Writing a Press Releases

A guide to writing a press releases.

How To Write Your Press Release

The key to a good and effective press release is making sure it is well written. Writing good press releases is a process requiring skill and experience. Because every word of a press release may be analyzed, careful wording is essential. This is why many organizations use outside P.R. companies to write them. The major news sources that publish stories also have editors who manually look at press releases to decide what to publish. So if your goal is to get your press release picked up by a major news source then the purpose is not only to convince the end user to read the story but also to convince the editors to read your story. With regard to editors, the quality of the writing will be given a lot of weight. The style of a press release should be similar to a resume. The tone should be straightforward and businesslike. Here are some specific guidelines to use:

First, the title is crucial. If the title doesn't impress the editor then it won't get noticed at all. Therefore, writing a headline that grabs your attention means everything. Some people say that editors are so busy that they spend only 1 to 2 seconds reading the headline and only 5 seconds reading a press release. A good title should hook the reader by doing one of the following things: arouse curiosity, promise answers to a question, give solutions to a problem, explain benefits, promise to reveal information, or create emotional appeal. Sculpting your title around a question is a classic method that is very effective.

You should keep your title simple, to the point, and in a language anyone can understand - don't use industry jargon or acronyms. Use the fewest words possible. Write your press release first and then write your title to make sure your title is relevant to the press release. Writing your website's name in the title may increase exposure, but only do this if it doesn't degrade the quality of the title. You don't want the title to look like a sales pitch for the website or come off as spammy.

Make sure the first paragraph of the press release answers the important basic questions of "who, what, when, where, and why." You want your press release to start strong to gain people's interest. Just like the title, make sure the content is to-the-point. Don't write more than you need to. Unnecessary words will decrease your effectiveness. It should be around 200-300 words. Make sure it is accurate - don't lie or embellish on anything. For example, don't talk about your site or product as being "the best". Also like the title, make sure it is easily readable by anyone who is reading it. Don't use any industry buzzwords or acronyms - the non-industry people reading it won't understand it. After you are done writing it, proofread it. Include an image in the press release if you can. Using some statistics may add legitimacy to your press release but don't use too many.

If you are looking to use a quote in your press release, make sure you know the sources, have the facts and information correct, and have permission from sources where you are quoting them. If you use copyright information in your press release and don't have written permission to use it, then you may be held liable. When quoting copyright information, make sure to state the source and the date.

Make sure your contact information has as much information as possible and is complete and accurate. You want to make it easy for the media to contact you about your story if they want to. Leaving out contact information may cause your press release to look shady.

After the body there will be the "About Us" section. This is where you get a sentence or two to explain who your company is. This is a great opportunity to explain what you do. But keep it brief.

To end the press release type "###" on a blank line and center it at the end of the release. This signals the end.

After it is written you can submit it. Don't resubmit it if it isn't picked up anywhere. Also, send it a few weeks in advance of an event. You can also add your press releases to your own web site so that they will be indexed by search engines and also seen by your visitors.


 
Bookmark this page: