How to Write Press Release

How to Write Press Release – Press release writing services offer expert assistance, which if availed by a business, can help them generate leads and attention from the media. To understand how press releases work and how they can help you publicize your business, here is a brief outline of how it works.

What Is a Press Release / News Release?

A regular cadence of meaningful news can help a company stand out and build mindshare with journalists over time. That’s where the press release (or news announcement) comes in.

A press release is an official announcement (written or recorded) that an organization issues to the news media and beyond. Whether we call it a “press release,” a “press statement,” a “news release,” or a “media release,” we’re always talking about the same basic thing.

While the heading should contain action verbs, the first paragraph should answer the “who,” “what,” “why,” and “where.” The press release should also contain understandable language and a quote.

Most press releases are succinct at just a page long — two pages, tops. Ultimately, companies want to provide enough information so that news outlets have sufficient material for publishing their own stories about whatever the company is announcing in the release.

And while it may be tempting to craft a press release that embellishes your company’s accomplishments or twists the facts to make a story sound more intriguing to the media, remember: Press releases live in the public domain, which means your customers and prospective customers can see them. So instead of thinking of a press release solely as a ticket to earning news coverage, you should also think of it as a valuable piece of marketing content.

How to Write Press Release

Method 1: Making it Pop

1. 1Write a genuine headline. It should be brief, clear and to the point: an ultra-compact version of the press release’s key point. Plenty of PR professionals recommend writing your headline at the end, after the rest of the release is written. If you follow that instruction, continue on and come back to writing the headline once the rest is done. The headline is known as the eye-catcher and is very important to the whole release.
   • wikiHow recognized as most reliable information source. See how that works? Now you want to know more! News release headlines should have a “grabber” to attract journalists, just as a newspaper headline is meant to grab readers. It may describe the latest achievement of an organization, a recent newsworthy event, a new product or service.
   • Headlines written in bold! A bold headline also typically uses a larger font size than the body copy. Conventional press release headlines use the present tense and exclude “a” and “the”, as well as forms of the verb “to be” in certain contexts.
   • First word capitalized. As are all proper nouns. Most headline words appear in lower-case letters, although using a stylized “small caps” font style can create a more graphically news-attractive look and feel. Do not capitalize every word.
   • Extract important keywords. The simplest method to create the press release headline is to extract the most important keywords from your press release. From these keywords, try to frame a logical and attention-getting statement. If including a summary sentence after the headline, the same rules apply. Using keywords early will give you better visibility in search engines, and it will be simpler for journalists and readers to get the idea of the press release content. Look at the actions in this first step, and notice how every one of them could be a press release headline.
2. Write the body copy. The press release should be written as you want it to appear in a news story. Most journalists are very busy; they may dig deeper into the story if it doesn’t sound credible, but they generally won’t have time to do extensive research into your company’s big announcement. Much of what you write for your press release will be what the journalists use in their writeup of your big event—in other words, if there are important details you want included in the story, you need to include them in the press release.
   • Start with the date and city in which the press release originates. The city may be omitted if it will be confusing –– for example if the release is written in New York about events in the company’s Chicago division.
   • The lead, or first sentence, should grab the reader and say concisely what is happening. For example, if the headline is “Carpren Publishing releases new WWII novel,” the first sentence might be something like, “Carpren Publishing, Ltd., today released their first World War II novel by celebrated writer Darcy Kay.” It expands the headline enough to fill in some of the details, and brings the reader further into the story. The next one to two sentences should then expand upon the lead.
   • The press release body copy should be compact. Avoid using very long sentences and paragraphs. Avoid repetition and overuse of fancy language and jargon. Strive for simplicity, and no wasted words.
   • The first paragraph (two to three sentences) should sum up the press release, and the additional content must elaborate it. In a fast-paced world, neither journalists, nor other readers, would read the entire press release if the start of the article didn’t generate interest.
   • Deal with actual facts –– events, products, services, people, targets, goals, plans, projects. Try to provide maximum use of concrete facts. This is news. A simple method for writing an effective press release is to make a list of following clarifications: Who, what, when, where, why, and how.
3. Communicate the “5 W’s” (and the H) clearly. Who, what, when, where, why ––and how–– should tell the reader everything they need to know. Consider the checklist in context with the points below, using the example above to generate our press release:
   • Who is this about? Carpren Publishing.
   • What is the actual news? Carpren Publishing is releasing a book.
   • When does this event happen? Tomorrow.
   • Where does this event take place? In all major markets, tomorrow.
   • Why this is news? It was written by renowned author, Darcy Kay.
   • How is this happening? The main event is at a book signing in Chicago, followed by a book tour to all the major metropolitan areas.
     • With the basics defined, fill in the gaps with information about the people, products, items, dates and other things related with the news.
     • If your company is not the main subject of the news, but is the source of the press release, make it clear in the body.
   • Keep it short and to the point. If you are sending a hard copy, the text should be double-spaced.
   • The more newsworthy you make the press release copy, the better the chances of it being selected by a journalist for reporting. Find out what “newsworthy” means to a given market and use this knowledge to hook the editor or reporter.
4. Make it clean, crisp, and applicable to your audience. Odds are whoever you sent your press release to has a dozen just like it in his/her inbox just waiting to be ignored. If you want yours to be chosen, it’s got to be good. Not only does it have to be good, but it has to be as close to “ready for press” as possible.
   • When an editor looks at your piece, he/she is thinking, from the first second, about how long it’s going to take them to get it to print. If your work is full of errors, lacking content, or just needs to be revised, they’re not going to waste their time. So make sure you have good grammar, all the basics, and have something to write about.
   • Why should these people care what you have to say? If you’re sending it to the right audience, it’ll be obvious. If you’re not, well, why are you wasting your time? Give the right people a piece of news (news, not advertising) and you’re on the right track.
     • They’ll care more if you send it in the morning. That gives them time to pad your piece into what they’re already working on. Be considerate.
5. Tie it together. Provide some extra information links that support your press release. Does the company you’re selling have additional information online that readers may find useful? Great. Add it in.
   • If you’re nervous about what you’ve got, do some research on what’s already out there. Someone probably wrote something on an event just like the one you’re covering. PR Web and PR Newswire are good places to start.

