A press release can boost your news channel, or it can kill it. The reason is that it creates the first impression and defines whether a news channel is professional or not. Everything is important: opening phrases, word choice, headlines, etc. Besides, a successful news channel must also be creative. Check out these tips at https://writers-house.com/ to create an impressive and effective press release easily.
A Press Release: What It Is
Before you start to write your press release, let’s figure out what a press release is. Simply put, it’s a short news story intended for the record so that it can be used as your official voice. When writing a press release, keep in mind that your writing must target experts in your field and journalists. We recommend that you write in the third person, providing information that can be used by journalists when writing original articles. We are going to consider the most important aspects of writing a press release so that you can understand what makes a good press release.
Writing Tips
We hope that the following tips will help beginners make their first press releases more effective.
1. Write an outstanding headline. Your headline must immediately grab attention. We recommend that you use the rule of five Ws: your headline must begin with What, followed by Why, Where, When, and Who. Besides, don’t forget about How.
2. Get straight to the point and make sure that there is no unnecessary information. Make your press release neat and relevant. It shouldn’t be confusing for your readers or misleading.
3. Make use of various catchy phrases. They will help readers remember your news story and they will also attract more readers. Catchy phrases allow people to remember the most exciting news so that they can share it with their friends.
4. Keep in mind that your press release must be grammatically correct. Your poor grammar can undermine the whole press release and people won’t even want to read it. We also recommend that you constantly work on your English skills.
5. The shorter your press release, the better. We recommend that you don’t make it longer than 1-2 pages because lengthy press releases are boring for readers. It’s better to write a short but very informative press release than a longer one.
6. Use an active voice because a passive voice will make your press release less appealing. An active voice will help you build a strong connection with the audience.
The Writing Process
1. Write as if your press release would be on the front page. Imagine that you’re writing for the biggest newspapers and magazines and do your best.
2. Make sure to provide correct facts. Include the necessary figures and check all the information for accuracy.
3. Provide answers to possible questions even before someone asks them. This way, you will make your press release very effective and more catchy.
4. Write the headline last. Don’t try to come up with a strong headline before writing the rest of your press release. It will be easier for you to make the right headline if the press release itself is complete.
5. Don’t forget to write a conclusion. The conclusion of your press release is very important for the audience because it determines what they will think about it after reading or hearing it.
6. Include the contact information. It is extremely important because the publication that you’re going to send your press release to may want you to answer some questions. Usually, the contact information goes at the top of a press release.
7. Use relevant quotes that can make your press release more interesting to read. For example, quotes help acknowledge sponsors or CEOs. However, make sure to avoid such common clichés as “with pleasure,” “we are pleased,” etc.
8. Always write in the third person only. It will help you target your audience. For instance, you cannot write “we signed a contract.” Instead, you should write “N company signed a contract.”
9. Create an inverted pyramid structure. This way, your press release will be more engaging. Provide the most important information first, and then move to the least important details.
10. Keep your audience in mind. When writing a press release, taking into account your audience is as important as when writing a blog post. In the case of a press release, your audience will include editors, journalists, and broadcasters.
Using the Right Format
Here is a simple guide that will help you format your press release in the right way.
1. At the center of the page, include your company’s logo to make your brand more memorable.
2. After the company logo, provide the contact information. However, some companies choose to provide it after the body paragraph. This short section should include three lines: Contact (the name of a specific person), Phone, and Email.
3. You may also include a release date. However, this part isn’t mandatory. You may include it if you want a publication to take the necessary actions so that your press release will be done earlier. When including a release date, write it right after the logo, on the left margin. You may write “Release on [date] at [time],” or “For immediate release.”
4. The headline of your press release is very important because it creates interest. The headline must be unique and strong to keep your audience’s attention. We recommend that you use 14 pt. bold font and write it at the center of the page.
5. Subheadings, also known as the deck, can add more substance, providing insights into your story. Make sure that your subheadings don’t repeat the information that you’ve already included in the body of your press release.
6. The first body paragraph should begin with a dateline, which includes the date and location. Make sure to separate it from the body with a dash. Write the location in all caps.
7. Make sure to answer all of the main questions (who, what, why, where, when, and how) in the first body paragraph. Don’t put too much effort into hyping your product but provide facts about it.
8. In the rest of the body paragraphs, sum up the story that you’ve introduced in the first paragraph. We recommend that you stick with a journalistic style. You can also add links, media, and quotes.
- Quotations will help you provide another person’s perspective, which is always a good idea.
- Media content, such as audio, images, and videos, will make your press release much more interesting and engaging for the audience.
9. Another paragraph is called a boilerplate. It must provide a quick summary about your company so that the audience can understand what your company does and what it’s about. This paragraph can be used in different press releases. Use creative phrasing.
We also recommend that you add a final note that will give publication companies additional contact information. For instance, you can write: “To get more information on this topic, feel free to contact [name], [phone number and email].”
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