Oftentimes it’s one little thing we do that keeps us from achieving success. No matter how studious and thorough we are with every other tiny detail, if you goof one thing up, that’s all anybody sees. Even worse, it’s usually impossible to see until it’s too late and you’re left wondering what happened.

Writing a press release can lead to the exact same issues. You can do everything correctly, but if you accidentally do one thing wrong that’s all the editor/reporter/intern will see. When they do, they’ll toss your release aside with hardly a second thought. All your efforts will go unnoticed.

There’s one big error you can make that will truly make your press release stand out – and not in a good way. While editors, reporters and the like may be able to overlook other tiny details, this one will definitely make them move on to the next piece.

Mangling Your Title

It all comes down to the title. If you have a great title, the ball is in your court to make a convincing argument why your release should be in the newspaper or magazine. On the other hand, if your title stinks, then all is lost. Nobody will pay you any attention and your release will get deleted as soon as they can click the mouse.

This is because the title is the absolute first thing they see. If it doesn’t capture their attention, if it’s dull, confusing, or just pointless, why would they keep reading? Seeing a dull title shows them the rest of the release is just as boring and there’s no point to keep going.

However, if the press release title is amazing, there’s at least a small chance they’ll give the rest of it a chance. If your title blows them away they’ll at least check out the first paragraph. If it doesn’t knock them out they’ll likely move on – but they might not. If you forget the bio or email, address, or phone number, they could potentially try to hunt you down if they like the release enough.

None of this will happen, though, if your title stinks.

Helping Your Title Not Stink

There are a few things you should do to make sure your title is great enough to get readers to continue their journey down the page. One of the first mistakes many make is to try and make the title too long and wordy. They believe getting as much info into the title as possible will pique a first reader’s interest in the subject. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case, and can actively turn people off.

Press releases are all about being as succinct as possible. You want the most amount of information in the tightest wrapping. If you make a title that blows people’s minds in 5 words, go for it! Don’t feel like you have to expand it just because. If it gets the point across and makes people want to read, use it.

Another problem many have is making the title too “salesy.” Editors (and readers) don’t want a sales piece; they want a story they can use next to other stories in the newspaper. If you look back at your title and it sounds like something you would hear in an infomercial, rewrite it immediately!

How long do you typically spend on crafting your title?

This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Download your free copy of the Beginner’s Guide to Writing Powerful Press Releases here: http://www.ereleases.com/offer/beginnersguide.html