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7 Tips and Precautions in Creating a Title Of a Press Release

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Nowadays, it is becoming common for many companies and organizations to distribute press releases on a daily basis and share press release information on SNS. The title is something that I want to pay particular attention to in order to reach as many people as possible, not to mention consumers and the media. Some senior spokespersons have stated that "press releases put the soul into the title."

This time, I will tell you why titles are important in press releases and the points to create appropriate titles.

Why Are Press Release Titles Important?

How do you judge in newspapers, news sites, and SNS whether it is news that you need and whether it is an article that you should read? 

If you think about when you collect information, it may be easier to understand the important factors for reading a press release. Here are two reasons why titles are important in press releases. 

Reason 1. The first wall to decide whether to read the text

Press releases are now delivered to readers through a variety of routes. If you are a consumer, you can search for topics or things that interest you on the SNS timeline or press release distribution service site, and if you are a media person, you can send them directly from companies or organizations by e-mail or fax. When, the routes through which information arrives have become more diverse.



In the case of email, the reader will initially see only the subject . Don't get buried by a lot of emails. It is important to give a title that reminds the reader, and to give a title that the reader can recognize as necessary information.

It is also effective to devise an eye-catching image that makes  a press release catch the eye on the internet . However, it is a press release that is common to all routes and has useful information for the reader and should be read up to the text. Information and keywords written in the title.

Reason 2. Get the minimum required information with just the title

Readers, including media professionals who receive hundreds of press releases every day, do not read every single press release they care about.

If you can simply tell "who", "what", and "what happened" in the title, you will be able to understand the outline of your company's activities and efforts even if you do not have time to read the text. Of course, it's best to have the text read, but the most important thing is to ensure that the information reaches the person who should receive it. Be sure to include the necessary information in the title.

What are the tips for creating a title of a press release that catches the reader's eye? Introducing 7 points

So, how do you get the title of a press release that reaches your readers? Here are seven points to keep in mind.

Tip 1. The number of characters in the title should be 50–60 characters

As a guide, the number of characters in the title of the press release should be 30 characters or less. Imagine that the title of a press release appears as the subject of an email, or as an SNS Open Graph protocol (= a protocol that enables any web page to become a rich object in a social graph). Titles that are too long will be cut off in the middle and the necessary information cannot be delivered. The shorter the number of characters in the title, the better, as long as it contains the necessary and sufficient information.

Since the fact that the content is conveyed in the displayed title part also affects the Clickthrough rate (= is the number of clicks that your ad receives divided by the number of times your ad is shown: clicks ÷ impressions = CTR), it is recommended to say what you want to convey in about 30 characters as much as possible. "The point is to keep the title of the press release within 30 characters."

Considering that it is necessary not to overload the information, to properly include what you want to appeal most, and to summarize it without excess or deficiency, it can be said that about 30 characters is the optimum number of characters.

On the other hand, Google typically displays the first 50–60 characters of a title tag. If you keep your titles under 60 characters, you can expect about 90% of your titles to display properly.

100-character titles are also available if necessary

As mentioned above, it recommends about 30 characters for the title of the press release, but since the maximum number of titles on the press release submission screen is set to 100 characters, you can enter up to 100 characters. 

For example, there may be cases where there are multiple products or works to be released, or there are cases where the product name has a large number of characters in the first place. If the number of characters of the element you want to emphasize in the main is large, you can put it in the title.

However, on some PR submission screens,  if you enter more than the maximum number of characters for both the title and subtitle, you will not be able to proceed. If the title exceeds 100 characters, try using subtitles.

Tip 2. Narrow down the content to be transmitted from 5W2H

If you give a title with a lot of information, the number of abstract words will increase and the content will not be conveyed, and it will take time for the reader to understand. In order to deliver the news accurately with a limited number of characters, let's narrow down the content you want to convey in the title from 5W2H.

Who: (subject / target)

What: (contents of efforts)

Where: (place of implementation)

When: (start date and period)

Why: (background and purpose)

How: (features, etc.)

How much: (amount and quantity)

Tip 3. Check news value from a third-party perspective

If you want to distribute a press release and you would like the media to cover it, there has to be a third-party perspective but if you unilaterally convey what you want to convey, it may not be noticed. Media coverage depends on whether the content is worth reporting, that is, whether it has "news value." To put it plainly, is there a point that people in the world are interested in about the content?

