How to Write a Great Press Release
Every day, brands & companies email thousands of press release. In the hope that they will grab the interest of bloggers & reporters who will write their news.
Press releases are a great tool but it should be used not so frequently and only when there is worthy news to report. It could be a new product, a new campaign with a great result or new a business partnership or location.
What you can do, if you’re facing this rejection almost every time? A well built and individually targeted pitch email to the right reporter will have much better results. Rather than sending a press release to a long list of reporters. How do you want to stand out with that?
You should do it with storytelling. Craft a narrative that draws readers and clicks a response from the ever-busy journalists. Narrative elements make it easier for reporters to envision the story you hope to tell. It encourages them to quote your release in their reports.
For example, you can start your press release in a couple of ways,
“Company X announced today the launch of our new brand – a beach resort…”
OR
“The sea, the sand, and the smell of sunscreen: nothing says summer quite like it. Today Company X is proud to launch our new beach resort, a perfect destination for friend & family outing.”
Which would get your attention?
Have a Strong Hook
Why are you deploying your press release? Did you launch a new product? Is your news timely relevant? Does it tie into a hot news story?
That’s your hook, and you should lead with it in the first paragraph and title. Without a strong news angle, a press release might not be the best way to go.
Add Spice with Quotes
Incorporate some thoughts and insights from relevant people in your business to add interest and a human touch. But, keep them to one or two max.
BONUS: THESE ARE HANDY FOR REPORTERS TO INCLUDE IN ARTICLES.
Focus on the Storytelling
Rather than your brand. When reporters read press releases, it’s the story they look for. When writing your press release, ask yourself:
Is this right for the publication’s audience?
Is the news unique?
Is it timely and relevant?
A great press release will, of course, include all pivotal facts. Make sure to frame it in the context of a larger story to make it more compelling for a reporter.
Use Audio Visual
By that, we mean visuals, like your company logo, executive headshots, photos, and videos. These can be included with the press release when distributed for a fee or offered to reporters in your pitch email.
While not necessary, they can make your story more compelling and result in media interest. Unique multimedia like a making-of video or info-graphic that describes timely industry news can even be the story itself.
Use Limited Links
You want your readers to focus on your release, not leave the page to explore related but secondary information. Keep hyperlinks to the least; three or fewer are best.
End with a Brief Summary
Conclude all releases with an About the Company paragraph. Take the best bits from your About Us page and boil them down into an elevator pitch. Journalists will reference this for important information like your business’s age, location and how you like your brand to be described in the media.
Contact us if you’re looking for a PR Services in Bangladesh and in need of a press release for your product, brand or organization.
This article has first appeared on our Director’s blog, jmustafa.com.
