It used to be that you picked up a newspaper and noticed the headlines and knew there was something interesting to be learned that day. Press releases were the lifeblood of any newspaper worth its ink and the companies who issued them were judged by the amount of free publicity they could garner for their clients.
Nowadays not much has changed except perhaps the medium by which press releases are distributed. They continue to appear in newspapers, but they are also making big headlines online.
As the competition heats up to get your message out, there are a few things to consider before you begin writing your release.
What’s the story morning glory?
Do you have an angle you can use? What’s the unique selling proposition (USP) of your piece? Editors get hundreds of press releases on their desks each day. Your job is to ensure the one you send stands out from the rest. Even a simple announcement like a new product launch can be made to sound BIG if you have the right words and angle you can apply to it.
No USP? How about trying to use some emotional selling points (ESP)? Perhaps the product was created after a lot of trial and error, poor funding, and innumerable obstacles which had to be overcome. Craft your story around these points. What will get more publicity – news about the launch of a new funeral home or about the story of the owner who died while trying to build it? Be daring and different, but never fake or false. Don’t create a story where none exists.
How to write a press release
Your headline needs to be compelling. It’s what draws the reader in and makes him read on. Go through your competitors’ headlines. How can you be different? Study headlines that have received a lot of publicity. How can you emulate them? Just remember to keep all headlines short and tight.
Subheadings are great in that they give you space to add to your heading and build up drama without giving away the actual content.
Your content also needs to start with a strong lead paragraph. Forget the conventional – XYZ announced today – unless the business you are writing for is in fact extremely conventional. Always include the 5 Ws within the first two paragraphs: who, what, when, why, where. Make it so that if the editor/journalist was reading only the first paragraph, he’ll have the entire gist of the story.
Get quotes. People love to hear what others have said about a product or service they are interested in. A good quote can capture audience interest – a great quote can make it memorable. A quote can be from an expert in the industry, from the company management, or even from a customer, depending on the direction you want your press release to take.
How to format a press release
It’s one thing to know how to write a press release. Now that you’ve written your draft, it’s time to format it. The first rule to remember for press releases is to keep them short – one page is great, two pages are okay, but three pages are just too long.
Start by using the title “For Immediate Release” at the top of your page. Include the date and your complete contact details. If you are unsure of a format, MS Word has plenty to select from. If your company has a letterhead, you can type it on that.
If you are attaching documents or a photograph to substantiate your news, be sure to mention that.
Also be certain to clearly indicate the person you’ll be sending it to – often excellent releases can be mislaid just because they were addressed to the wrong person.
End with a couple of sentences about the company, business, person, or service the press release is about. This paragraph is referred to as the “boilerplate” and is usually standard text that can be used over and over again in all your related press releases. It is usually placed before you add “# # #,” which signifies the end of the release.
You can also place a single line to say: “if you’d like more information, please call Ms Smith at 555-12-124 or visit us online at www.site.com” before the boilerplate or after the “# # #.”
Before you email or fax your release, review it once again and ensure you have done the following:
- Avoided using hyped-up, over inflated phrases like: breaking news, the best, most unique, one and only etc.
- Avoided writing in first person singular (I) or plural (We). Always stick to a neutral third party voice.
- Used plain English, not technical jargon.
- Not exceeded one and a half pages, even if you feel you have much more to say.
- Stuck to one main point and one or two sub-points if necessary, but no more than that.
- Kept the most important information right at the beginning.
- Included a live contact whom the journalist can get in touch with for more information.
- Proofread your release and edited any mistakes.
Press release distribution
And finally, don’t shy away from sending it out to the right sources. Online, there are a number of free and paid press release distribution sites such as PR Web , 24-7, and PR.com to name a few. Offline, try to source those contacts who will help you get your release to the right desk. A few persistent phone calls might be in order. And then sit back and enjoy the publicity your releases get for you.