Everything You Need To Know To Write a Press Release: Part 1
Why Write a Press Release
Ah! The Press Release, one of the oldest tools in the PR/Marketing kit. There are various reasons to write and distribute a press release. For our clients we usually use releases to:
- Announce BIG News — company milestones, new products, partnerships, etc.
- Keep the Media Updated on a Company — This is the classic reason to write and distribute a release. It makes it easy for journalists, bloggers and influencers to find a company through search. It keeps a company on the media’s radar as a potential resource, and demonstrates that the company is active and an innovative contributor in their industry.
- Add Customers to the Sales Funnel — press releases can help bolster a company’s lead gen efforts by bringing attention to their unique attributes, such as killer content, research, new products, or events.
- Improve SEO — when major news sites and search engines pick up optimized press releases it helps drive link building, traffic and awareness to a company’s site.
Setting Up a Release for Success
When gearing up to write the release here are some factors to consider:
- Interview your client: In order to write the best press release for your clients, you need to know as much as possible on the topic you are announcing. Set up 20 minutes to sit down with your client and get the dish on the news. Play journalist to help craft the story and ID the key players and the what, when, where and why. Key takeaways to get from your interview include:
- Main topic for the release
- Potential Headline
- Potential Sub-headline
- Key Messages to be addressed in the release (max 3)
- Key Audience(s)
- Timing
- Who should be quoted (customer, partner, analyst and their key opinion)
- Determine in advance how long the release will be: Many distribution sites base price off of word count. Setting length expectations not only gives you leverage to quote price in advance, but can also help you avoid various actors adding empty language that distracts from the news.
How to Write a Press Release
For Immediate Release (Date)
Headline (Summarize the news and grab journalists’ attention)
Subhead: Additional detail or explanation
City, State — (Date): Introduction, following the inverted pyramid hierarchy of information, your first paragraph should easily provide the reader with the most compelling parts of the announcement, i.e the Who, What, Where, When and Why. In the intro you should also shape the relevancy of the announcement. Give credence to why it matters, how it shapes the industry, and what next steps or opportunities it leads to.
Body: In the following paragraphs insert context that adds value to the news, i.e statistics, background info, or industry/company details. Strengthen and shape the core messages in your release with quotes from company leaders, customers, partners, etc. Customer and partner quotes are incredibly valuable as they provide reference points, and third party validation of the overall message. Be careful not to repeat your first paragraph when drafting quotes; avoid extreme exaggeration and overly promotional or salesy language. Some additional tips:
- Break up text further down in the release with bullets — nobody likes blocks of self-promotional content
- Use clear and concise language — you are providing the news — it should be crisp and full of “sound-bites” that are easily digestible and shareable — this helps disseminate and spread the message.
- Background information is important, however don’t overdo it. When editing a release, keep a focused lens on what is contributing to the news, and what larger problem is the announcement addressing?
Boilerplate: This is a brief (3–5 sentences), description of your company or organization. The first sentence should tackle the question, “what do you do” head on and be easy for reporters and readers to summarize.
Media Contact
Organization (Agency or Company)
Phone Number
Example releases from the Scratch team:
- harmon.ie Unveils Solution That Treats Emails as Full-Fledged Documents, Dan MacLeod
- Pwnie Express Unveils Industry’s First Internet of Everything Threat Detection System, Jill Queenan
Check out the Scratch Buzz, for some example press releases and news placements from the Scratch team. And stay tuned for a post on managing the press release approval process!
Cheers,
Maribel Lopez, PR Director
Scarlett O’Sullivan, Senior Marketing Associate
