Home
>
Public Relations
>
Media Release Headlines - Ten Tips to Get Media Attention

Media Release Headlines - Ten Tips to Get Media Attention

So you have spent hours and hours writing, shaping and crafting your media message. You've worked on setting your objectives, identifying your target audience and working out how to reach them. Your release is well structured and packaged, leaving just writing the head-line remaining.

Unfortunately with little time remaining you hastily put together the headline and send out the release but fail to hear from any interested journalists.

Why? A poorly written headline will fail to attract the attention of a reporter, journalist or editor.

Let me give you an example.

"Triple Bottom-line Community Net Benefit Decision Time for Sustainable Economic Development Decisions Needed Says Economist"

This is an actual headline on a media release from MacroPlan Australia published in 'The Australian' Media Section on Nov 13, 2003.

Would you want to read more if you got this on your fax machine or email inbox?

How can you write better headlines?

Here are my Top 10 Tips:

1. KEEP IT TO 1 LINE.

More than one line and you are likely to loose a busy journalist who would receive hundreds of media releases a day. Be sharp and precise, remember your trying to hook the journalist in to read the rest of the release.

2. KEEP IT TO LESS THAN 5 WORDS.

Remember with headlines, 'less is more'. Make each word effective rather then having too many.

3. EDIT FOR BREVITY

You probably won't achieve points one and two on the first go. Rewrite and edit every time. Even experienced journalists take several attempts to get a headline right.

4. DON'T TRY AND BE TOO SMART.

Writing headlines for the print medium is a real art form. Leave it to those who make a living out of it - namely newspaper subeditors. Remember newspaper headlines have to sell papers, your headline has to engage one reader - a cynical journalist or editor with a 'so what, who cares' attitude.

5. KEEP TO THE ESSENCE OF WHAT THE STORY IS ABOUT.

The headline should summarise the story. Make it relevant. If the headline is too flamboyant it will be disregarded, make sure it is appropriate to the story.

6. USE A BIGGER FONT SIZE THAN THE REST OF THE RELEASE.

Don't go smaller than size 12 for the main body of the text and use size 14 or 16 font or bigger for your headline or title.

7. USE THE SAME FONT STYLE AS YOUR TEXT.

Never change font styles in a release. Times New Roman is the most accepted and professional.

8. USE BOLD TO MAKE IT STAND OUT.

9. CENTRE IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE.

10. ALWAYS SPELL CHECK AND DOUBLE CHECK FOR TYPOS.

Nothing harms your credibility more than a typo in the headline!

Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries. You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom's blog at http://www.8mmedia.com

Mokena prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare

In The News:

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a malware app called SpyLend is posing as a financial tool, hitting 100,000-plus downloads.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says Clone Robotics’ Protoclone mimics humans with 1,000 muscles – too human for comfort.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson urges you to use Apple’s App Privacy Report to see what your apps are really up to.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how to smoothly transfer your data from an old laptop to a new one using cloud storage or external drives.

Kurt the CyberGuy offers tips to safeguard your personal information as scammers become more sophisticated with scam texts and other methods.

WeRide's unmanned electric delivery van, the Robovan W5, has 194 cubic feet of cargo space and can carry payloads up to about 2,205 pounds

Kurt the CyberGuy recommends deleting 16 browser extensions immediately in response to a report saying more than 3.2 million web users were affected by a security breach.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

A robotics firm in China claims a robot has performed the world's first humanoid robot front flip, which is significantly more difficult than a backflip.

A digital ID may be even more secure than a physical ID. Storing your driver's license in your Apple Wallet is an ideal solution for commuters.

A cybersecurity firm has shed some light on just how common tax scams have become. Kurt the CyberGuy offers his advice for how to protect your refund.

Lifesize Plans offers immersive walk-throughs that allow customers the opportunity to tour a home's design before construction actually begins.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

A man invested $4 million in bitcoin and lost it all with a single click when he was targeted by a vishing scam, which uses phone calls to trick people.

Expandable's Touchdown is a designer trailer that promises a luxury off-grid living experience and unfolds into a home in about 15 minutes.

Major employee screening company data breach affects 3.3 million people. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson explains what happened and gives five ways to protect your data.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals mind-blowing tech that gives you sunlight on demand.

New malware "FrigidStealer" targets Mac computers. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson offers four ways to stay safe from infostealer malware.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how lab-grown muscles power a biohybrid hand for scalable prosthetics and research.

Reports of task scams have significantly risen in the past four years, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Kurt the CyberGuy offers some red flags.

iPhones have a hidden folder that eats up storage without you knowing it. Kurt the CyberGuy offers some tricks to free up storage on your device.

A recent ransomeware attack targeted Zacks, an American investment firm, and a cybercriminal claimed to have stolen records for millions of customers.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Researchers unveiled a new soft prosthetic hand that combines the natural coordination patterns of our fingers with the decoding of motoneuron activity in the spinal column.

Accidentally deleting a text message on your iPhone or iPad is not a problem if you still need the message. Apple has a built-in way to recover it.

Media Release Headlines - Ten Tips to Get Media Attention

Public Relations