Method 2: Mastering the Format

1. Get the basic structure down. All right, now that you’ve got the meat of it together, how do you put it onto paper? Well, for starters, cut it to length. It should be a page long at most, if that. No one’s going to waste time on 5 paragraphs unless you’re covering WWIII. Here’s what you need (some of which we’ve already covered):
   • FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE should go at the top of the page, on the left margin.
     • If the release is embargoed, put “EMBARGOED UNTIL…” with the date you want the story released. A release with no release date is presumed to be for immediate release.
   • The headline, usually in bold, should be centered below that.
     • If you’d like, put a subhead in italics (briefly elaborating the headline).
   • First paragraph: most important information. May be quite news-like in that, it starts with a date or where the news is coming from.
   • Second (and probable third) paragraph: secondary information. Should include quotes and facts.
   • Boilerplate information: more on your company. Who are you, really? What achievements do you have? What’s your mission?
   • Contact information: more on the writer (probably you!). If you grab someone’s interest, they’ll want to be able to find out more!
   • Multimedia: in today’s day and age, there’s always some Twitter handle to be had.
2. Write a boilerplate underneath the body of your release. That means it’s time to include information about your company. When a journalist picks up your press release for a story, he or she would logically have to mention the company in the news article. Journalists can then get the company information from this section.
   • The title for this section should be “About [XYZ_COMPANY].”
   • After the title, use a paragraph or two to describe your company with 5 or 6 lines each. The text must describe your company, its core business and the business policy. Many businesses already have professionally written brochures, presentations, business plans, etc. That introductory text can be put here.
   • At the end of this section, point to your website. The link should be the exact and complete URL without any embedding so that, even if this page is printed, the link will be printed as it is. For example: http://www.example.com, not Click here to visit the website.
   • Companies which maintain a separate media page on their websites must point to that URL here. A media page typically has contact information and press kits.
3. Add your contact information. If your press release is really newsworthy, journalists would surely like more information or would like to interview key people associated with it. If you are comfortable with the idea of letting your key people be contacted directly by media, you can provide their contact details on the press release page itself. For example, in the case of an innovation, you can provide the contact information of your engineering or research team for the media.
   • If not, you must provide the details of your media/PR department in the “Contact” section. If you do not have dedicated team for this function, you must appoint somebody who will act as a link between the media and your people.
   • The contact details must be limited and specific only to the current press release. The contact details must include:
     • The company’s official name
     • Media department’s official name and contact person
     • Office address
     • Telephone and fax numbers with proper country/city codes and extension numbers
     • Mobile phone number (optional)
     • Times of availability
     • Email addresses
     • Website address
4. If possible, include a link to an online copy of the same release. It’s good practice to keep a log of all of your press releases housed on your own website. This can make providing such a link easier to produce, as well as keeping a record for historical purposes.
5. Signal the end of the press release with three # (hash) symbols. Center these directly underneath the last line of the release. This is a journalistic standard. It may look like you’re over-tweeting, but you’re not. This is how it’s done.

