Use formula press release headlines to get the reporter's attention
If the headline doesn't do its job, the rest of the press release is worthless. The job of the headline is to force the reporter to keep on reading. Don't be worried about be overly creative.
What you need are called "formula" headlines. All you have to do is take a "formula" headline, replace a few words, and you've got your headline. For example, a "formula" headline may be "14 Ways to End Headache Pain Immediately." That's a formula headline. Now what makes it a formula headline? If you saw that headline in a book on publicity, or example, the number "14" would be underlined, and "headache pain" would be underlined. Any time you see something underlined, that means take it out. Eliminate it. And put in your information.
So we have the original "formula" headline, "14 Ways to End Headache Pain Immediately," and you want to make it something about baking, and you may say, "3 Ways to Bake a Prize-Winning Cake Immediately," or "In One Hour Or Less," or whatever else you want. A dentist could use it and say, "6 Ways to Avoid Losing Your Teeth Before Age 60." It’s the same headline. All I did was take out the words pertaining to a cake or dentistry, and I put in the words pertaining to my story. Now your headline is done. No creativity. No work. It took about four seconds to do.
This tip is reprinted from How To Write Killer Press Releases That Stop Reporters In Their Tracks
