In the world of press releases, a well-crafted subject line can mean the difference between your email being opened and read or being sent straight to the trash bin. But how can you create subject lines that not only grab attention but also entice recipients to click and read your press release? Look no further – we’ve got you covered with the ultimate cheat sheet for creating click-worthy subject lines. Our tried-and-true techniques will help you craft subject lines that are concise, compelling, and optimized for maximum engagement.
With our cheat sheet, you’ll learn how to infuse personality and creativity into your subject lines while staying true to your brand voice. Whether you’re promoting a new product, announcing an event, or sharing exciting news, our techniques will help you captivate your audience and drive click-through rates like never before. Don’t let your press releases go unnoticed. Unleash the potential of your subject lines with our ultimate cheat sheet – your ticket to click-worthy success.
Who is going to be impacted by this news?
This information helps consumers, shareholders, and company owners to take advantage of newly available services.
What actions are you taking?
This is an especially crucial question if you’re announcing a partnership with another brand. It’s important to highlight which sectors and teams will collaborate. Which new markets are the two businesses entering? When will the partnership begin, and when can customers expect to see tangible benefits?
What change are you making?
The motive in this instance may be to provide consumers with additional services and high-quality goods. What’s the point of all of this? What will the outcome be? What steps will you take to bring about this change? Would you, for example, alter the name or leadership team of your firm if you established a partnership with a new company? Are you thinking about relocating?
Choose a story angle
A press release should be prepared with a particular goal in mind. When you write a press release, you aren’t only writing for those who may be interested in your goods or services. You’re also writing for a newspaper, journalist, broadcaster, or magazine with which you’re connected.
When creating material, keep both groups in mind to guarantee that your message remains relevant. Concentrate on the kind of meaningful message that will appeal to your end-users and clients while also considering the editor’s needs. In order to be approved for publication in a media outlet, your work must meet specific requirements.
Aligning your press release content with the standards of each media outlet will increase the chances of this press release being published. This will ensure that the broadest possible audience sees your press release.
You can use a press release to make any of the following announcements:
- The introduction of a new service or product to the market
- A new website or a significant improvement to an existing website
- Participation in charitable activities or contribution to a charitable cause
- Free delivery or a reduction in freight costs
- The outcomes of a new research project
- A new trend that is relevant to your field
- News that is unusual
- Commentary on current events
- Building a new branch office location
- An award or accreditation that is relevant to your niche
- A freebie such as a white paper, magazine, or eBook that delivers valuable information
- A significant milestone (e.g., 50 years in business)
- An office move or the opening of a new office
- Changing the name of a product
- The acquisition of a significant and well-known customer (make sure you have their permission to publish this)
- An upcoming public appearance
- Partnership with another company or group of organizations
- Transitions such as changing company ownership and hiring a new executive
- A new manufacturing method
- Cost-cutting measures for your products or services
- An innovative technique or strategy that is suited to a specific industry
- A change to your brand image
- Restructuring your company
- A large-scale contest, gift, or promotional campaign
- The sale of Christmas goods and holiday celebrations
- Forecasts, projections, and trends for the industry
You can also use your press release to give your professional opinion on a topic relevant to your area of expertise (think of content that would make for great sound bites).
Here are more ideas of what you can share with a press release
- Recent reports, surveys, and polls that are relevant to your industry
- Your response to a crisis affecting your company, as well as what you plan to do going forward
- New applications for the things you sell
- A product endorsement from a well-known public figure (make sure you have their permission to publish this)
- A new social initiative such as a scholarship program that you’re launching
- The launch of a new referral-based affiliate program
- An upcoming appearance at a conference or event
- Free consultations or samples from your company
- News that challenges frequently held myths and falsehoods
- The recent acquisition of a patent for a product that you sell
- A new merger or acquisition
- A big historical event (e.g. your one-millionth customer)
- An appearance at a professional trade show
- A stock offering in which your company shares are made available to the general public
- A relevant guide that is equivalent to a cheat sheet (e.g. Top 10 Valentine Gifts, Effective Tips to Land a Job in 30 Days, Turn That Brown Lawn into a Suburban Oasis)
- A promotion that is only available for a limited period or a bundle deal
- A product or service that is available or discounted for a short time
So far, we’ve come up with several different story angles for your press release. Once you’ve settled on a story angle that works for your announcement, it’s easy to come up with a subject line for your press release.