Press Release Types

You can announce different types of news using this medium. The below-mentioned examples, while they do follow the established press release formatting guidelines, also stand out of the crowd within their categories.

Scroll to learn more about the different types of press releases.

1. Product Launches and Updates

We know from studies on customer psychology that trying to sell a new product requires the delicate handling of a whole set of objections. We also know that one of the most important brain triggers is the “first and last” effect, meaning that a product launch press release (which would be the first message in the campaign) should be a crucial element in your strategy.

The first thing that you notice about this BUX press release is the vivid visuals on the top of the page. If you’re a journalist who’s familiar with social media stories, then it’s immediately clear what the announcement is about.

Another thing to note is that this press release is only 250 words, which makes the copy easy to digest without having to wade through unnecessary fluff.

It’s also an interesting choice to highlight a long quote in the middle, but it makes sense to the story — which is about a new-age feature (stories) appearing on a mobile investment platform. This is not common practice, at all.

The quote, coming straight from the founder, explains the decision in depth. The distinctive formatting is a subtle way of shaping the story according to the company’s best interests.

The next best thing to note is this press release’s shareability. Want to copy the link, the text, or download the whole page as a document? This newsroom has you covered.

Pro tip: Is your new product something that your customers aren’t used to? Highlight a quote from your CEO to make your intentions clear through a personal voice.

2. Events

It doesn’t matter whether your event is open or closed to the public. You can utilize a press release either way.

If it’s closed, then your main priority is to inform the public of its occurrence and what you are planning to accomplish (e.g. fundraiser events, political assemblies, etc). A press release about a private event can still help in highlighting your organization’s progress toward its mission.

If your event is open to the public (e.g. grand opening, exhibition, family event, etc.) then your main goal is to get as many people there as possible. You can do this via engaging copy and photography.

The biggest draw to an art show is the art itself. This Jimmy Nelson press release is using that to its full advantage. The main image is busy, but it comes alive and grabs your attention.

Additionally, with all the information presented on the page, this press release could qualify as a full press kit. There’s an in-depth description of the event, a summary, downloadable images, a PDF file, and clear contact information.

Despite the release itself being on the lengthy side and the video throwing an error message, it’s still an outstanding example of an event-type press release done well.

Pro tip: If your event has a highly visual aspect, make sure to play it up in your press release. Even if that’s not the case, you can still make the most of your release by providing all necessary information on one page, as if it was a full press kit.

3. Branding Changes

When there is a major change happening at your company, a press release is a good place to start informing the public. The two most notable branding updates could be a rebranding campaign or the introduction of a new partnership agreement.

