March was a genuinely varied month in terms of headline clicks on prnewswire.com, with everything from health to tech to fast food included in the Top 5.
Here’s a closer look at the releases that readers loved last month and what made them stand out.
Any news regarding weight loss drugs continues to be extremely popular, and Novo Nordisk’s major update was the resounding No. 1 release on prnewswire.com last month.
There’s a lot to convey in the headline, and it subsequently exceeds the ideal length, but the keyword strategy works.
There’s a version of this headline that reads something like “Novo Nordisk lowers cost of Wegovy® (semaglutide) to $499 per month” with the name of the new pharmacy and other features and descriptors in a subheadline or two. But if you’re writing releases for a publicly traded pharma company, you know the odds of the dozen people who have to sign off on the copy approving a headline under 70 characters are extremely low.
So, take note of Novo Nordisk’s approach here, incorporating multiple keywords and key phrases that resonate with its target audience, as well as the eye-catching number. Patients/potential patients searching for “Wegovy cost” or “lowering Wegovy cost” will find the PR Newswire version of this release on Page 1 of search results, along with plenty of earned media coverage about the news.
Bulleted subheadlines with critical data quickly convey the most important information and naturally draw a reader’s eye. Norvo Nordisk also weaves key data points throughout paragraphs in the body of the release, helping those stand out to readers who are skimming the content, and the two most important links for patients are featured well before all the boilerplate legal copy.
The follow-up to one of February’s most popular releases was our second-most-read release last month.
The headline is succinct yet clear and entices readers to click into the release to learn more. They’re then immediately greeted by bulleted subheadlines that provide the nitty-gritty context and details for the headline.
Like its release from last month, Honeywell formats the narrative in an engaging way, placing a bulleted list with strategic bolding above the standard executive quotes and grouping all the relevant links into one section for easy navigation.
The annual announcement of med school placements landed in the third spot in March.
The narrative structuring is the true highlight here. Resisting the urge to pack a long release with numerous links, NRMP includes just three, all of which are clear and direct and drive readers to relevant information.
In addition to the best practices around bolded section headers and bulleted lists, NRMP keeps graphs and sections relatively short and chock-full of data for optimal engagement. Pairing a bite-sized infographic with the top four data points is chef’s kiss.
Big news about a small invention came in at No. 4.
Journalists caution against hyperbole in press releases, particularly in headlines, but … if it’s verifiable, by all means lean into it, as TI does here. “World’s smallest” is certainly an attention getter, and TI selects a strong follow-up verb in “enabling,” one of the best action verbs in terms of ROI for headline clicks. (According to our research, headlines that include verbs with a positive connotation or imply expertise or valuable insight will be shared in a release perform well on PR Newswire platforms.)
Much like the Honeywell release, a concise headline pulls readers into the content, where a bulleted summary immediately offers specifics. The body features a classic call to action paired next to a photo that perfectly captures the news, as well as clearly defined sections with one to two relevant links in each.
We ring the bell to round out our Top 5 for March.
The “TLDR” version of the news highlights included in this release is a nice touch and shows that Taco Bell knows and is writing for its target audience. Bonus points for including multiple calls to action – for the livestream and multimedia assets – in that list.
The nature of Taco Bell’s event allowed for the novel time stamp section headers here, but the bolding and bullets are classic best formatting practices for reader engagement.
This release is also an example of when numerous links within the body work, if you format and strategize accordingly for your audience. Here, Taco Bell clearly groups links in designated sections and includes clear calls to action in the segments.
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.