How to Make the Most of Your Press Release Sub-headline
In most press release distribution service interfaces, there is a field for a sub-headline for your press release. The sub-headline can be a great opportunity to capture the attention of your target audience if you craft it carefully.
It supports the headline
The sub-headline gives more information to support the headline. It can clarify and also entice the reader with further details
It serves as a teaser
The subhead can work with the headline as a teaser, to get people to read on.
It can show underneath the headline, to give more information
In some press release distribution service interfaces, the headline and the subhead will show, giving you more of a chance to lure journalists into reading the entire story.
It can appear in search engines
On search engine results pages, you will see the headline and some text underneath. Google will create their own text in most cases, but other search engines will often use your subhead to populate this area.
It serves as a summary of the press release
Your subhead can also be a useful summary of what your press release is all about, but with just enough intrigue to get journalists to want to read the entire release.
Crafting a great sub-headline
There are a number of features a subhead should have in order to help you get readers and media pickups.
Keywords
You should include keywords in your headline and subhead. They can be related to your company, brand, niche or industry. This will help journalists and other interested readers find your content via search.
Emotive words
The best headlines can make an emotional connection with the reader. Think of the difference between decrease, cut and slash, or increase, boost, soar. Each has roughly the same meaning, but some of the words are more dramatic than others.
Your brand or business
Press releases are a good way to start branding yourself in the eyes of your target audience. They are never going to buy from you if they don’t know who you are in the first place. Use your company name in your headline and/or subhead to increase your brand recognition.
Be concise
Aim for about 25 words in your sub-header, and make every word count.
Write the sub-header last.
It’s always a good idea to write your headline next to last, rather than first, so you can brainstorm ideas and come up with a headline that captures the essence of the press release. Once you’ve written the headline you will be ready to write the sub-header.
The sub-header will add details to clarify the headline, and summarize the release. You can only do these two things effectively if you have written the release and the headline first.
Be clear, and try to intrigue the audience. The headline is a promise of what they will learn. The sub-header is even more of a tease and enticement to get them to read on.
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