Thanks to social media, it\u2019s not necessarily a pain in the ass anymore to get information about a new product or a jazzy event in front of reporters.<\/p>\n
That doesn\u2019t mean you should still skimp out on sending formal press releases. They\u2019re a good marketing tool to send to news outlets, whether you\u2019re a startup looking to expand brand awareness or you\u2019re a seasoned small (or large) business.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s an important style to press releases, whether you\u2019re sending information to news outlets about a product launch or upcoming event. Don\u2019t believe us? Keep reading to find out how to write a press release.<\/p>\n
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Before we dive into the immense potential of press releases, let’s start with the basics.<\/p>\n
A good press release is a concise, written communication designed for distribution to the media and the public. Its primary purpose is to announce newsworthy events, developments, or information about your business, organization, or even your own personal achievements if you\u2019re kind of a big deal.<\/p>\n
You want to answer the five Ws (who, what, where, why, when), but there\u2019s also a little more nuance than slapping some words on the page.<\/p>\n
At the very tippy top of your press release, you\u2019ll want to put your contact information. Get it out of the way, so reporters see it if they have questions. This should have a name of who to contact, along with a phone number and email address.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll want a headline that snags media attention, but it\u2019s got to be relevant to the point you\u2019re trying to make. Keep it in a bold font, slightly larger than the rest of the text in the press release. You also don\u2019t want it too long \u2013 cap it at 125 characters.<\/p>\n
Introduced by a dateline (the city\/state) in bold followed by a dash or colon, this will describe your whole reason for the press release. The first paragraph is where you\u2019ll hit the reporter over the head with the most important information. The rest of the press release will have other information throughout its short body. Remember those five Ws? This is where they go.<\/p>\n
This is where the background information of your announcement goes. You\u2019ll include a brief explanation that backs up the first paragraph. Add a call to action like \u201ccheck out our website\u201d or \u201cbuy our product at the store today!\u201d, but obviously be more specific.<\/p>\n
This is the very bottom paragraph about your business. Keep it short at 4-5 sentences. It should be either slightly lighter in color or the font should be a tiny bit smaller than the rest of the press release.<\/p>\n
So glad you\u2019re asking. A press release promotes an event, product, or brand<\/a>. A news release, on the other hand, is full of facts.<\/p>\n Think of it this way: a press release will go out to newsrooms to promote something. A news release has facts about an event that recently happened or will happen.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s say your brand makes cell phone covers and you want to announce a new product launch of a waterproof cover. That\u2019s a press release.<\/p>\n Now, if your cell phone cover was used in some elaborate ATF case and helped investigators crack some code, that would be a news release.<\/p>\n An incredibly important part of public relations is crisis communications.<\/p>\n Even though times are always changing, one constant you can always count on with media is if something salacious or scandalous happens, it\u2019s going to be in the news. But let\u2019s be honest for a second \u2013 when it\u2019s not you in the news, what\u2019s the stuff you like? The messy news stories.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t become a messy news story. If you do, have some crisis communications ready to go as part of your public relations strategy.<\/p>\n In your press release, you\u2019ll want to clarify any conflict and be upfront with what happened. Of course, you\u2019ll have to talk with your lawyers and keep stakeholders informed, but this is still a great practice.<\/p>\n If you write a press release and want to really increase exposure whether it\u2019s media coverage or ensuring you hit your target audience, incorporate search engine optimization (SEO<\/a>).<\/p>\n This means when your press release is sent to a newswire<\/a> \u2013 a press release distribution service with subscribers \u2013 and then posted to Google and other search engines, use specific keywords in your headline and throughout the text. Google especially looks for content that\u2019s not only well-written but has factual content.<\/p>\n Reporters sometimes have insane deadlines and breaking news. We\u2019re going to tell you how to make friends with them \u2013 or at least help them do their job.<\/p>\n Part of media relations is playing nicely together. You want your story in the news, then make it so the reporter basically copies and pastes your press release. How do you do this?<\/p>\n Reporters like statistics from reputable sources. That means if your stakeholder was quoted on a podcast or websites that are government and educational entities, include it<\/p>\n You can repurpose press releases for content marketing purposes. Add them to your website either as a blog or if you have a page that\u2019s \u201cIn the News,\u201d put it there.Keeping Your Company Name in Tact<\/h2>\n
Build Optimization<\/h2>\n
Help Your Release Get Exposure<\/h2>\n
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Looking at a Real Press Release<\/h3>\n
\nA great press release example is from Baird Brothers Fine Hardwoods<\/a>. They limit their press releases throughout the year, and each fall they hold a huge customer appreciation sale.
\nIn the first sentence, the Who (Baird Brothers), What (Red, White & True sale), Where (online and on-site), Why (sales\/celebration), and When (Sept. 29 through Oct. 1) are all answered.
\nThen, there are: background information, two direct quotes from sources, and where to find Baird Brothers on social media platforms.<\/p>\n