Consumer-focused news propelled headline clicks on prnewswire.com in April. While the brands and topics were diverse, each of the top-performing releases incorporated multiple best practices designed to drive engagement and reach target audiences.
Here’s a closer look at the releases that readers loved last month and what made them stand out.
A female-focused partnership generated the most headline clicks on our website last month.
John Deere follows several headline best practices here: keeping the overall length within 120 characters, having a headline within a headline and–most critically–focusing on its target audience.
“Empower” is a word that can always be relied on to generate headline clicks on PR Newswire sites, enticing readers who are hungry for good news and eager to learn more about the positive impact that simple word implies.
John Deere continues to embrace its target audience throughout the release and includes short paragraphs and bold data bullets to provide an easy reading experience for the audience. The company also saves this non-material news for a window between market open and market close, giving the content a chance to stand out in the news cycle.
The lasting impression from this release, though, is the lifestyle image that underscores the narrative and instantly makes a personal connection with readers.
Jersey Mike’s 15th annual charity feature clocked in at No. 2.
After a ubiquitous TV campaign about its Month of Giving, Jersey Mike’s keeps its press release short and sweet. The highlight here is the company’s link strategy–placing just a few strategic links front and center in the content to drive desired reader behavior, including to a full list of charities and engaging multimedia.
Jersey Mike’s also applies the simple yet effective off-minute timing technique, increasing the odds its release is seen by more people upon distribution.
Another annual announcement nabbed the third spot on our site in April.
“Reveals” is another headline verb that provides major ROI, instantly conveying to readers that they’ll get something valuable from your content.
With so much information to share, TIME wisely presents three calls to action after the first paragraph, each with a clear, action-oriented description. Those are paired next to a multimedia array of TIME’s diverse covers–a nice side-by-side engagement combo.
All of this is “above the fold” before the requisite long lists of honorees and standard information (which is still ideally grouped under section headers and highlighted with strategic bolding). If you need inspiration for making a longer or dense release more engaging, follow TIME’s example here and showcase multimedia and action items front and center to immediately interest your audience—and keep them that way.
Readers clicked into a mouthwatering new product announcement in droves last month.
The headline shares so much very succinctly: “did it again” evokes innovation and fun, and “new favorite snack” is a promise, motivating readers to click and learn more.
Once readers are in the full release, they’re greeted with a photo that says it all, short paragraphs and a bulleted list for quick shopping reference.
The overall effect is a concise, fun and visually engaging release that entices readers and helps them know exactly what to look for when they go out to find this new snack.
Alaska Airlines’ passenger perks announcement rounds out our Top 5 for April.
The headline verbs were strong in our Top 5 for April—here, Alaska Airlines uses “unveils,” another historically top-performing verb that promises readers they’ll discover something new and exciting.
Alaska Airlines rewards readers who click into the full release with an appealing reading experience: paragraphs that are diverse in length and structure, bolded section headers to guide them through different themes, vibrant imagery and two clear calls to action—one for potential passengers and one for the media.
About the Author
Sarah Roberts is Director of Customer Content Services. In a previous life, she was a newspaper reporter in the Midwest before permanently retiring her snow shovel and moving to the Land of Enchantment. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, exploring the craft beer scene and petting all the dogs.