How To Write A Press Release?
Jan 23, 2019 | NewspaperThe quickest and easiest way to get free publicity is a press release. If you know how to write a press release well, it can result in multiple published articles about your brand and its products. And that means new prospects for you! A press release is cost-effective. The release might result in an article that recommends your brand or products, and that article is more likely to drive prospects to contact you than a comparable paid advertisement. A badly-written press release though, simply makes your brand look clueless and stupid.
Rules of Writing a Press Release
- Use the press release as a sales tool – Communicate the message to customers and prospects through the vehicle of a print or online article. This adds the authority and the credibility of the publication, website and/or reporter to the message.
- Have a story that is newsworthy – You need to convince the reporter/editor that your message or the story surrounding it is newsworthy. That is how you get your message communicated through the publication. It has to have appeal to the entire readership of that publication.
- Write your message like a reporter would – When your press release looks and feels like a real article, it will often get filed as a story with minimal editing.
- Provide good quotes – Make sure your message contains something memorable and personal, if possible. Please avoid a quote with a series of business clichés.
- Contact your top outlets personally – After you send a press release out, personally contact the reporters that you really want to cover the story. Send them something personal, or you can even rewrite the press release to fit their style.
- Write great headlines and top lines – A good subject line is a must. After a journalist opens your email, your first sentence must grab them. The top line is the most important bit of your story, so get it right at the beginning of your release. Your first line should read like the opening of a news story.
- Be concise – The ideal length of a press release is about 300 to 400 words. Avoid unnecessary bits which do not add anything to your story. Use sub-headings and bullet points to make information easy to digest, especially when you are including figures or statistics.
- Tell them why they should care – The first paragraph of your release should cover the who, what, why, where, and how of your new launch, update, or development. Reporters just need the facts that will help them tell your story to someone else from a position of authority.
If you find these too difficult to follow, it is a good idea to get a reporter to write the press release. A good reporter will make the release look like a story, which will make it more likely to be picked up and republished.
Things to Remember While Writing a Press Release
Press releases are an essential element of any public relations or marketing strategy. Their main aim is to get coverage and increase awareness among your target audience. A journalist looks for the human interest angle in a story, so get across the benefits that your news will bring to the people. The key is to put your story into context. When writing a press release, aim high while being realistic in your expectations. It will take you a few attempts to land press coverage for your business, but determination and the willingness to learn will take you a very long way. To get Instant profit, Book Newspaper Advertisement Now.
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