In the example below, you’ll review what a rebranding press release looks like.

When you are introducing a rebranding campaign, the first thing people will want to know is what it looks like now, and this Business Wire press release delivers. It also provides additional images to help the reader visualize the new experience.

Once you move past evaluating the new branding for yourself, the press release gives you the rest of the story in detail. They do a great job explaining the reason for the change, and then list the rebranded elements one by one with an explanation for each.

They also prompt for more than just reading and acknowledging the news. If you don’t count the boilerplate, you will find three call-to-actions within the body of this press release:

• Tweet this
• Preview Burger King’s new visual identity
• Visit www.BK.com

Additionally, by providing an RSS feed in the sidebar, this press release caters to journalists who prefer to organize their sources via a news aggregator.

Pro tip: Keep the buzz going by implementing 1–3 call-to-actions in your release. If you are undergoing a rebrand, make sure to include up to ten images of your new brand identity and explain why you’re changing.

4. Leadership Changes

A change in leadership is a similar concept to a branding change. When the head of a company changes, it can bring about new decisions in the organizational direction, too. This is an advancement that journalists and some consumers like to know about.

When the news is about a change in top-level staff, you’ll want to put a face to the name right away. In this case, Ticketmaster appointed three new chiefs and made sure to include all of their photos on the cover.

It’s also important to note that most leadership change press releases commonly have an inclusion of the new leads’ previous achievements. They might include a quote from them, as well.

In cases where the previous head is leaving on good terms, they will add an outgoing quote from them that puts the leadership change in a good light.

Pro tip: If it’s more than one change in executive-level staff, try to include all of their headshots on the same banner. This will give them all equal footing during the announcement campaign. Make sure to also add quotes from either the new appointees themselves, another executive, or the outgoing leadership.

5. Award announcements

When a company receives recognition for something, a new communication opportunity emerges. What’s most important in an award announcement press release is to define how it impacts the end-user.

When a company receives an award, it’s a signal to the consumer that this brand is trustworthy. This can be the tipping point for users who are ready to convert.

The CoSchedule award-themed press release makes sure to list all the awards received that make the platform stand out in the SaaS scene, and its short length is ideal if you don’t want to seem too boastful. Just stick to the facts to keep it humble.

Pro tip: Use high-impact keywords, such as “high performer”, “14th consecutive quarter”, and “best”, to add depth to the company’s achievements.

6. Company Breaking News

In times like these — when COVID-19 has affected almost every business in the world —  breaking-news-type press releases are coming out every other day.

Aside from the topic of the coronavirus, it’s still highly beneficial to learn how to write such a release. In case an urgent matter needs to be communicated a.s.a.p., it’s best to be prepared ahead of time.

This Air Canada press release is very matter-of-fact and to the point. They included a reason for route suspensions (COVID), and then listed the affected routes and the other measures in the plan.

Pro tip: The only way you can efficiently convey sad news is by stating the facts and providing a clear explanation. It’s even okay to omit any striking imagery as the focus is not to be attention-grabbing but more on sharing all the necessary information.

Press Release Format

1. Title and Italicized Subheading to Summarize the News
2. News Location and newspeg in opening line
3. Two to Three Paragraphs to Add Information
4. Bulleted Facts or Figures
5. Company Description at Bottom
6. Contact Information and “For Immediate Release” at the Top
7. A “###” at the End

As noted above, you’ll want your format to include traditional press-release items like your contact information, the words “For immediate release,” a note about your location, and a quick bio about your company. Having specific spots for those elements will prevent you from needing to mention it in your body copy so you can focus on discussing the news at hand.

You also might want to include “###” or another signifier to show the journalist that the release has ended. In the past, this prevented busy journalists from waiting or flipping the page for more information when there was no more news. However, this tradition is still adopted and highly-respected today.

Conclusion

Writing a press release is not the hardest thing in the world, but it is certainly complex. Your mission today: To write a press release. But first, before you begin your journey towards writing your first ever press release, there are a few steps you must take.