A
press release, also known as a news release, is simply a written statement to
the media. It can announce a range of news items: scheduled events, personnel
promotions, awards, new products and services, sales accomplishments, etc. They
can also be used in generating a feature story. Reporters are more likely to
consider a story idea if they first receive a release. It is a fundamental tool
of PR work, one that anyone who’s willing to use the proper format can use.
1.
Write the headline. It
should be brief, clear and to the point: an ultra-compact version of the press
release’s key point. News release headlines should have a “grabber” to attract
readers, i.e., 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. For example, “XYZ Co. enters
strategic partnership with ABC Co. in India & United States.” Headlines are
written in bold and are typically larger than the press release text.
Conventional press release headlines are present-tense and exclude “a” and
“the” as well as forms of the verb “to be” in certain contexts.
The
first word in the press release headline should be capitalized, as should all
proper nouns. Most headline words appear in lower-case letters, although adding
a stylized “small caps” style can create a more graphically news-attractive
look and feel. Do not capitalize every word. The simplest method to arrive at
the press release headline is to extract the most important keywords from your
press release. Now from these keywords, try to frame a logical and
attention-getting statement. Using keywords 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.
2.
Write the press release
body copy. The press
release should be written as you want it to appear in a news story.
Start
with the date and city in which the press release is originated. 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. The next
1-2 sentences then expand upon the lead.
The
press release body copy should be compact. Avoid using very long sentences and
paragraphs. Avoid repetition and over use of fancy language and jargon. A first
paragraph (two to three sentences) must actually sum up the press release and
the further 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. A simple method for
writing an effective press release is to make a list of the following things:
3.
Communicate the 5 Ws: The who, what,
when, where, why, and how. Then consider the points below if pertinent. What is the actual news?
Why is this news?
The people, products, items, dates and
other things related with the news.
The purpose behind the news.
Your company - the source of this
news.
Now
from the points gathered, try to construct paragraphs and assemble them
sequentially: The headline > the summary or introduction of the news >
event or achievements > product > people > again the concluding
summary > the company. The length of a press release should be no more than
three pages. If you are sending a hard copy, 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 or reporter. Find out what “newsworthy” means to
a given market and use it to hook the editor or reporter.
4.
Include information about the company. When a journalist picks up your press
release for a story, he/she would logically have to mention the company in the
news article. Journalists can then get the company information from this
section. This is also called the “boiler plate.”
The
title for this section should be - About XYZ_ COMPANY
After
the title, use a paragraph or two to describe your company with 5/6 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 a
complete URL without any embedding, so that if this page is printed, the link
will be printed as it is. For example: http://www.your_company_ website.com.
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.
5.
Tie it together. Provide some extra information links
that support your press release.
6.
Add 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 being directly contacted
by media, you can provide their contact details on the press release page
itself. For example, in case of some innovation, you can provide the contact
information of your engineering or research team for the media.
Otherwise,
you must provide the details of your media/ PR department in the “Contact”
section. If you do not have a 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)
-E-mail
addresses
-Website
address
7.
Get approvals from all participants in the press
release. To enhance the
credibility of a press release, quotes from vendors, partners, customers or
analysts are typically included in a press release. Be sure to get written
approval from all press release participants prior to publicizing the press
release. This is especially true of customers who may react very negatively if
their approvals are not given for the announcement.
8.
Signal the end of the press release with three # symbols, centered
directly underneath the last line of the release. This is a journalistic
standard.