Strong Multimedia, Headlines Make Up October’s Top Press Releases
As we head into the holiday season, consumer news – with strong, succinct headlines – continues to be incredibly popular on prnewswire.com. Here’s a deeper look at the stories that visitors to our site found most engaging last month.
1. HEYDUDE and Jelly Roll Launch Global Partnership Featuring Limited-Edition Design
Source: PRNewsfoto/HEYDUDE
A partnership between one of the hottest musical acts and one of the most popular footwear brands landed in the top spot in October.
What works: The headline is short and sweet and gives readers just enough to get them to click into the full release. In addition to staying within the overall recommended headline length, HEYDUDE is mindful of where search engines typically cut a headline – around the 50-55 character mark. Here, that mark is after “Partnership,” which means there will still be a clear, full headline focused on the target audience visible in search results.
Once readers and journalists get into the release, they’re greeted with a textbook product marketing strategy: multiple visuals of the comfy but aesthetically divisive shoe and a clear call to action link taking them directly to the product page.
More for journalists: Product announcements and partnerships are some of the most common release topics to cross the wire. To help you find the releases that matter to you, create a custom newsfeed with PR Newswire for Journalists. Narrow your results by industry, keyword, geography and more.
2. Timex Celebrates 170 Years of Watchmaking with $1 Limited-Edition Anniversary Watch
Source: PRNewsfoto/Timex
Timex’s historic deal for watch lovers took the No. 2 spot last month.
What works: Timex demonstrates a tried-and-true strategy for engaging headlines by incorporating numbers, and eye-catching ones at that.
Any product press release needs at least one piece of multimedia. Timex doubles down here, using a video that breaks down its 170-year history in less than 40 seconds and a photo of the limited-edition watch.
As readers and journalists scroll down from the watch photo, a clear call to action drives them to find the information most important to them – where they can potentially get their hands on this steal.
More for journalists: Need multimedia for your article? View the multimedia gallery for the latest releases with an asset like a product image, company logo, campaign video and more.
3. ALDI Commits to Thanksgiving Prices Lower Than 2019, Feeding 10 People for Less than $47
Source: PRNewsfoto/ALDI
It is perfectly acceptable to start talking about Thanksgiving two weeks before Halloween, as the success of ALDI’s release shows.
What works: ALDI’s headline combines the best practices shown by HEYDUDE and Timex above. Online search results will truncate the headline after “2019,” but “ALDI Commits to Thanksgiving Prices Lower Than 2019” is a full, strong headline that will generate a ton of clicks on its own. The back half features attention-grabbing numbers and easy math, creating an all-around fantastic headline.
Bonus points for working hot-button keyword “inflation” into the subheadline.
Utilizing one of PR Newswire’s complimentary release templates, ALDI places the photo showing the Thanksgiving spread next to the shopping list in the second paragraph, a nice side-by-side pairing that immediately grabs readers’ attention.
More for journalists: Thanksgiving announcements are starting to show up more and more on the wire. Catch up on the latest Thanksgiving press releases.
4. TIME Reveals the 2024 TIME100 Next List of the Leaders Shaping the Future
Source: PRNewsfoto/TIME
TIME’s annual list of the next generation of standout artists, athletes, innovators, activists and more checked in at No. 4.
What works: I’ve said enough about overall length and numbers when it comes to headlines, so here let’s focus on “Reveals” as one of the best action verbs for clickthrough ROI, based on our press release analysis.
TIME gives readers the goods up front: two crystal-clear calls to action paired next to images of its three magazine covers and followed by strategic bolding throughout the rest of the narrative to draw readers’ eyes to the key names.
5. This Year Marks a Decade of Chicago as the Rattiest City in America
Source: PRNewsfoto/Orkin, LLC
Rat news rounds out our Top 5 for October, and I couldn’t be prouder of prnewswire.com visitors.
What works: Behold, unbranded headline perfection. Would people still click on this headline if Orkin had put its name in it? Sure, but it’s so much better on its own. Not everyone can (gets to?) write press releases about rodent havens, but this is a great example of knowing when you have the goods to let your story stand on its own in the headline and have a little fun.
Speaking of fun, share this simultaneously cute and menacing mouse illustration with the graphic designer in your work life and challenge them to dream big. Again, would this be a perfectly acceptable release without the image? Yes, but now that you’ve seen the release with the illustration, can you imagine it without it?
Kudos to Orkin for keeping readers engaged to the end with a mix of numbered and bulleted lists, strategic bolding and clear links.
More for journalists: Survey results tend to be one of the most popular types of press releases that utilize an unbranded headline — keeping focus on newsworthy findings that will draw a journalist’s eye. Click to check out the most recent survey and poll press releases.
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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.
