Use these tips, tricks and suggestions to get better pickup and more value out of readMedia’s state of the art service.
Media relations has gotten a lot more interesting--and a lot harder--in recent years in part as a result of the impact of the Internet and supporting technologies. readMe is an ongoing series of tips, tricks and advice aimed at helping PR and marketing professionals stay on top of the trends, understand the implications for their day-to-day needs and learn to utilize the new technologies effectively.Recent Articles
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PR Tips
- CAPITAL Punishment
- Your Audience Is Listening
- Follow Through
- The KISS Principle
- Worth 1,000 Words
- Ten Commandments For The PR Professional
- Make Headlines
- Five And Dime
- Heads Up
- Be A Keyword Master
- The Missing Link
- Big News Vs. Small News
- Let Your News Sell You
- Take Aim
- Filtered Out
- Beating The Buzzer
- Charted Waters
- Get Recognized
- One Size Fits All
- Long-Term Storage
- Error Proof
- From The Horse's Mouth
- Tech Talk
- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
- Tip Of The Iceberg
- Writing for Robots
- Photographic Evidence
- Closed Captions
- Easy Access
- Hit The Nail On The Subhead
- Headline Drills
- Extra Credit
- Word of Mouth
- Correcting Mechanics
- Laying Down a Bunt
- Broken Records
- Timing is Everything
- The Online Name Game
- Short and Sweet
PR Tools
Headline Drills
The purpose of every headline is to grab the reader’s attention. Your headline is the bell to Pavlov’s dog. Use it to whet your reader’s appetite and make them want to read more immediately. It’s a good idea to write your headline after you’ve completed your release. The keywords you used in the body of your release should appear in your headline too. For more tips on keywords see this PR tip
If you’re having trouble creating an exciting headline, here’s an easy drill:
Using a lined sheet of paper, write numbers 1-10, skipping lines. Then quickly write down ten original headlines. Don’t think too much about what you’re writing… write down the first things that come to mind. Afterward, revisit each headline and make adjustments. Pick the headline(s) that you like the most. And always feel free to combine your favorite parts into one headline.
Did you know: News aggregators like Google News put a lot of weight into the headline. Make sure it is unique and tells your story! Specific names, dates, and keywords are good for both readers and robots.
