Thousands of hits appear when you search “How to create a press release” on Google. No wonder, either. Knowing how to create a press release is crucial to obtaining media attention for your company, especially when you own a website.
But what ought to be included in a press release? How do you wrap up a press release? What about the structure of a press release Fortunately, we have all the answers to your questions. Just keep reading below!
Today’s environment requires brands to create their own buzz. Consumers no longer wait for the morning newspaper to provide their news. Instead, they are reading the news on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites.
Press releases are one technique to manage the narrative that surrounds your brand. A consistent stream of noteworthy news, whether it be the introduction of a new product or alterations to your organizational structure, may make a business stand out and gain the attention of journalists over time.
What is a press release?
A press release (PR) is a formal statement (written or recorded) that a company releases to the public, including the news media. Whatever we refer to it as—a “press release,” “press statement,” “news release,” or “media release”—it always refers to the same fundamental idea.
The press release is a mainstay in the marketing and PR industries. A PR provides journalists all the information they need to report on your story, much as a blueprint is essential to the construction of a skyscraper or a script lays out your favorite movie.
While the first paragraph should address the “who,” “what,” “why,” and “where,” the title should incorporate action verbs. A quotation and clear phrasing should also be included in the press release.
Most press releases are succinct, being just a page long – two pages tops. It is essential that companies provide enough information in their releases so that news outlets can publish their own stories about whatever is being announced.
You should keep in mind that press releases are in the public domain, which means that they are accessible to your stakeholders and clients.
As a result, consider a PR to be a valuable piece of marketing content rather than just a means of obtaining news coverage.
How does a press release work?
A press release is created and distributed by a company, not by journalists working on their own initiative. As a result, investors and analysts should take into account the possibility that news releases include some bias or subjective interpretation.
In fact, it might be challenging to tell the difference these days between a PR and a story that was published in a news source. The first few words of the work are an ideal place to start looking for the source. This will make it clear who made the item or where it came from.
Business Wire and PR Newswire are the two largest providers of news releases. In terms of press release dissemination and regulatory disclosure, BusinessWire is a world leader. The service is used by public relations and investor relations experts to distribute their news to desired audiences and reliable sources.
How to write a press release for a business?
The art of writing a press release involves striking a balance between the narrative your business wants to tell and the audience you want to reach. Here are some tips on how to write a press release and what to keep in mind.
1. Write something interesting
When deciding whether to write a press release, think about the big picture: Does your news interest journalists enough to share it with their readers, or are you and your company the only ones interested?
Making sure that what you are saying is truly noteworthy is the best way to write a press release that is read. Sending the media press releases on news stories that solely have an impact on your company is a certain way to get them to ignore you, even if it may seem straightforward.
So, what’s the solution? Unless it’s a major announcement in the industry, a press release should be saved for important events or announcements, like the launch of a new product or service or recognition in the industry.
2. Focus on the headline
As a general rule, the headline of your press release ought to be able to fit within Twitter’s character limit. When you send reporters a link to your press release through Twitter and email, your press release increases its chances of being read. It also increases the size of your audience if it is brief enough to be read on Twitter.
The subject line has a crucial role. Your press release won’t be read if the subject line isn’t compelling enough to make the reader care.
To stand out in a media contact’s inbox, simplify your headline. Your headlines will be chopped off in email previews and on the Google results page if you don’t keep them to roughly 70 characters.
3. Be candid to cover the basics
The five Ws—who, what, where, when, and why—is the first thing that most journalists are taught when they begin their training in news reporting. A news story’s core is made up of these basic details that convey the information in an understandable, concise manner.
A press release cannot be thoroughly read by reporters in their limited time. They simply require the news’s most important takeaways. Making a brief list of bullet points with information that can be easily consumed and applied on social media is a really simple approach.
Your release should include all of the Ws right away, unlike how a reporter could do it to make place for a snappy lead in the opening few paragraphs of a story. Deliver the specifics in the form of bullet points, as journalists just want the essential information.
4. Keep it mistake free
Inaccuracies and errors are the quickest way to alienate a journalist. Make sure there are no mistakes in your press release.
When writing press releases, it is critical to use correct grammar. A statement from an authority figure, accurate information, and a link to the company’s website and social media accounts should all be included.
In light of the possibility that the press release may be distributed to several editors and journalists, doing this will guarantee that the message is communicated clearly.
