Introduction
A press release is a great way to get the word out about your business, event, product, or service. It is a written statement to the media that can be used to announce something newsworthy.
Writing a press release can seem intimidating at first. But with a little bit of practice, you will become a professional press release writer.
In this guide, we will discuss the basics of what a press release is and how you can write one.
Understand the purpose of a press release
Press releases are an important tool for businesses, organizations, and individuals to share newsworthy information with the public.
Through traditional media outlets such as newspapers, radio, and television, and increasingly through digital channels like blogs, email campaigns, and social networks. Press releases can be leveraged to reach local, regional, or international audiences.
Writing a successful press release involves crafting a narrative that resonates with readers, creating messages that link back to your core objectives or brand values, and following best practices that ensure the accuracy of information and readability.
When creating a press release it is important to have a clear understanding of the purpose behind it.
Generally speaking, press releases serve three key purposes:
1) To provide newsworthy information about events related to your company or organization.
2) To provide updates about new products or services being launched.
3) To present educational material on topics related to your business or the industry in which you operate. Writers need to consider these three categories when drafting a Press Release.
Identifying the purpose before writing will help you create content that best serves its intended function while also ensuring accuracy of grammar and tone.
Additionally, keeping the focus on one specific purpose will streamline language structure as well as reading comprehension.
Research relevant media outlets
Before you begin writing your press release, research the outlets that your target readership is likely to consume.
It is important to know what type of content these media outlets use. Create to ensure that your press release content is a good fit.
With the right approach, your press release has the potential to reach a wide audience through many channels.
Research allows you to identify which publications, news websites, and TV or radio programs might be interested in covering your announcement story. It also helps you craft a better message. Consider researching topics such as:
-Types of news coverage that are carried by these media outlets
-The main point-of-view or angle of stories covered by each outlet
-Who covers what topics? Who produces which programs?
-What have competitors done successfully in this space? What hasn’t worked well?
-Deadlines and timing required by each outlet’s editorial process
What is the best format for writing a press release?
When it comes to issuing a press release tutorial, the best format is to begin with a compelling headline, followed by a concise and engaging lead paragraph. Include the most important information in the first few sentences, and use quotes and multimedia to enhance the story. Lastly, end with a strong boilerplate about the company.
Writing the Press Release
Writing an effective press release is an important milestone in any marketing campaign. A good press release should not only inform readers about the news or product being presented. But also show them why it’s important.
An effective press release should be concise and to the point. It provide all relevant information without being too wordy.
This section will cover the basics of writing a successful press release.
Choose an attention-grabbing headline
The headline is the most important part of a press release as it not only conveys the most important information. But also grabs the attention of readers.
A great headline should describe something unique about the news story in a short and catchy Headline phrase that will draw in readers.
Consider starting with an action verb and ending with a benefits statement that resonates with the target readers.
When writing the headline, always keep in mind who your target audience is. Crafting headlines for different demographics is an art form that can help make or break your press release’s success.
For example, if you are targeting millennials, use language they are likely to understand and respond to, such as social media speak or tech terminology.
If you are targeting professionals, keep it professional using more formal language such as facts and data-driven statements.
Remember, your headline should always reflect what makes your news story unique. Not reiterate common information that has already been released on similar topics as this may make it harder to grab the reader’s attention.
Use engaging language to pull readers into wanting to learn more by asking questions. They may ask themselves about their current knowledge of your topic or summarizing why what you have to say matters.
Last but not least: don’t forget to double-check spelling and grammar before submitting!
Write an effective lead
When writing a press release, an effective lead paragraph is essential. The lead is the reader’s first impression of your story. It should be carefully crafted to draw interest and convince them to read further.
A good leader sets the tone and acknowledges the most interesting or important facts in one sentence. It should grab the reader’s attention and provide adequate context about your topic.
Tips for writing an effective lead include:
- Make it short, sharp, current, and newsworthy.
- Begin with an unexpected or unusual statement that stirs curiosity.
- Make sure you answer the “who, what, why, where, when, and how” questions in your first sentence.
- Avoid generic language – be specific to ensure readership.
- Don’t bury the true message of your story within a long introduction – get straight to the point! Include relevant quotes and facts
- Including relevant quotes and facts can add credibility to a press release. Quotes should be direct, meaningful statements from you and/or your organization about either the news being reported or the press release topic in general.
- In making the quotes, aim for succinctness. No more than three sentences. While still conveying a message of opinion or endorsement. They must sound natural and conversational so they don’t come across as forced or scripted.
When it comes to facts, these can be real-time events or trends that provide a bit of context to your announcement.
They could include reports or statistics that bolster your achievement, milestone, or industry trend. Aligns with any underlying themes or greater initiatives related to your news. Or emphasizes any unique positioning within the competitive landscape.
Such as first-to-market status, new partnerships, growth rates and enhanced product offering of features that solidify your competitive edge in comparison to other companies serving the same market.
