Killer press releases: A quick guide
Want to write press releases that cut through the noise and talk directly to editors? Here’s how…
Press releases are a hugely effective way for small to medium-sized businesses to gain media coverage. Unlike other content marketing tools such as blogs, mini-sites and white papers, they can be easily produced in-house and distributed directly to the publications you would like to gain exposure in, at little to no cost.
That said, journalists receive hundreds of press releases each day, so cutting through the noise and getting your story heard can be tough. Having worked as both a journalist and a marketer, I have received and written thousands of press releases over the years and know the difference between what is good and what is bad.
Below is a quick guide to writing killer press releases that will be heard above the chatter, ensuring your story makes the headlines:
Have something newsworthy to say:
Before you open a clean Word doc, ask yourself this: do I actually have anything newsworthy to say? Journalists and their readers want to hear about stuff that is new, exciting and interesting. Just think about the articles you like to flick through during your lunch break — many of which will have come from a press release.
This means deciding whether your story will be of interest to anyone outside of your business, and whether readers will actually care about what you have to say. You may be delighted with your new corporate website, but will others share your enthusiasm? How will they benefit from reading such a story?
Sure, press releases are for sharing news about your company, but the journalist who receive it in their inbox must be able to see the value it offers their readers. What is considered newsworthy changes from industry to industry and from publication to publication, but can include:
· New product innovations and launches
· New service offerings
· New research, stats or data
· New office openings and hires
· New events, conferences, talks, etc
If you’re not sure whether your story is newsworthy, have a look at the publications you would like to target and research the stories they cover. If you think what you have to say fits the bill, start writing. If not, it’s best to hang fire until you have something that is genuinely interesting to say.
Stop the press:
Perhaps the hardest part of writing a press release is to come up with an attention-grabbing headline. It’s always worth labelling your email as a “press release” or “story idea” so that the journalist knows exactly what it is. But this should also be followed by a bold headline.
The trick is not to get too clever; some headlines work well with puns or a play on words, others have the most impact when they say it as it is. If the reporter doesn’t immediately understand what your press release is about and the value your story offers their readers, they will simply move on to the next one.
So, if your press release is about opening a new office, say exactly that (SoandSo Limited Opens New Office) instead of: “SoandSo Limited Cuts Ribbon on New State-Of-The-Art HQ”.
Enter the mind of a journalist:
It’s a badly kept secret that journalists often take a press release and use it as the base for their story, usually just editing the introduction and small parts of the text before publishing. For them to do that, however, the press release has to be well written and in the style of a news story.
Most journalists (myself included) learn how to write news stories at journalism school, and then hone their skills over years of practice and slapped wrists from eagle-eyed editors. In reality, however, anyone can write a news story by following the inverted pyramid structure.
It works like this:
Most newsworthy information first: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? Try and get as many of these in your opening sentence as possible.
For example: Today, London-based SoandSo Limited has launched an innovative augmented reality application that allows users to try on spectacles via their smartphones and tablets.
Important details: this can include a quote, or any additional information.
Other information: This can include a little background on your company, or some of the other recent news items you have shared.
Here is an example of a well-written press release from GameOn Marketing, which follows the inverted pyramid format.
Another important thing to consider is the tone of the press release. It should be concise and to the point in order to catch the attention of the journalist — the first line should include as many of the five “Ws” as possible, but in no more than 25 words — ensuring that all the key information is clear and easy to understand.
The press release should also include a quote from a senior company representative — this should be used to provide additional insight rather than information — and in some cases images and infographics can also be attached. All told, the press release should be no more than 300–400 words.
You can include further background on your company/business in the “notes to editors” section. This comes after the main body of information, and can also include contact details.
Smart distribution:
With your press release written and ready to go, it is time to think about distribution. While the aim is to spread your story far and wide, it is also important to be realistic about who is likely to publish your news, and compile a list of publications that are a good fit. I’ve always been an advocate of quality over quantity in this regard.
The best thing to do is research each publication, finding the name and contact details of the revenant journalist or editor. This can usually be done in a few minutes with a bit of Googling, but tools such as Gorkana and Meltwater offer ready-made databases but at a (quite substantial) cost.
Once you have compiled (or purchased) your database, it’s time to send out your press release. It’s always best to take a personal approach, sending individual emails to the reporters and editors on your list, addressing each one by name. For those really short of time, a bulk email will suffice — remember to BCC contacts, not CC!
I also recommend pasting the press release into the body of the email rather than including it as an attachment — busy journalists simply don’t have the time to open them. Images and graphs can be attached, but avoid large files as they will clog up the reporter’s inbox.
Other things to consider:
Always be realistic about the traction your press release will gain and the time it takes for the story to be published. Sometimes your release can go out on the day of a major breaking news story and quickly fall down the order of priority. A reporter could be out of the office or on holiday, or it simply might not be of interest to them.
It is ok to follow up with a chase email, but leave a good three to four days in between and be polite when giving a reporter “the nudge”. If your press release does get published, it’s always worth dropping the journalist a quick email to thank them for running it, and to also see if they would like to do a follow up interview or article.
It may take a couple of attempts before you land that breakthrough piece of coverage, but it is certainly worth the effort. The exposure gained by landing your story in a newspaper or magazine, online or on radio/TV is invaluable, and can open many doors for you and your business.
It just takes a little practice, a touch of perseverance, and quite a lot of patience.
This story is published in The Startup, Medium’s largest entrepreneurship publication followed by 292,582+ people.
Subscribe to receive our top stories here.