How to create an appealing subject line
Keep it descriptive but concise
A good subject line is descriptive but not too descriptive. You need to leave your reader wanting more so that they’ll read the rest of your press release. For this reason, you should mention the hook (the most interesting aspect of your announcement) in your headline. However, you should only provide enough details to reel the reader in. If you generate the right amount of interest, your readers will be curious enough about the contents of your press release to read the whole thing.
The most effective press release headlines are a maximum of 10 words and 68 characters long. This helps to boost your press release SEO.
Highlight the benefit you’re offering
If you’re announcing a new development, it’s important to highlight what’s in it for your target audience. Once your readers understand that they can benefit from your news, they’ll be more interested in finding out more. In order to capture benefits that actually matter to your readers, you must first take time to learn what their pain points are.
Mention any big names involved in your announcement
Whether you’re partnering with another well-known brand or an industry thought leader, it’s important to highlight these big names in your headline. By mentioning familiar names, you can pique a reader’s curiosity and get them to read more.
Appeal to the reader’s emotions
Once you have an idea of what your target audience cares about, you can create an emotive subject line that makes them feel personally invested in your news. With the right subject line, you can connect with a reader emotionally and convince them that there’s something in your press release announcement that will make their lives easier.
Choosing a distribution outlet
Publishing press releases to the appropriate audiences can make or break a story.
After completing your press release draft, choose where it will be sent (and double-check the outlets you’re targeting for quality and correctness). It’s always a good idea to send out several copies of your press release to various companies and media outlets to maximize exposure. However, before you do this, make sure that these media outlets will help you to put your news in front of the right target audience. If a journalist’s audience doesn’t align with the target audience that you’ve settled on, then there’s little use in sending your press release to that particular journalist.
In order to choose the right avenues of distribution, you should build a media list of relevant outlets for your news. While this is an important step, we understand that you might not have the time to do this once your press release is ready. If this is the case for you, then you can hire the services of a PR agency like Pressfarm, whose experts can distribute your press release widely and to relevant media outlets.
By submitting your content to the right media outlets, startup directories, and professional networks, Pressfarm can boost your online visibility. The distribution strategy at Pressfarm ensures that your brand will rank in relevant search results across different search engines.
In addition to helping you distribute your press release widely, Pressfarm can actually build a custom media list for you. As a client, you also get year-long access to a comprehensive media database of 1 million+ journalists, influencers, and bloggers across different industries. With these media contacts, you can do extended media outreach for your brand, long after your campaign at Pressfarm is complete.
Bonus tips
While distributing your press release, you might also want to send your press kit along with it. A press kit is important because it gives journalists a snapshot of your company in a visually appealing format. This comes in handy when a journalist or media outlet is interested in writing a story about you. Your press kit should include photographs of your employees and products or services, as well as contact information and other details about your brand.
Several companies send out copies of their press release to influential editors and journalists as part of their public relations strategy. In general, this is a smart choice if you want to appeal to a specific audience or improve your company’s reputation.
To reach a large number of companies simultaneously, you can also make use of professional publications in your niche. Many online distributors can help you to send your press releases to the proper recipients.
Consider the following suggestions as an alternative:
- Publications that specialize in the industry (like technology or medicine)
- Newspapers in your neighborhood as well as online news sources
- Industry partners and influencers, as well as prominent blog sites that are relevant to your target markets, such as Google News or Apple News
Begin by compiling a small list of individuals who can help you spread the word about your business and its products. Over time, getting your press releases published in newspapers will become less challenging. Once you’ve built a reputation as a reliable source of valuable information, people might actually start coming to you for news.
Over to you
You now have all of the information you need to create a compelling press release that will help you to win new consumers over to your brand. Once your press release has been published, be sure to distribute it through social media, email, and your company’s website. This way, you can achieve maximum visibility for your press release.