Last month’s most-clicked press releases reflect a wide range of public interest, from higher education and housing market shifts to irresistible seafood deals and nostalgic collectibles.
Here’s a closer look at what made these releases engaging and memorable.
There’s a reason audiences inherently love content about college rankings—it’s part scoreboard, part bragging rights and part emotional. U.S. News took the top spot in September with its rankings (just as The Princeton Review’s rankings took the top spot in August).
The formatting and links are the highlights here. Presenting a “Top 3 within a Top 10” list makes it easy for readers to skim key points while exploring the linked content for more detail. Normally, too many hyperlinks can overwhelm readers, but this release is an exception because each link is unique and useful. U.S. News uses clear, descriptive language for each link, guiding students and their parents to specific topics like scholarships, internships or resources for navigating the college application process.
A major residential real estate merger catches the attention of anyone paying attention to a market still navigating affordability and inventory challenges. Here, Compass quickly explains the “so what” of the merger in the second paragraph. (Journalists are also huge proponents of incorporating some of that into the headline and subheadline as often as you can.)
The “Strategic Rationale” section is especially effective, using bullets and strategic bolding to showcase key points and data. This is thoughtful formatting that guides readers’ attention, and something as simple as this—breaking from the standard “blocks of text” template—helps the announcement stand out.
We can always count on The Lob’s releases to generate a ton of clicks on our site, especially when they combine nostalgia and value. In under 100 characters, the headline combines the brand name, a shrimp pun and the keywords “Light On Your Wallet.” Really, what more could you ask for besides a new plate?
Adding a video instead of a static image is a twist on the standard food/restaurant multimedia. In addition to making the release more engaging, it maximizes the ROI of a piece of multimedia already being used across the brand’s owned channels. Lastly, the lone link in the release is a clear call to action strategically placed after a bolded, bulleted section that's guaranteed to draw readers’ eyes.
We need stress relievers more than ever now, and the enduring appeal of comforting, ultra-soft Squishmallows propelled this release’s popularity. The headline highlights the brand names and target audience within the first 55 characters, while also signaling urgency and exclusivity. The subheadline adds emotional and seasonal relevance, tapping into both the collector mindset and getting readers primed for holiday shopping.
If you link to your homepage outside of the boilerplate, it’s critical that your call to action for your audience is front and center on that homepage. See’s does that here—the Squishmallows are the first thing you see on sees.com, ensuring visitors can easily find what the company wants them to.
Pairing a short, bulleted list of the different collectibles with a corresponding photo helps potential customers visualize what they’re being invited to buy.
Much like Red Lobster before it, anything related to Crocs is likely going to wind up in the Top 5 in a given month. Behold, the (somehow) first collaboration between the classic candy and the plastic shoe.
In just 90 characters, the headline combines two highly recognizable and playful brands with both a sense of urgency and lighthearted fun.
The body of the release is easy to digest (sorry), with snack-sized (sorry again) paragraphs and plenty of bolding and bullets for quick skimming. And the colorful, fun aesthetic of the accompanying image taps into current trends in brand mashups and expressive fashion.
