Sooner or later, pretty much every business owner stands before a very crucial task: writing a press release. This short communication, approximately a page long, will determine the media coverage of your event, service, or product.
A news release can make or break your brand. A well-crafted one can help promote your business and build your relationship with the press. However, keep in mind reporters and journalists get dozens, or hundreds, of emails daily. Make sure yours stands out among the rest and has the X-factor.
How to make sure everyone clicks your press release (and your business subsequently receives the desired media coverage)?
First thing’s first. Determine whether the news you’re writing about is truly news-worthy. If you constantly publish press releases about every tiny change, it’s less likely you’ll get the attention it deserves when you finally send out some super important news. Is it the right medium, or would the communication work better as a blog post or a tweet?
Okay, once you’ve deemed the information press release-worthy, here’s a quick guide on the press release format itself.
Six crucial parts of a press release:
- Contact information
- Headline – otherwise known as the title. It needs to convey the clue of the news in a clear, concise, and intriguing manner. It’s the first thing every reader will see, so it needs to compel them to read further. However, do not sail into the clickbait waters, and do not oversell your news.
- Subheadline – additional information regarding the news. While brief, it should either offer additional information to the reader or explain to them why the news is really newsworthy.
- Lede – the “Five W’s” of the press release. This is the first sentence of the press release, it’s the clue of the article. It names your company, your news, and why it matters.
- Body – the body of the press release. This part carries all the vital information about your news. Write coherently, and use clear wording. No one wants to plow through long, unnecessary introductory paragraphs or extremely convoluted sentences that make you do a double-take when reading. Break the text into paragraphs. When possible, provide relevant facts and figures. Include two quotes, one from the CEO of the company and one from another party involved in the news.
- Boilerplate – a super-condensed “About Us” section of the press release.
Need a press release, and the process of writing one still seems daunting? We’ll help out! Email us.