How to write a press release for a blog?
A business press release is definitely not welcome on a blog. The different steps to writing a press release for a blog is as mentioned below:
1. Target audience
The most crucial step is picking the perspective that matters to your target audience before you begin crafting the press release itself.
Keep in mind that a specialist magazine’s readers will be far more interested in a subject from a different perspective than those of a local newspaper. For the various groups you are aiming for, you should really write separate versions of your release.
Remember that journalists are among your target audience in addition to prospective readers. Writing effective press releases won’t help you if you don’t do your homework and target the incorrect media.
2. Follow the proper structure
Understanding the press release structure is also necessary if you want to be able to write an effective press release. The press release structure should be in the following order:
Headline: People will read it first and decide whether or not to continue reading thereafter. As long as it’s no more than 110 characters, it will seem more appealing, be simpler to read, and perhaps even inspire a tweet. Make it unique, intriguing, and noteworthy because it takes the average person 3 seconds to make a decision.
Lead: Follow the “miniskirt rule” while writing this section. This states that the lead should be both brief enough to maintain attention and long enough to include the fundamentals. Add all five W’s of the news content.
Trustworthy Source: Make careful to reference any outside sources on which your press release is based. In doing so, you will increase your audience’s perception of your credibility. Make sure the content you link to is authentic and not false information. To make your links appear more natural, use anchor text.
Crisp Details: Focusing on how your product or service benefits others is the key. Because it benefits journalists when it benefits people.
Quote From Others: Quotes from press releases are always appreciated. They increase the text’s diversity and add a new point of view. Quotes may easily improve the readability and appeal of your work, which should be reason enough to include them in your press release.
Contact Details: In the end, don’t forget to include contact information so that reporters can get in touch with you or anyone else who is worth contacting. It’s crucial since they might want to inquire further about the tale. If you skip this step, your prospects of getting your release published are nil.
Press release format
There are many ways to distribute a press release, but for now, we’ll ignore faxes, snail mail, and messenger pigeons and just pay attention to those that are most frequently employed. Here are some press release formats to take into consideration:
1. PDF
Advantages:
- It’s compatible with nearly every device.
Disadvantages:
- It’s heavy, and journalists don’t like having their mailboxes blocked.
- It’s challenging to copy. A journalist still needs to go through the effort of copying or rewriting even if they don’t want to modify it too much.
- It’s tough to quantify since you don’t know how many people have really read it.
2. Plain text
Advantages:
- Copying and editing are simple.
- It’s light and doesn’t block the mailbox, which definitely makes it more journalist-friendly
Disadvantages:
- It looks boring and doesn’t encourage reading
- There is a chance that it will look bad on some devices
- Similarly to PDFs, it’s hard to find out who actually saw the press release
3. Interactive format
Advantages:
- Easy to copy and edit thanks to a special button that lets you copy plain text
- Looks good on every device
- Interactive: you may drag and drop different items and add social network sharing buttons.
- The analytical section allows you to manage each press release and determine exactly who viewed it.
- Easy download of all attachments with one click
- Your viewers will always have access to the most recent version
Disadvantages:
- It may not be ingrained in certain journalists yet, which may be both a benefit and a drawback.
- When people first see it, they could be perplexed, but they might also fall in love with it.
4. Never beat around the bush
Get the information out fast and simply, and your chances of getting a press release from an email to an editorial meeting will soar. Nail the story in the first few phrases.
Because journalists are under greater time pressure than ever, it is important to convey the main points of the story in the first few paragraphs of a press release. The sooner you get to the point, the better, because it’s likely they won’t have time to read the entire thing.
What does a press release contain?
Here are the six essential parts most press releases possess:
- Headline
- Summary
- Date and location
- Body
- Boilerplate
- End or Closure
A boilerplate differs from the end of the closure of a press release. Press releases submitted to print media should end with the following symbol, ###, which should be placed in the middle of the page at the bottom. No more text will ever be accidentally included in a corporate statement.
What should you include in your press release?
Giving an overview and a few important pieces of information about what you’re announcing through content writing is the goal of a PR. Include one or two quotes from executives and/or customers, and then be sure to offer links to websites where readers may find out more. Aim to make your press release succinct, engaging, and direct. In the end, it should include the contact details of your company.
How can a press release help my business?
Small businesses must spread the word about their efforts and let everyone know about them, especially potential customers. One method to achieve marketing channels is through press releases.
It builds a business brand
You have the opportunity to explain your small business’s mission and notify your consumers about it via a press release. Building a brand takes time and money, but you won’t stand out from the competition if you don’t try to communicate your objective to others.
It helps in SEO
You have the chance to include those SEO keywords in your story when you write press releases. If the press release is picked up and an article is published, your company will be promoted, and the appropriate SEO keywords will be included in the piece to help our company become known to its intended audience.
These news releases may serve as both original press releases and website content. This news release may be transformed into an original blog post or website update, assisting Google in locating your company.
It establishes and strengthens media relations
Press releases benefit from media contacts and journalists’ approaches. Journalists must go through a lot of proposals and articles in order to find high-quality ones.
Press contacts will take notice of and be impressed by a well-written press release. The connections you make might pave the way for a prosperous future, ideally one with press coverage.
Tips for writing a press release
Although a press release’s format is fairly conventional, its substance is not. Writing an effective press release requires talent, wisdom, and perspective. When done correctly, it ought to be intelligent, interesting, and beautifully written. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind when you draft your next press release.
1. Develop a strong story
Spend some time coming up with a great idea with your client or team before you even start to create your PR. Collaborate, broaden your perspective, and give your thoughts some thought.
If you are writing about an event that has already occurred, speak with a witness to obtain the real scoop.
When launching a new program or organizing an event, spend some time considering the fundamental reasons why it matters and why people should care. Don’t submit unfinished ideas to the media, and if it helps, consider yourself a journalist.
2. Write a strong first paragraph
Reporters receive a ton of words and ideas every day, so yours must stand out. Assume that a reporter will skim the opening line or paragraph of your story and decide whether or not to continue reading it.
You need to make them want to read more by delivering your point in that very first paragraph. So, it is crucial to make the first paragraph interesting and grab attention. Remember, you have only one chance at making an impression.
3. Write an attention-grabbing headline & subject-line
Despite being short and seemingly inconsequential, your headline and email subject line are crucial to your story’s success. To get editors or journalists to open the email in the first place, a compelling subject line is essential.
The next most crucial method of highlighting your main point is through your headline. A headline or subject line for an email should be engaging, compelling, accurate, and interesting.
4. Do your research – include facts and figures
Your announcements will have more impact and reinforce their relevance if you include facts and numbers. You need to prove if you claim that your story is part of a wider trend.
Spend time conducting research, giving context to a story, and citing sources to ensure that your audience of journalists is informed and stimulated to think. They’ll respect you more for it.
5. Include strong and memorable quotes
The quotation offers your press release a crucial human aspect and gives the breaking news a voice. Your speaker also has the chance to assert something in the quote that the objective voice of a news release cannot.
Don’t use generic quotes that don’t offer anything. Make sure the CEO or other corporate leader you are mentioning in your press release seems genuine, insightful, or distinctive in some other manner. This does not imply that all quotations must be serious, but they must be notable.
Some frequently asked questions
Apart from the details discussed above, there might be some more questions that pop up in peoples’ minds. Here are some of them answered for you below:
There is a compelling headline and (an optional) subheadline in the typical press release format. These should appear after your header’s logo, contact details, and release date.
You shouldn’t use hype, make inflated claims, or write copy that reads like an advertisement in a press release. Additionally, you must avoid errors like being unnewsworthy, having ambiguous or uninteresting headlines, and using the incorrect format and writing style.
You should never use words like, “solutions”, “cutting edge”, “out of the box” and “value added” in your press release to make it look more natural.
Your slogan, company name, and any words or phrases that are trademarked may all fall under this category. Or you might use that term in your press release if your company has a brand personality.
Simply said, -30- denotes “the end.” It serves as a cue when a press release ends, especially at a page break.
Last words
Send press releases only if you have a noteworthy announcement, and be sure to keep them brief. Limit your press release to a length and format that you can send in the body of an email because the majority of people won’t accept attachments from strangers. Write a brief, targeted message to the writer who covers the topic of the piece you want to put.
Writing press releases will become second nature to you as you develop contacts with willing journalists. You’ll gain greater visibility as a result, which will advance your company. We hope you will find this post highly informative and helpful in crafting the best press releases for your requirements.