News value is evaluated by the following factors. When creating a title, check from a third-party perspective, "Do you feel the news value immediately upon looking at the title?" You don't have to meet all the factors, but try to have at least a few.

  •  Current affairs


It is related to trends, social conditions, and seasons in the world (ex. Christmas, Halloween season)?




  •  Novelty


New information that is not yet generally known (ex. New feature release, event holding)




  •  Sociality


It is related to social issues and hot themes, or it is useful for society and the public (ex. Inbound, fertility treatment)




  •  Surprisingness and Uniqueness


Surprising factors such as paradoxes, contradictions, and gaps (ex. Business card exchange without handing, shampoo without washing)




  •  Impact


A theme that many people know or are interested in (ex. News of big companies and featured companies, entertainment)




  •  Humanity


A story that moves emotions (ex. Interview articles such as entrepreneurial stories)




  • Regionality 

An element that makes local people feel attached and excited

Tip 4. Place keywords that indicate news value in front

Press releases are delivered in various forms such as fax and SNS, but one of the most common means is by email or press release distribution site.

If the title is long and important parts are cut off, or if the reader is not interested at the beginning of the sentence, the press release will not be noticed. To reach more people with press releases, place keywords that indicate news value in front.

Tip 5. Concise sentences with paraphrases, uninflected words, and punctuation

Once you have a draft title, consider whether you can convey it more simply. You can simplify the sentence by "paraphrasing" the same content in different forms and words, and adding sharpness to the sentence with "uninflected words" and "punctuation marks".

Tip 6. Specifically with numbers and proper nouns

If the title of the press release does not give an overview, the reader will not notice it. Be specific in the title so that the reader can get an overview of the press release. Use numbers and proper nouns to convey concretely.

After creating the title, make sure you don't use adjectives or abstract expressions, and that you can replace it with numbers or proper nouns.

Tip 7. Choosing words that don't question the reader

In the title, use words that do not question the reader.

If you try to shorten the title too much, it will be difficult to convey the meaning if you use abstract words or proper nouns that are difficult to convey the meaning by themselves. The more you think about the title, the more familiar you will be with it, so once you have a draft, ask a third party to check "whether it is transmitted" with fresh eyes. If you have any doubts or don't understand what you intended, use points 2 to 6 to brush up.

Three things to keep in mind when creating a press release title

Here are some things to keep in mind when creating the title of a press release, along with the points.

 1. Avoid adjectives

 2. Do not use "!" Or "!?"


 3. Choose words that are not exaggerated

1. Avoid adjectives

Try not to use abstract adjectives such as "many", "easy", and "immediately". The adjectives that describe the nature or state of things are inevitably dependent on the "reader's interpretation. If something is "big" to the writer but "small" to the reader, there can be a gap between the facts and understanding that the press release is trying to convey.

Avoid using adjectives that may not convey the facts properly, not just the title. Even when communicating the same content, it is more accurate to convey the same content with specific numbers such as "1 hour later", "one click", and "11,200 people".

2. Do not use "!" Or "!?"

"! (Exclamation mark)" and "? (Question mark)" are symbols mainly used to express emotions. It's not forbidden to use it, but if you use it too much, the part you really want to emphasize will be blurred. If you use it in the title or body of a press release, it will bring emotions, and if you emphasize it too much, it may be perceived as negative.

Remind yourself that the main purpose is to convey the facts accurately, and keep the use of "!" And "?" in the title at the very least necessary.

3. Choose words that are not exaggerated

Avoid using words that could be exaggerated, such as "world's best," or "first time in history," because you want to show off your novelty. If you use these words, you need to justify them in the text. Even when the media picks it up as news, it is always checked for supporting information.

As I’ve mentioned , be aware of specifics such as "numbers" and always be aware of fact-based transmission. If there is no information in the public relations department, you can search for data from other departments in the company or other highly credible organizations such as government offices, or use a research company to create a basis, although it costs money. If you can't find the underlying information, it's best not to use it.

Conclusion

Press Releases put the soul into the title” . For that purpose, trial and error of the title is important.

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