Which Verbs in Press Release Headlines Attract the Most Views? A Journalist and PR Perspective

The headline is an important gateway to press releases. Most readers decide if they want to continue reading a press release based on how attention-grabbing the headline is. Journalists also gauge the potential newsworthiness of a press release from its headline within a few seconds of glancing at it.  

PR Newswire’s parent company Cision recently launched the 2021 State of the Press Release Report, which reveals press release trends from examining more than 100,000 releases and speaking to industry pros in the United States to understand how press releases fit into their PR strategy.  One key area that this report covers is strategies for crafting engaging press releases. We chat with Li Wei, a reporter with Semiconductor Voice, a leading Chinese semiconductor news platform, and Nathan Brown, PR Newswire’s Senior Editor, to get their views on writing attention-grabbing press release headlines.  

1. The words ‘Allow’, ‘Reveal’ and ‘Show’ are verbs in press release headlines that drew the most views. Does this list resonate with you? Which verbs would you avoid using in press release headlines? 

Li Wei: I agree that ‘Allow’, ‘Reveal’ and ‘Show’ are more attractive verbs in press release headlines.

Avoid verbs that are too general, such as “announce“. A press release is meant to announce something, so using “announce” conveys an unintended message that there is no fresh angle or information in this press release.

Nathan Brown: The words on the list are fairly accurate. Over the last year, I’ve seen tons of releases with words like “announce” and “launch” or one of their synonyms. Because of this, I think it’s important to try to push yourself as a content writer to avoid cliché. Sure, there are times when one word can do the job more accurately than others, but it never hurts to consider other options.

When writing, try to write your headline a few different ways before committing to a final headline. Focus on word variety in your attempts to allow yourself room to be creative and see if anything other than the tried-and-tested “announce” works.

Play around with common words: “Introduce” can also be explained with words like “Debut” and “Develop”. Replace “Announce” with “Reveal” or “Divulge” — if the news is extra interesting.

2. What’s your take on the list of most used words used in press release headlines and highlight a few other headline words that tend to grab your attention?

Li Wei: “First”, “million”, “billion” – these words make me think of market share, shipments, and other figures that people will truly value. “Global” and “Market” are words often used for market positioning purposes. I will accept these words as long as they describe the facts succinctly and accurately.

Personally, I would avoid empty, slogan-like words such as “pioneering” and “empowering”, and don’t recommend the use of emotive adjectives like “exciting” in press releases.

Nathan Brown: Using the same words as other releases can be good practice, but it shouldn’t become cemented in your habits. When people see the same word over and over again, they’ll begin to just keep scrolling without clicking. Provide readers subtle hints that your news is different, unique, or important by using a variety of verbs. Readers will pause and think “Their word choice is different. Maybe their news is different as well.”

RELATED READ: 20 Most Overused Press Release Words in 2021: A PR Perspective

3. Share some examples of press release headlines that instantly attracted your attention and why they caught your eye?

Li Wei: One of them is Infineon opens a high-tech chip factory for power electronics on 300-millimeter thin wafers. When I read “300mm”, this signals to me that this technology company is adding one of the few twelve-inch advanced processing plants in Europe. The official opening of this high-tech chip factory can be interpreted as a response to the chip shortage, with both technology and capacity expansions that are worthy of the industry’s attention at the moment.

Nathan Brown: Reading is a visual exercise, so when I’m on a news website’s preview page, I’m drawn more to the shorter headlines with quick, fast facts. It’s not that I don’t or can’t read longer releases. It’s just that when I’m searching for something to read, I need to get the most basic understanding of a release or news piece before I can commit to it. If the headline is a long sentence that takes up more than two lines on a preview page, I’m going to skim over it without stopping.

Some headlines that stopped me simply because of their short structure and focus on facts were those for the China International Import Expo and Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China Ltd.’s. They also do a good job of playing around with traditional headline structure and word choice.

4. Share with us any tips on crafting short and interesting headlines? What kind of information and news hook are you looking for in press release headlines?

 Li Wei: To me, headlines are always more interesting when it involves a large company and their actions or plans. There is no particular formula for crafting a good headline, and it is often possible to come up with a better headline based on an in-depth understanding of the product, technology, or event.

For example, a good headline often includes words that relate to the motivation and strategy of a company’s initiative, such as which market segments are being targeted. Words such as “focus”, “support”, “allow” and “reduce” make the messaging more precise in such headlines. These words tend to be related to the niche area that the company is focusing on or represent the specific impact of a product or technology.

Nathan Brown: Going back to the question about the headline keywords, I always believe in cutting out the unnecessary initial verb. For example, Company X Announces that They Won the ___ Award. Remove “Announces That” and re-organize the sentence so that it’s more dynamic: Company X Wins ___ Award. It’s now short and to the point.

5. What’s your favorite tactic to write an engaging opening paragraph to showcase a news angle?

Li Wei: Summarizing the most important aspects of a news event and indicating how is this relevant to a reader are my favorite ways to start an article.

A summary may involve linking events and to the relevant cause and effect, often involving industry or macro context. To communicate relevance to a reader, I often begin by explaining why an event is important and worthy of attention, and how it will affect the reader, helping them to quickly understand and continue reading.

RELATED READ: 4 Ways to Improve the Pick-Up Rate of Press Releases

About the Interviewees

Li Wei is a reporter at Semiconductor Voice, one of DeepTech’s news platforms specializing in technology, with a mission to help readers understand this dynamic industry through the voices of its practitioners. DeepTech is the exclusive partner of the MIT Technology Review in mainland China.

Nathan Brown is a Senior Editor at PR Newswire, who is based in Shanghai.

For more insights into press release writing and distribution trends, download the 2021 State of the Press Release Report.