audience’s attention. They will develop the desire to read on to find out more details.
It’s an empathetic way of writing
This structure of writing allows you to cater to members of your audience who have mental or learning disabilities. It accommodates people with dyslexia, ADD, and ADHD.
People with the above conditions have difficulties when it comes to concentrating. Since they have a low attention span, if you want to communicate efficiently it’s necessary to put the vital details first. People with dyslexia also have an easy time reading content that follows the inverted pyramid structure, because everything they really need to know is at the top.
By following this writing style, you can ensure that your content is more inclusive and accessible.
It’s good for search engine optimization
Boosting your SEO is another remarkable benefit of using this structure of writing. The inverted pyramid style improves your SEO. Including keywords in the first two sentences of your article enhances keyword prominence.
Furthermore, writing the important information first increases the probability of getting into the knowledge graph information box of Google. Since you’re using content to engage the audience first, the cost of interaction also goes down significantly.
How to leverage the inverted pyramid writing format
So far, we’ve highlighted the benefits of this writing style. Now it’s time to master how to use it in a press release. This will help multiply your chances of capturing media attention. After all, the best press releases go beyond presenting facts and information to present it in an appealing way that’s easy for readers to follow. Ultimately, the structure you use determines your capabilities when it comes to engaging the audience.
To learn how to use the inverted pyramid structure, follow these tips:
1) The headline
The headline is always the first part of your press release that a reader will focus on in a press release or other article. Therefore, you must craft an enticing headline that will reel the reader into the rest of the article. With the right technique, you can create a headline that commands readers’ attention and contains keywords. Your headline should hint at what your press release is about. In addition, you can include subheadings to expand on your headline, and incorporate keywords to improve your search engine ranking in your niche.
2) Lead construction
The lead or lede is your opening paragraph – its main purpose is to cover the 5Ws. These Ws include the why, when, where, what, and what. Oftentimes, journalists or media reporters incorporate these in the first two sentences. In any case, the lead should spell these points out quickly and efficiently.
You can also include a hook in the lead for your story. A quote or enticing detail will do just fine for this. That being said, the 5Ws are the fundamentals of the inverted pyramid writing format.
3) The body
In the body, you can now expand the details of the story you provided through the 5Ws. You can use quotes, facts, or any other supporting information to support your story. Keep in mind that for the inverted pyramid format to work, you should follow it all the way to the end of your press release.
4) Conclusion
At the end of the pyramid, you’ll find the least essential information. However, that doesn’t mean that this information is not helpful. The information you include at the end – such as the boilerplate and contact information – adds to the context of your story and gives the reader information on where to connect with you for more details. You can also include references for more reading in the final statement.
Time to write your press release
It’s challenging to write content for people in an age where their attention span is the shortest it’s ever been. Therefore, if you’re looking for a sure way of capturing and retaining the reader’s attention, you should leverage the inverted pyramid writing format.
How Pressfarm can help with this
At Pressfarm, we can help you structure your press release for maximum effectiveness.
Beyond that, we can save you the hassle of developing your story into an engaging and newsworthy press release by writing your press release from scratch.
Pressfarm is a PR agency that specializes in creating quality content for brands across different industries. With a professional press release, some engaging guest posts, and an eye-catching media kit from Pressfarm, you can capture media attention and inspire your target audience.
By submitting your content to the right media outlets and startup directories, Pressfarm can boost your online presence and ensure that you rank in relevant search results across different search engines. In addition to content creation, Pressfarm’s account executive creates a personalized media list for each client. With these custom media lists, you can connect with the best thought leaders and storytellers in your industry.