"89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases"

Lesson #9:  The headline and sub-head

The second part of a press release consists of the headline and sub-head which I've highlighted for you in yellow below. A well-written headline catches the reader's attention. A well-written sub-head makes the reader stay and keep reading.

Many people who write press releases write only a headline. But Smart Publicity Hounds write a sub-head too. Here's why: 

• Most people who read on the Internet scan, looking quickly for words and phrases that will help them decide whether it's worth their time to continue reading. Because the sub-head is written in bigger type than the body copy, it will stand out. So it's another opportunity to pull readers into your press release.
   
• It helps break up the gray.
   
• Sub-heads are one more place where you can insert benefits associated with your product, service, cause or issue.
   
• If it's media attention you're after, the sub-head provides another way to "hook" the journalist. Reporters who read your press releases will seldom, if ever, write a story about you directly from the release. Instead, if they're interested, they will pick up the phone and call you for an interview. So use a sub-head as another way to hook 'em. 
   
• Sub-heads give you yet another opportunity to insert relevant keywords high in the press release, so the search engine spiders can find them. Notice that in my headline below, I used the phrase "Employee Recruitment, Retention." In the sub-head, I used "Finding and keeping workers."
  
  People who are searching on the Internet for ways they can find or keep employees might search under one of those two phrases. And if they do, the search engines will find this press release online and deliver it to them. (You'll learn more about how to write great headlines in Week 5 and how to optimize your press releases for the search engines in Week 10.)  

Here's the press release:

CONTACT: Joan Stewart at 262-284-7451 (days) or 414-284-2222 (evenings)
3434 County KK
Port Washington, WI 53074
jstewart@publicityhound.com 
http://www.PublicityHound.com 

Employee Recruitment, Retention Booklets
Offer Helpful Tips During Labor Shortage

Finding and keeping workers is easier with these 220 ideas
that include onsite day care centers, espresso bars,
 employee nap rooms

PORT WASHINGTON, Wisconsin -- July 1, 2006 --  Employers struggling with the worst labor shortage in three decades can find dozens of ideas for finding and keeping workers in the booklets “113 Tips for Finding Valuable Employees” and “107 Tips for Keeping Valuable Employees.”

Proactive companies that want to keep valuable employees and lure other qualified workers away from the competition are using recruiting and retention strategies that would have been unheard of 20 years ago. They include offering employees flexible work schedules, career counseling, onsite day care centers, espresso bars in the company cafeteria, and employee nap rooms.

The two 16-page booklets were written by Joan Stewart, a publicity expert and management consultant who is also known as The Publicity Hound.

The booklets are $5 each. Order at http://www.PublicityHound.com/publicity-products/tips.html or by sending your business card and a check (U.S. funds only) payable to The Publicity Hound to 3434 County KK, Port Washington, WI 53074. Or call 262-284-7451.

– END –

Permission to Reprint:

Journalists, newsletter publishers, bloggers and others: You may reprint any 10 tips of your choice from each of the two booklets as long as you include ordering information. Email me at JStewart@PublicityHound.com for all the tips.

Need an illustration? GIF images of both booklets are available at http://www.publicityhound.com/images/113tips.gif  and http://www.publicityhound.com/images/107tips.gif

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Opportunity #9: Books you are mentioned in

If someone mentions you in their book, write a press release about it. Being mentioned in other people's books is a fabulous way to build your platform because books have such a long shelf life. I'm mentioned in more than 40 books on publicity, marketing and small business success. In every case, the authors approached me.

You can search for other people who are experts in your topic, or for authors who might want to tap into your expertise for their next book. Once you've identified a book that's a fit with your topic, you can contact the author and offer your expertise for their next book. Or, you can build your platform by submitting articles to article directories, blogging and publishing an ezine. Once you've build your platform, authors will start approaching you.

P.S. Being mentioned in other people's books is one of the more than a thousand tips in "How to be a Kick-butt Publicity Hound," a one-stop-shop for anybody who needs print, broadcast or online publicity. I co-wrote it with Tom Antion, and our last update includes an entire chapter on blogging. Read more about what you'll learn here.  


Tomorrow: Provide perspective

Please help spread the word about this tutorial

If you like this tutorial, let your business associates know about it--even your trade associations and chambers of commerce. Also, bloggers, ezine publishers, newsletter editors and speakers can spread the word to their audiences. Just give them this link where they can visit my blog, take my press release quiz, and sign up for the free tutorial:

http://tinyurl.com/pwnu7

Need help with publicity?
The Publicity Hound's Resources List includes products and vendors that can help with many aspects of your publicity campaign. You'll find press release distribution services, publicists, audio experts, ghostwriters and more.

***Have you missed previous lessons in this tutorial? You
      can find them below:

Lesson 1     Lesson 2     Lesson 3     Lesson 4     Lesson 5     Lesson 6      Lesson 7     Lesson 8