Formatting
Formatting your press release is essential for ensuring that it is read and accepted. Every journalist receives hundreds of press releases and they need to be formatted correctly to stand out.
There are several key elements you must consider when formatting your press release. We will go through all these elements in this heading so that you can get the best results for your press release.
Include contact information
When you write a press release, it is important to include all the necessary contact information. At the top of the first page, include your company or organization’s name and logo.
Follow this with address and telephone numbers, along with website and email addresses. If you’re sending a digital release, be sure to include links to the appropriate social media accounts as well.
Include contact names and titles for each person involved with the press release. Add an email address where readers can reach out if they need to ask more questions or provide feedback.
It’s also a good idea to attach a photograph of each person included in the release. So that reporters have something they can use in conjunction with their stories.
Use an inverted pyramid format
The inverted pyramid format is widely used in media and other communication pieces. It is designed to provide readers with crucial information first, followed by more detailed information for those who wish to learn more.
When using this format, the most important sentence or point should always be the first sentence of any piece of written work, with an attempt being made to provide a clear return on investment (ROI) to the reader.
Next sentences can provide further supporting evidence in descending order of importance.
This technique allows readers to understand the crux of an issue while providing more facts and evidence that they may find useful.
This flexible method can be employed across different writing genres such as news, technical reports, or even blogs and web content.
It helps to ensure that key messages are highlighted, while complex arguments and evidence can be explored in detail by those with an interest or stake in the matter at hand.
Use standard press release formatting
Press releases should adhere to a standard format. A typical press release consists of four to five paragraphs in the following order:
Headline – The headline is the first thing that catches the reader’s attention — it should be clear and worded.
Sub-headline – The sub-headline provides more context and elaborates on the headline.
Introduction – This paragraph is used to provide an overview of the press release. It should answer the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the story being presented.
Body – The body section provides details about your press release topic. Such as background information, quotes, and other facts that support your message.
Keep sentences concise and make sure everything adds value to your story.
Boilerplate/Conclusion– This paragraph gives a brief biography of your company or organization as well as any relevant contact information. Feel free to also add a link to an assets page with photos or videos related to this story.
This serves as a helpful source for journalists covering the story who may need more assets for their article or broadcast segments.
Distribution
Once you’ve written your press release it’s time to distribute it. Distribution is the key to getting your message out to the right people.
There are a variety of methods you can use to distribute your press release, including emails, social media, press release distribution sites, and more.
Let’s look at some of the different ways you can use to distribute your press release to maximize its reach and impact.
Identify the best channels for distribution
Once the press release has been written. It’s important to identify the best channels for distribution.
This means understanding who your target audience is and what communication channels they use.
It’s also important to consider the reputation of each channel. Make sure that any associated connection is valuable and credible.
This process will involve researching different outlets such as newspapers, magazines, trade publications, national publications, industry publications, radio/TV stations, regional & local papers/journals/magazines, websites & blogs, digital presses, and influencers (whoever has sway within the intended demography).
Once you’ve researched all your options, it’s time to start targeting specific publications with your press release.
The main goal is to get your story published on a site or platform. It is trusted by your target audience so you can maximize exposure to them.
Make sure you have a way of tracking how far the news or story was distributed (e.g., through tracking URLs or dedicated contact numbers) to measure success for future campaigns.
Submit the press release to relevant media outlets
After writing the press release and ensuring it is formatted and includes all relevant information. It’s time to submit the press release to relevant media outlets.
Media outlets can include television networks, newspapers, magazines, websites, blogs, and social media networks.
It is important to remember that each outlet has its submission process. It will likely have different requirements for submitting press releases.
When submitting a press release, consider the outlet’s preferred format for submission. Many outlets prefer email submissions with Word documents or PDF attachments. It may need formatting changes from the original created document.
When sending an email submission to an outlet’s general inboxes. Be sure to include “press release” in the subject line along with any necessary contact information in the body of the email itself.
Also, take into account any extra materials that will help make your press release stand out. Common attachments include photos of products or images related to the story featured in your press release.
Other useful attachments may include company logos or bios of key personnel mentioned in your press release. The less work a media outlet has to do when researching your story, the more likely they are to cover it!
Follow up with the media outlets
Once you’ve written and distributed your press release, you must follow up with each of the media outlets you contacted.
Reaching out after they’ve received your initial email can be beneficial in establishing a relationship as it demonstrates that you are interested in garnering coverage.
A simple thank-you note, a phone call, or an in-person visit can go a long way to demonstrating your involvement.
You should check each outlet for any potential opportunities for coverage or feedback on how your press release was received. Be sure to immediately address any questions or issues that arise.
If editors or reporters need more information. Such as quotes from experts, references to other sources, or interviews with key personnel, provide what is requested accurately and promptly.
Additionally, if they express interest in the subject matter. But cannot cover it at the moment, stay in touch and be sure to share current updates with them. You may get included in future pieces!
Resource-
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/press-release-template-ht
